Why You May Be Having Back Pain
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Some of the causes of chronic back pain are obvious. But others are surprising. An article in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine may have found at least one: a vitamin deficiency.
The fact that a vitamin deficiency could cause such intense pain for so long is certainly surprising. But it’s also much simpler to correct than many other back pain issues. So it’s worth considering. And the article’s findings align with what I’ve been saying for years about this important vitamin.
The article looked at six patients, all of whom had severe, longstanding back pain. All but two of these patients were over 50. And all of them had one thing in common: their back pain was disabling. Keep in mind that these were difficult cases. Three patients had already suffered through multiple surgeries and still had no resolution to their pain. All were on chronic pain medication.
Given their terrible histories of pain, the researchers gave every one of the patients supplemental vitamin D. And every single one of the patients responded positively. Let me tell you about three of these cases.
The first was a 63-year-old man. He was a regular attendee at the local pain management clinic. And his addiction to pain medication had existed for years. He had a history of four back operations for disc protrusion. The last one was 15 years ago. He was on permanent, long-term disability. When the researchers checked his blood level of vitamin D (25, hydroxy vitamin D), they found it was only 20 nmol/l (nanimoles per liter). His doctor then placed him on 4,000 units of vitamin D3. Six weeks later, his vitamin D level was 87 nmol/l, and “his symptoms completely resolved.”
That one story is absolutely amazing.
Again, the report’s comments severely understate the miracle that just took place with this man. A simple and inexpensive supplement completely CURED one of the most serious back pain cases you’ll ever see.
But that’s not all. Another case involved a 30-year-old woman. I quote again: “This patient had significant back pain, which had become worse after pregnancy (a known risk factor for vitamin D deficiency). She was not able to work for a number of years. Each morning she had difficulty getting out of bed because of severe back pain. Pain medication only partially controlled her pain.”
The researchers in this study found that she had a severe deficiency of vitamin D. So they started her on 2,000 IU of vitamin D. The results, again, were incredible. Her back pain improved within three to four weeks. And it completely resolved within six weeks. “She was able to return to work and has been gainfully employed.” Her initial vitamin D level was 18 nmol/l. The treatment brought her levels up to 82 nmol/l.
These are absolutely remarkable cases. They make you wonder how many people are going to undergo surgery and/or become chronically addicted to pain medication when all they really have is a vitamin deficiency.
The Cause of Vitamin D Deficiency
Most doctors and researchers have assumed that the problem comes from aging, the use of sun blocks, sunglasses, shunning the sun, and staying indoors. But that can’t be the reason. There have been too many reports of tanned young men who work construction all day long outdoors in Hawaii wearing only swim trunks without sun blocks or sunglasses that can’t get close to optimal levels. And the patients I’ve treated for extremely low levels weren’t cloistering themselves in windowless rooms. Now, finally, we’re getting some answers to this question. It’s genetics.
Researchers reported that certain genetic variations in vitamin D binding protein can account for the problem. According to the authors, “Common genetic variants in the CYP2R1 and GC genes modify vitamin D concentrations in the same manner after artificial ultraviolet exposure induced vitamin D and consumption of vitamin D3-fortified bread and milk.” They are saying that the same genetic differences that account for why so many people can’t get adequate vitamin D levels from sun exposure also accounts for why they often need to take such high doses.
The scientists learned this when they exposed 92 healthy men and women to the same doses of ultraviolet vitamin D-stimulating light. They measured their vitamin D levels before and after. Then they analyzed 25 different gene variations involved in vitamin D synthesis, transport, activation, or degradation. Sure enough, they were able to predict who would respond best to the ultraviolet light simply by seeing the pattern in these genetic variations.
To study the effect of vitamin D supplements, they did the same kind of before and after study on 201 healthy Danish families who were given vitamin D3-fortified bread and milk or placebo for six months during the winter. The results were the same. The same genes determined how much vitamin D you can make from sunlight as well as how much you can get from your diet or supplements.
Sources of Vitamin D
Foods that provide vitamin D include:
Fatty fish, like tuna, mackerel, and salmon.
Foods fortified with vitamin D, like some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and cereals.
Beef liver.
Cheese.
Egg yolks.
Early Morning Sun also helps boost your Vitamin D.