Vitamin D Reduces Back Pain and Osteoporosis

 Vitamin D Reduces Back Pain and Osteoporosis

by Melanie Grimes
See more articles by Melanie Grimes

(The Best Years in Life) Vitamin D is a fat-soluble micronutrient. It is available in some foods, but one of the best ways to obtain vitamin D is via exposure to ultraviolet rays (UVB) in sunlight, absorbed through the skin. Many people are deficient in this nutrient. Sun exposure north of New York and San Francisco, even in the summer months, is not effective in producing vitamin D in the skin, because the rays are not strong enough, so supplementation is required.

Though it is called a vitamin, its function is actually a prohormone. Food sources of vitamin D are small boned fish and grains. Deficiency of vitamin D causes rickets.

In 22 studies of vitamin D, conducted with 3,670 participants, 48% to 100% of those with musculoskeletal pain displayed vitamin D deficiencies. With supplementation, almost all reported a lessening or complete elimination of bone and muscle pain. Another study of 360 participants with back pain showed that all had insufficient levels of vitamin D, and 95% showed relief after three months of supplementation, assuming there was no injury, such as a slipped disc. A study at the University of Minnesota noted that the majority of those with severe deficiency were under the age of 30. Studies of over 40,000 participants taking vitamin D showed a reduction in hip fractures by 18%.  Read More.