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 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 Sitka back pain, a common
problem that affects millions of people globally? Lately, research has shown
that there may be a connection between small levels of
vitamin D and back pain. While the proof is still early,
it’s important for our Sitka chiropractic
patients and Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka to grasp what this potential
connection could mean for those suffering from chronic back pain.
WHAT IS VITAMIN D?
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that assists
your body absorb calcium from the food you eat. It also helps keep bones healthy
and strong 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 convert cholesterol in the skin into vitamin
D3 which is then absorbed into the bloodstream and stored
in fat tissues. Even in winter in Sitka, 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 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 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 higher levels of vitamin D at the start.
(2) What’s your Sitka 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 relationship between low vitamin D
level and increased odds for chronic or recurrent episodes
of back pain. (2) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka 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 Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
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 Sitka
chiropractic appointment with Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka, your partner
in spinal health.