Vitamin D and Pain: Why Your Level is Important to Know
For decades the recommended daily amount of
vitamin D for an adult was set at 400 IU. Doctors and nutritionists were taught
that this level was enough for good health.
Then researchers all across the globe
started reporting widespread deficiency of the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D.
Physician conferences started focusing on the effects of this vitamin on
health, bringing much revelation to the old thought that vitamin D was only
important to prevent rickets.
Vitamin D Deficiency is Clearly Related to Pain
One of the findings about vitamin D
actually pertains to the amount of pain in the body that people have when
there’s a deficiency. This pain is in
the muscles and in the bones.
One study, performed in Iran at the
Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, at Rouhani Hospital at the
Babol University of Medical Sciences, evaluated 276 patients who had pain in
different parts of their body – in their legs, joints, ribs, back, pain everywhere
and fibromyalgia for their vitamin D status.
They compared the results of these patients
with 202 patients without the pain, but with similar vitamin D levels.
What Level of Vitamin D is Considered Deficient?
The doctors considered a level of vitamin D
less than 20 ng/ml deficient. The “normal” range seen on blood tests from the
laboratory is 30 to 100 ng/ml here in the United States.
Researchers discovered that when someone
had pain in their legs, ribs, joints or everywhere, they usually also had a
vitamin D deficiency.
In fact, the two types of pain that were
highly correlated to a vitamin D deficiency were leg pain and joint pain, such
as arthritis. They also found that women had a greater correlation of pain with
a vitamin D deficiency. (Source: Int J Rheum Dis 2010 Oct;13(4).)
What this study means to you is to get your
vitamin D levels checked, and if they’re low, raising them could significantly
lessen your pain levels. You could be a lot happier with less pain, right?
Does Age or Type of Disease Affect Vitamin D Levels?
Another study that appeared in a medical
journal called Clinical Rheumatology discussed what the correlation was between
vitamin D and pain in the joints in 231 patients at the Arthritis and
Osteoporosis Center at the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital in
Ireland.
This time the doctors wanted to see if age
or diagnosis affected probability of having low vitamin D levels.
Different Standards for Determining Deficiency
Interestingly, these doctors considered a vitamin
D deficiency of less than or equal to 53 ng/ml. This level actually makes more
sense since you should never be at the bottom of any ranges for vitamins and
minerals.
Over Two-Thirds of Them Were Deficient
The researchers discovered that 70% of the
patients had a deficiency, and 26% had a severe deficiency (defined as less
than 25 ng/ml). The patients who had rheumatoid arthritis were deficient 77% of
the time.
Those with connective tissue diseases or
inflammatory joint disease were deficient 69% of the time, and those with
osteoarthritis 62% of the time. If patients had bone or muscle/joint pain in
their back or osteoporosis, the deficiency rate was at 75% and 71%
respectively.
Age Didn’t Really Matter
They also discovered that age affected vitamin
D status. You might think that if someone is young, they have more opportunity
to go out in the sunshine more often and thus, should have higher levels of
vitamin D.
Well, the research revealed that 65% of
patients who were 65 or older and 78% of those who were 30 years old or less
were deficient in vitamin D. (Source:
Clin Rheumatol, 2011 June; 30(6).)
This gives us the clue that really, anyone
can be deficient. Get your levels tested
soon and take any appropriate actions right away. And do hold yourself to the
higher standards of vitamin A deficiency levels as in Ireland. Don’t just get by when it comes to your
vitamin D levels. Your bones and joints will appreciate you all the more when
you do!
Categories:
arthritis medication,
arthritis relief,
vitamin D
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