Years of research have documented advantageous
actions of the hormone, vitamin D, on the skeleton, inflammation,
cancer, metabolic issues,
auto-immunity, endocrinopathies, and now adrenal diseases, diabetes,
thyroiditis, and more. (1) Vitamin D’s reputation keeps
getting better! Researchers now are analyzing
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 found
that even a slightly 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 Pensacola back pain, a familiar
problem that influences millions of people worldwide? Lately, research has revealed
that there may be a connection between small levels of
vitamin D and back pain. While the evidence is still preliminary,
it is vital for our Pensacola chiropractic
patients and Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center to grasp what this potential
connection could mean for those suffering from 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 keep bones healthy
and strong by keeping 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 offers natural sources of vitamin D—the
ultraviolet rays convert cholesterol in the skin into vitamin
D3 which is then absorbed into the bloodstream and are deposited
in fat tissues. Even in winter in Pensacola, sunlight does its job!
HOW CAN VITAMIN D HELP WITH BACK PAIN?
Research suggests that those with decreased
levels of vitamin D may be more likely to have
chronic back pain than those with optimal levels of vitamin D. One
study examined the association between 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.
The results demonstrated that those who had decreased
levels of vitamin D were more likely to have higher levels of
disability related to their low back pain at 3 months
than those who had higher levels of vitamin D at baseline.
(2) What’s your Pensacola 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 heightened odds for chronic or recurrent episodes
of back pain. (2) Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center 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 managing
a patient with 3 disc herniations via the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain
Management.
CONTACT Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center
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 Pensacola
chiropractic appointment with Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center, your partner
in spinal health.