Elgin Back Pain and Vitamin D: What to Know
Years of research have documented beneficial actions of the hormone, vitamin D, on the skeleton, metabolic issues, cancer, inflammation, auto-immunity, endocrinopathies, and now adrenal diseases, diabetes, thyroiditis, and more. (1) Vitamin D’s reputation keeps growing! Researchers now are evaluating vitamin D’s impacts 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 marginally increased intake of vitamin D was linked to a lower incidence of pain over 5 years in addition to frequency of pain, severity, and number of pain locations. (3) What about vitamin D and Elgin back pain, a familiar problem that affects millions of people around the world? Recently, research has revealed that there may be a connection between low levels of vitamin D and back pain. While the proof is still preliminary, it is vital for our Elgin chiropractic patients and Connected Chiropractic to realize what this possible connection could mean for those suffering from 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 keep bones healthy and strong by preventing them from getting 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—the ultraviolet rays convert cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D3 which is then absorbed into the bloodstream and are deposited in fat tissues. Even in winter in Elgin, 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 better levels of vitamin D. One study examined the association between 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 results at three months. The results showed 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 better levels of vitamin D at baseline. (2) What’s your Elgin 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 increased odds for chronic or recurrent episodes of back pain. (2) Connected Chiropractic 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 proper nutrition in the management of a patient with 3 disc herniations via the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CONTACT Connected Chiropractic
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. Make your Elgin chiropractic appointment with Connected Chiropractic, your partner in spinal health.
