Oxford Back Pain and Vitamin D: What to Know
Years of research have detailed advantageous activities 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 getting better! Researchers today are evaluating vitamin D’s impacts 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 described that even a slightly enhanced intake of vitamin D was linked to a lower incidence of pain over 5 years plus to frequency of pain, severity, and number of pain locations. (3) What about vitamin D and Oxford back pain, a familiar problem that affects millions of people globally? Recently, research has shown that there may be a link between low levels of vitamin D and back pain. While the evidence is still preliminary, it’s important for our Oxford chiropractic patients and Satterwhite Chiropractic to grasp what this possible connection could mean in managing chronic back pain.
WHAT IS VITAMIN D?
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that helps 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 absorbed from foods such as dairy products, fish, eggs, mushrooms, and some vegetables. Sunlight also provides natural sources of vitamin D—its ultraviolet rays transform cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D3 which is then absorbed into the bloodstream and stored in fat tissues. Even in winter in Oxford, 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 likely to have chronic back pain than those with better levels of vitamin D. One report linked biomarkers (such as vitamin D) and pain in acute and subacute low back pain patients over time by comparing biomarkers at baseline to differences in patient-reported outcomes at three months’ follow-up. The results showed that those who had lower levels of vitamin D were more likely to experience higher levels of disability correlated with their low back pain at 3 months than those who had better levels of vitamin D at baseline. (2) What’s your Oxford 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 better levels of the nutrient. This could suggest a link between low vitamin D level and heightened risk for chronic or recurrent episodes of back pain. (2) Satterwhite Chiropractic 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 managing a patient with 3 disc herniations via the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Satterwhite Chiropractic
Overall, there is evidence suggesting 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 Oxford chiropractic appointment with Satterwhite Chiropractic, your collaborator in spinal health.
