Baton Rouge Back Pain and Vitamin D: What to Know
Years of research have documented beneficial actions of the hormone, vitamin D, on the skeleton, inflammation, cancer, metabolic issues, auto-immunity, endocrinopathies, and now adrenal diseases, diabetes, thyroiditis, and others. (1) Vitamin D’s reputation continues growing! Researchers today 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 discovered that even a marginally 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 Baton Rouge back pain, a familiar problem that influences millions of people around the world? Lately, research has revealed that there may be a link between small levels of vitamin D and back pain. While the proof is still preliminary, it’s important for our Baton Rouge chiropractic patients and Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers to realize what this possible 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 bones stay strong and healthy by keeping them from getting brittle or weak. Vitamin D can be found in foods such as dairy products, fish, eggs, mushrooms, and some vegetables. Sunlight also provides natural sources of vitamin D—its 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 Baton Rouge, sunlight helps!
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 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 by comparing biomarkers at baseline to changes in patient-reported outcomes at three months. The results showed that those who had lower levels of vitamin D were more likely to have higher levels of disability related to their low back pain at follow-up than those who had better levels of vitamin D at baseline. (2) Do you know your Baton Rouge 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 suggest a link between low vitamin D level and increased risk for chronic or recurrent episodes of back pain. (2) Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers 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 Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers
Overall, there is evidence pointing to a link between a low Vitamin D level and an increased possibility for chronic or recurrent episodes of back pain. Let’s chat about your vitamin D level. Make your Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment with Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers, your partner in spinal health.
