Musculoskeletal
pain, or pain that affects the bones and muscles in the body,
is a common complaint among all segments of the population.
Still, despite the high incidence and potential consequences
of such pain, precise diagnosis and effective treatment are
not always easily attained. What's more, extremely low levels
of vitamin D (known as hypovitaminosis D) may be partly responsible
for causing some musculoskeletal pain that goes undetected,
which can often lead to more severe consequences, including
softening of the bones.
In order to determine the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D
in patients suffering from musculoskeletal pain, researchers
examined 150 patients (ages 10-65) with musculoskeletal pain
who had no known health conditions that would decrease the
production or absorption of vitamin D, or otherwise account
for their pain.
The study found that 55 percent of individuals younger than
age 55 had exceptionally high rates of vitamin D deficiency,
while 28 percent of patients had severely deficient vitamin
D levels. The deficiencies were similar for both men and women.
The moral of the story? Don't underestimate the role that
vitamins and nutrition play in maintaining health and well
being. For more information on the benefits of vitamins, visit
www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/nutrition/vitamins.
Reference:
Plotnikoff GA, Quigley JM. Prevalence of severe hypovitaminosis
D in patients with persistent, nonspecific musculoskeletal
pain. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2003;78, pp1463-70.
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