Georgetown Back Pain and Vitamin D: What to Know
Years of research have documented advantageous actions of the hormone, vitamin D, on the skeleton, metabolic issues, cancer, inflammation, auto-immunity, endocrinopathies, and now adrenal diseases, diabetes, thyroiditis, and others. (1) Vitamin D’s reputation continues growing! Researchers now are evaluating vitamin D’s effects on biomarkers like CRP, NPY, TNF-alpha, etc., after spinal manipulation and medical care. (2) In older adults who don’t always take the recommended amount of vitamin D, researchers discovered that even a marginally increased intake of vitamin D was linked to a lower incidence of pain over 5 years in addition to frequency of pain, severity, and number of pain locations. (3) What about vitamin D and Georgetown back pain, a familiar problem that involves millions of people around the world? Lately, research has revealed that there may be a connection between low levels of vitamin D and back pain. While the evidence is still preliminary, it is important for our Georgetown chiropractic patients and Dr. Butwell to grasp what this potential connection could mean in managing chronic back pain.
WHAT IS VITAMIN D?
Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient that helps your body absorb calcium from the food you eat. It also helps keep bones healthy and strong by keeping 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 Georgetown, 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 experience chronic back pain than those with optimal levels of vitamin D. One study linked biomarkers (such as vitamin D) and pain in acute and subacute low back pain patients over time by comparing biomarkers at baseline to changes in patient-reported outcomes at three months. The results demonstrated that those who had decreased levels of vitamin D were more likely to experience higher levels of disability correlated with their low back pain at follow-up than those who had higher levels of vitamin D at baseline. (2) Do you know your Georgetown 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 enhanced levels of the nutrient. This could indicate a relationship between low vitamin D level and increased risk for chronic or recurrent bouts of back pain. (2) Dr. Butwell suggests you listen to this podcast with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he reviews the benefit of proper nutrition in the management of a patient with 3 disc herniations via the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Dr. Butwell
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 us talk about your vitamin D level. Schedule your Georgetown chiropractic appointment with Dr. Butwell, your collaborator in spinal health.
