Chronic pain is difficult to resolve. The typical ice, heat, rest, and many dangerous medications don’t fix the problem. New studies are giving hope to many people suffering from chronic pain. The Journal of Parental and Enteral Nutrition study shows a correlation of Vitamin D deficiency with increased chronic pain.
414 patients at an inpatient acute rehabilitation unit in Mission Viejo, CA were studied. Upon each one’s admission to the facility, readings were taken of their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and severity of their nonspecific musculoskeletal pain. There was a consistent pattern showing serum D levels are inversely associated with nonspecific musculoskeletal pain. Those who had low levels of vitamin D had the greatest amount of pain. Patients with higher Vitamin D levels had less pain.
More studies like this are being done. A simple supplementation of Vitamin D can be a natural solution to helping people with chronic pain. We are finding that most people suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. It’s not only something that can be helped with improved diet and supplements, but also by getting outside for more exposure to the sun. The sun is the most natural way to get Vitamin D. It is after called the sunshine vitamin!
Not only can chronic pain be helped with increased Vitamin D! Other conditions like cardiovascular disease, rickets, asthma, cancer, diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2), hypertension, glucose intolerance, multiple sclerosis, osteomalacia, eczema, cystic fibrosis can be from vitamin D deficiency.
There are many causes of vitamin D deficiency: a vegan diet, limited exposure to the sun, having darker skin, digestive conditions like Crohn’s or celiac disease, and even obesity. You can easily get your levels checked with the 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test.
Diet and supplementation can help improve your Vitamin D levels. The Institute of Medicine increased the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin D for optimal health to 600 international units (IU) for everyone up to 70 years old and raised it to 800 IU for adults over 70. The safe upper limit was also raised to 4,000 IUs.
Foods higher in Vitamin D can be helpful for natural chronic pain relief. Some foods are fortified with Vitamin D: cereals, orange juice, milk, cheese, lean meats, fish, beans, and eggs. It’s also important to get more sun and know that sunscreen blocks absorption of vitamin D. If you make it a habit of using sunscreen or covering up with clothes, take just 15 minutes a day to get some sun. You can also take a quality vitamin D supplement.
In our Freehold chiropractic office, we use a combination of regular chiropractic adjustments and recommendations of exercise, stretching, and nutrition supplementation like Vitamin D in helping our patients live a more pain-free, enjoyable lifestyle.
