Vitamin D & A Link To Unexplained Pain

According to a 2005 study conducted by ABC News, USA Today and Stanford University Medical Center, more than half of all Americans suffer from chronic or recurrent pain and 48 percent of those polled did not know the cause of their pain. Conditions such as fibromyalgia, which cause unexplained pain, affect as many as 5 million Americans, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. A 2009 study published in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" showed that 77 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient. Over the years, many studies have looked at unexplained pain and a possible connection to vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a nutrient made naturally by the body through the exposure of your skin to ultraviolet B rays from the sun. Due to skin cancer concerns and the push for sunscreen use, many people do not receive enough sun exposure to make the vitamin D they need. Vitamin D, unlike other vitamins, is limited in foods. It is in fortified milk and oily fish such as salmon, but receiving enough through a regular diet is near impossible. Normal ranges for serum vitamin D are between 30 and 80 nanomoles per liter and those under 30 are vitamin D deficient.

Medical Research in Unexplained Musculoskeletal Pain

A 2008 study published in the "Iranian Journal of Public Health" looked at a random sample of 1,105 individuals between 17 and 79 years of age. They obtained serum vitamin D samples from each participant and they asked about unexplained musculoskeletal pain, rating it using the verbal rating scale. They found that 4.4 percent of people with normal vitamin D levels experienced unexplained pain, 4.9 percent with mild deficiency, 7.4 percent with moderate vitamin D deficiency, and 11.3 percent of those with severe vitamin D deficiency experienced unexplained pain. The researchers concluded that vitamin D deficiency might be a major cause of unexplained pain, especially in older women.

Medical Research in Nonspecific Skeletal Pain

A 2010 study published in the "International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases" looked at the connection between nonspecific skeletal pain and vitamin D deficiency. Looking at 276 patients with nonspecific skeletal pain in a variety of body regions and 202 matched controls, researchers obtained serum vitamin D samples. The study concluded that there was a strong association between the level of deficiency and pain, with a higher association found in women.

Considerations

With many studies finding a connection between vitamin D deficiency and pain, and many Americans suffering from both, have your serum vitamin D levels tested by your physician. If the results show that you are vitamin D deficient, your doctor can treat the deficiency with high doses of vitamin D supplements. Once your levels return to optimal conditions, your physician can establish a routine supplementation plan to maintain adequate levels.