Years of research have documented beneficial
activities 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
getting better! Researchers today are analyzing
vitamin D’s impacts 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 described
that even a marginally enhanced intake of
vitamin D was linked to 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 Roads back pain, a familiar
problem that involves millions of people around the
world? Recently, research has shown
that there may be a link between low levels of
vitamin D and back pain. While the evidence is still early,
it is important for our New Roads chiropractic
patients and New Roads Chiropractic Center 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 found
in foods such as dairy products, fish, eggs, mushrooms, and some
vegetables. Sunlight also provides natural sources of vitamin D—its
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 New Roads, sunlight does its job!
HOW CAN VITAMIN D HELP WITH BACK PAIN?
Research suggests that those with decreased
levels of vitamin D may be more likely to have
chronic back pain than those with better levels of vitamin D. One
report examined the association between 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 showed that those who had decreased
levels of vitamin D were more likely to experience 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 New Roads 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 enhanced levels of the nutrient. This
could suggest a link between low vitamin D
level and increased risk for chronic or recurrent episodes
of back pain. (2) New Roads Chiropractic Center 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 adequate nutrition in the management of
a patient with 3 disc herniations via the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain
Management.
CONTACT New Roads Chiropractic Center
Overall, there is evidence suggesting a
link between a low Vitamin D level and an increased risk for
chronic or recurrent episodes of back pain. Let us talk
about your vitamin D level. Make your New Roads
chiropractic appointment with New Roads Chiropractic Center, your partner
in spinal health.