Low back pain (LBP) affects about 80% of adults at some point in their life, and its impact on work, recreation, and overall quality of life can be devastating if it transitions into chronic LBP (low back pain that persists for more than three months).

 

So, is there really a simple remedy for chronic LBP?  Since back pain is often multi-factorial in its causation, the simple answer is "probably not."  BUT, a 2017 study reports that simply taking vitamin D can offer significant benefits for the chronic low back pain patient.

 

In the study, researches provided participants (68 patients with a history of chronic low back pain and low vitamin D levels) with an oral dose of 60,000 IU of vitamin D3 every week for eight weeks.  The research team measured pain intensity and disability using common outcome assessments at baseline and at two, three, and six months post treatment.  They also collected blood samples to measure vitamin D serum levels.

 

The data show that not only did the patients' vitamin D levels improve from 12.8 ng/mL (+/- 5.73) at baseline to 36.07 (+/- 12.51) at eight months with 45 (66%) of the patients attaining a normal level of >29 ng/mL, but the participants also report significant improvements in pain and disability throughout the course of the study.

 

The authors conclude that vitamin D supplements can improve pain and function in chronic low back pain patients with vitamin D deficiency.  hence, this is a very SIMPLE remedy!

 

It is well known that vitamin D deficiency is a very common problem, with up to 75% of teens and adults having sub-optimal levels.  Past research has demonstrated vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for many disorders including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and depression.  It appears that we can now add chronic low back pain to the long list of conditions that vitamin D supplementation may benefit.

 

Physical medicine and chiropractic services frequently include nutritional counseling, diet management, and other wellness-related services in the quest of optimizing patient health, well-being and quality of life.