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 more. (1) Vitamin D’s reputation keeps
growing! Researchers today are testing
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 discovered
that even a slightly enhanced intake of
vitamin D was associated with 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 Ashburn back pain, a familiar
problem that affects millions of people around the
world? Recently, 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 Ashburn chiropractic
patients and Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn to realize what this potential
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 provides natural sources of vitamin D—its
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 Ashburn, 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 prone to experience
chronic back pain than those with optimal 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 via comparison of biomarkers at baseline to differences
in patient-reported outcomes at three months’ follow-up.
The results demonstrated that those who had lower
levels of vitamin D were more likely to have higher levels of
disability related to their low back pain at follow-up
than those who had better levels of vitamin D at baseline.
(2) What’s your Ashburn 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 link between low vitamin D
level and heightened risk for chronic or recurrent bouts
of back pain. (2) Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn 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 managing
a patient with 3 disc herniations via the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain
Management.
CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn
Overall, there is evidence pointing to 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 Ashburn
chiropractic appointment with Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn, your collaborator
in spinal health.