Years of research have recorded advantageous
actions 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
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 discovered
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 Burlington and Hamilton back pain, a common
problem that involves millions of people globally? Recently, research has revealed
that there may be a connection between small levels of
vitamin D and back pain. While the evidence is still early,
it’s important for our Burlington and Hamilton chiropractic
patients and Spinal Care Clinic to grasp what this potential
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 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 transform cholesterol in the skin into vitamin
D3 which is then absorbed into the bloodstream and are deposited
in fat tissues. Even in winter in Burlington and Hamilton, sunlight helps!
HOW CAN VITAMIN D HELP WITH BACK PAIN?
Research suggests that those with decreased
levels of vitamin D may be more prone 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 via comparison of biomarkers at baseline to changes
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 Burlington and Hamilton 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 heightened risk for chronic or recurrent bouts
of back pain. (2) Spinal Care Clinic 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 proper nutrition in managing
a patient with 3 disc herniations via the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain
Management.
CONTACT Spinal Care Clinic
Overall, there is evidence suggesting a
link between a low Vitamin D level and an increased possibility for
chronic or recurrent episodes of back pain. Let us talk
about your vitamin D level. Schedule your Burlington and Hamilton
chiropractic appointment with Spinal Care Clinic, your partner
in spinal health.