Largo Back Pain and Vitamin D: What to Know
Years of research have documented beneficial activities 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 growing! Researchers today 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 tend to not always take the recommended amount of vitamin D, researchers described that even a marginally enhanced intake of vitamin D was linked to a lesser incidence of pain over 5 years plus to frequency of pain, severity, and number of pain locations. (3) What about vitamin D and Largo back pain, a common problem that affects millions of people worldwide? Recently, research has revealed that there may be a link between low levels of vitamin D and back pain. While the proof is still early, it’s important for our Largo chiropractic patients and Hollstrom & Associates Inc to grasp what this possible connection could mean for those suffering from chronic back pain.
WHAT IS VITAMIN D?
Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient that assists your body absorb calcium from the food you eat. It also helps bones stay strong and healthy 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—its ultraviolet rays convert cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D3 which is then absorbed into the bloodstream and stored in fat tissues. Even in winter in Largo, 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 via comparison of 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 follow-up than those who had better levels of vitamin D at the start. (2) Do you know your Largo 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 risk for chronic or recurrent bouts of back pain. (2) Hollstrom & Associates Inc 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 adequate nutrition in managing a patient with 3 disc herniations via the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Hollstrom & Associates Inc
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 Largo chiropractic appointment with Hollstrom & Associates Inc, your collaborator in spinal health.
