Years of research have documented advantageous
activities of the hormone, vitamin D, on the skeleton, metabolic issues, cancer, inflammation,
auto-immunity, endocrinopathies, and now adrenal diseases, diabetes,
thyroiditis, and more. (1) Vitamin D’s reputation continues
growing! Researchers now are testing
vitamin D’s effects on biomarkers like CRP, NPY, TNF-alpha, etc.,
after spinal manipulation and medical care. (2) In older adults who tend
to not always take the recommended amount of vitamin D, researchers described
that even a marginally increased intake of
vitamin D was linked to a lesser incidence of
pain over 5 years in addition to frequency of pain, severity, and
number of pain locations. (3) What about vitamin D and Minster back pain, a common
problem that influences millions of people around the
world? Recently, research has shown
that there may be a link between low levels of
vitamin D and back pain. While the proof is still early,
it’s vital for our Minster chiropractic
patients and Minster Chiropractic Center to grasp what this possible
connection could mean in managing chronic back pain.
WHAT IS VITAMIN D?
Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient that assists
your body absorb calcium from the food you eat. It also helps bones stay strong and healthy by preventing them
from becoming brittle or weak. Vitamin D can be found
in foods such as dairy products, fish, eggs, mushrooms, and some
vegetables. Sunlight also offers natural sources of vitamin D—its
ultraviolet rays transform cholesterol in the skin into vitamin
D3 which is then absorbed into the bloodstream and are deposited
in fat tissues. Even in winter in Minster, sunlight does its job!
HOW CAN VITAMIN D HELP WITH BACK PAIN?
Research suggests that those with lower
levels of vitamin D may be more prone to have
chronic back pain than those with better levels of vitamin D. One
study linked biomarkers
(such as vitamin D) and pain in acute and subacute low back pain patients over
time via comparison of biomarkers at baseline to differences
in patient-reported results at three months’ follow-up.
The results demonstrated that those who had decreased
levels of vitamin D were more likely to have higher levels of
disability correlated with their low back pain at 3 months
than those who had higher levels of vitamin D at the start.
(2) Do you know your Minster vitamin D level?
CHECK YOUR VITAMIN D LEVEL
Researchers have found that those with lower levels of
Vitamin D tend to report more frequent episodes of back pain than their
counterparts with adequate levels of the nutrient. This
could indicate a link between low vitamin D
level and increased risk for chronic or recurrent episodes
of back pain. (2) Minster Chiropractic Center suggests you listen to this podcast with Dr.
James Cox on The Back
Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses the
benefit of adequate nutrition in the management of
a patient with 3 disc herniations via the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain
Management.
CONTACT Minster Chiropractic Center
Overall, there is evidence pointing to a
link between a low Vitamin D level and an increased risk for
chronic or recurrent episodes of back pain. Let’s chat
about your vitamin D level. Schedule your Minster
chiropractic appointment with Minster Chiropractic Center, your collaborator
in spinal health.