Does dietary supplementation of cod liver oil mitigate musculoskeletal pain?

To investigate the relationship between dietary supplementation of cod liver oil and the intensity of pain in people with musculoskeletal pain.

Cross-sectional study.

Data from the Norwegian Health Survey 1985.

All adult respondents who had reported musculoskeletal pain (n = 4490).

Intensity of musculoskeletal pain as assessed by self reports during an interview.

In logistic regression analyses (adjusting for age, gender, socioeconomic status, civil status, smoking habits, physical exercise, mental distress, and use of medicines), there was a negative association between regular intake of cod liver oil during the previous week and intense pain (OR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.56-1.00; P = 0.048) and considerable/intense pain (OR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.67-1.00; P = 0.045). The association was stronger in the 33% of the respondents who reported a musculoskeletal disease, as expressed by the relationship of cod liver oil to intense pain (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.43-0.95; P = 0.028) and considerable/intense pain (OR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.54-1.03; P = 0.076). The association varied between diagnostic groups, and was not seen in people who did not report a musculoskeletal disease.

The study suggests that people with musculoskeletal pain experience less pain if they take cod liver oil.