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Chronic back pain—the kind where you keep going to doctors and they can't
find any specific problem—can be defeating. Try as you may, it seems that
nothing takes away that general ache that can make it hard to do even the simplest
things, like get out of bed.
It may be time for chronic back pain sufferers to walk on the sunny side of
the street.
That's not a trite, "oh, just pull yourself together and get over it" statement.
Vitamin D—aka, the sunshine vitamin—has been shown to help patients
with chronic musculoskeletal pain. We get vitamin D from the sun (and from other
sources, as explained in
Calcium and Vitamin D to Build Bone); when the sun's rays hit your skin,
your body becomes a vitamin D factory. Amazing.
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, so without enough vitamin D, you
won't get enough calcium. Without enough calcium, your bones can weaken, potentially
leading to bone and joint pain, or musculoskeletal pain. (Lack of calcium and
vitamin D can also lead to osteoporosis, as explained in Causes
of Osteoporosis.) A recent review of clinical research by Pain
Treatment Topics found that people with chronic musculoskeletal back pain
always had insufficient levels of vitamin D. Then, when they bumped up
their intake of vitamin D, their pain lessened dramatically.
This doesn't mean that you can just go on a picnic on a sunny day and take
a few vitamin D supplements—and presto, your back pain is gone. Talk to
your health care provider about how much vitamin D you should get every day
and how you can get enough of it.
You won't notice an immediate effect from vitamin D; give it time to build
up in your body and treat the source of your pain (your weakened bones
and joints). Taking vitamin D is a commitment, and you should also stay committed
to your other treatment options, such as pain medications and physical therapy.
A multi-disciplinary approach like that is generally more effective than trying
just one treatment at a time.
And if possible, get outside more on sunny days. That sunshine vitamin—vitamin
D—may be just what your back needs.
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