New York City Back Pain and Vitamin D: What to Know
Years of research have recorded 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 analyzing vitamin D’s effects 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 described that even a slightly enhanced intake of vitamin D was associated with 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 New York City back pain, a familiar problem that affects millions of people around the world? Lately, research has revealed that there may be a link between low levels of vitamin D and back pain. While the evidence is still preliminary, it is important for our New York City chiropractic patients and Rosenberg Wellness Center to understand what this potential connection could mean in managing 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 provides natural sources of vitamin D—the ultraviolet rays transform cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D3 which is then absorbed into the bloodstream and stored in fat tissues. Even in winter in New York City, 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 likely to have chronic back pain than those with optimal levels of vitamin D. One report linked 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 results at three months. The results demonstrated that those who had lower levels of vitamin D were more likely to have higher levels of disability correlated with their low back pain at 3 months than those who had better levels of vitamin D at baseline. (2) Do you know your New York City 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 better levels of the nutrient. This could indicate a relationship between low vitamin D level and increased odds for chronic or recurrent episodes of back pain. (2) Rosenberg Wellness 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 adequate nutrition in the management of a patient with 3 disc herniations via the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Rosenberg Wellness Center
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 chat about your vitamin D level. Schedule your New York City chiropractic appointment with Rosenberg Wellness Center, your collaborator in spinal health.
