Toronto Back Pain and Vitamin D: What to Know
Years of research have detailed 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 keeps getting better! Researchers now 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 don’t always take the recommended amount of vitamin D, researchers found that even a marginally 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 Toronto back pain, a familiar problem that affects millions of people globally? Recently, research has shown that there may be a link between small levels of vitamin D and back pain. While the proof is still early, it’s important for our Toronto chiropractic patients and Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre 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 bones stay strong and healthy by keeping 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 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 Toronto, sunlight helps!
HOW CAN VITAMIN D HELP WITH BACK PAIN?
Research suggests that those with lower 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 by comparing biomarkers at baseline to differences in patient-reported results at three months’ follow-up. The results showed that those who had lower 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) Do you know your Toronto 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 increased risk for chronic or recurrent bouts of back pain. (2) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre 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 Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
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’s talk about your vitamin D level. Schedule your Toronto chiropractic appointment with Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre, your partner in spinal health.
