Year: 2026 | Month: May | Volume: 13 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 798-805
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20260580
Improvement of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, Gastrointestinal, Metabolic, and Thyroid Biomarkers through Advanced Diagnostic Testing and Functional Nutrition in an 11-Year-Old Female: A Paediatric Case Report
Anupriya Borah1, Aakansha Tamhane2, Saloni Kulkarni3, Mugdha Pradhan4
1M.Sc., Researcher, ThriveTribe Wellness Solutions Private Limited, Pune, India
2M.Sc., Senior Functional Nutritionist, ThriveTribe Wellness Solutions Private Limited, Pune, India
3M.Sc., Head of Client Services, ThriveTribe Wellness Solutions Private Limited, Pune, India
4M.Sc., Expert Functional Nutritionist and CEO, ThriveTribe Wellness Solutions Private Limited, Pune, India
Corresponding Author: Anupriya Borah
ABSTRACT
Background: Chronic musculoskeletal pain in children and adolescents can have a major impact on functioning and social participation. However, it has not received much attention from a research point of view. Musculoskeletal pain affects about 15-25% of adolescents, and frequent pain in adolescence may lead to chronic pain in adulthood. Conventional treatments focus on suppressing the symptoms but fail to address the underlying issues, often resulting in relapse and recurrence. On the other hand, functional nutrition addresses the root causes of the health disorder and helps heal the patient from within.
Case Presentation: This case report highlights the clinical course of an 11-year-old adolescent suffering from chronic pain in both legs, localized specifically between the knee and ankle, accompanied by fatigue, low energy, constipation and bloating. Comprehensive blood test and GI-MAP analysis reflected metabolic dysregulation, active Helicobacter pylori infection, and severe depletion of commensal species in the gut.
Intervention: A personalized functional nutrition-based protocol focused on gut microbiome restoration, pathogen elimination, and correction of nutritional deficiencies was implemented. The protocol emphasized following an anti-inflammatory and gluten-free diet alongside targeted supplementation and lifestyle modifications.
Outcomes: Following up after 90 days, the patient experienced a reduction in the severity of leg pain, correction of vitamin B12 deficiency, optimization of vitamin D, post-prandial insulin, free triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, and an improvement in platelet count. Her energy levels were restored, and fatigue also subsided.
Conclusion: The present case report highlights that a personalized functional nutrition-based approach can effectively address the root causes of chronic musculoskeletal pain in an adolescent and help understand the importance of advanced testing (such as GI-MAP) in paediatric patients with unexplained chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Keywords: Chronic pain, fatigue, functional nutrition, GI-MAP, supplements
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