 BY DR. GREG FORS, - BOARD CERTIFIED NEUROLOGIST:
One
very vital component of your patient's metabolic tune-up, to heal
chronic pain and promote wellness, is Vitamin D3. Many clinicians
commonly overlook the newly rediscovered role in health and disease that
this lowly hormone-like vitamin plays today. This is very troubling for
those who suffer from chronic muscle and joint pain problems, for recent
studies have shown clearly that low serum of Vitamin D levels are
associated with chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain. Vitamin D
deficiencies were something that was never considered a problem in
Western nations, in years past there was more concern that people may be
getting too much Vitamin D. However, recent research studies are now
showing that Vitamin D deficiencies in the are much more prevalent than
once was thought.
In a recent data from the Third National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey 1988-94 (NHANES III), blood serum levels of
Vitamin D 3 were found to be below the recommended levels for a large
portion of the general adult population and for most minorities. The
prevalence of moderate and severe deficiencies of Vitamin D was found to
be much higher among women and minority populations; however, one-third
of all white men also had low Vitamin D levels(1). The researchers in
this study concluded; "Need exists for a critical review and probable
revision of current recommendations for adult Vitamin D intake to
maintain adequate 25(OH) D3 levels".
The findings of this comprehensive research become even more significant
in light of a recent study on individuals with chronic musculoskeletal
pain, completed at the . In this study, blood Vitamin D levels were
tested on 150 individuals, males and females, aged 10 to 65 years from 6
broad ethnic groups. All 150 of these individuals suffered with
persistent, nonspecific musculoskeletal pain. Amazingly, in these muscle
and joint pain patients, 93% (140/ 150) had deficient serum levels of
Vitamin D. This means that if your patient suffers with nonspecific
musculoskeletal pain, their chances would be greater than 9 out of 10 of
having of a Vitamin D deficiency. In this study 100% of all African
American, East African, Hispanic, and American Indian patients, had
deficient levels of Vitamin D(2).
The conclusion of these researchers was straightforward; "All patients
with persistent, nonspecific musculoskeletal pain are at high risk for
the consequences of unrecognized and untreated severe hypovitaminosis
D." "Persistent nonspecific musculoskeletal pain" is another name for a
myofascial pain syndrome and they are nonspecific because these
individuals did not have an underlying diagnosable bone or muscle
pathology to account for their pain. Therefore, if your patient has
regional myofascial pain or the global myofascial pain of fibromyalgia,
you will what to have their Vitamin D3 levels measured and/or consider
supplementing with Vitamin D3. Run a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood
test on them to see how deficient they might be. Not long ago normal was
considered 7-46 ng/mL of serum Vitamin D., but has recently been raised
to 32-100 ng/mL. Many experts now believe that 40 to 100 ng/mL of serum
of Vitamin D is optimal range for optimal health. Serum Vitamin D levels
over 100 to 150 NG/mL suggests toxicity and must be investigated by your
physician.
It is important to remember that numerous different studies have now
found a correlation between many modern health problems and Vitamin D
deficiencies, including osteoporosis, chronic muscle pain, fibromyalgia,
certain cancers, multiple sclerosis(3) and even depression(4). Always
supplement with vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), not Vitamin D2. The dosage
of various conditions runs from 500 to 2000 I.U. of Vitamin D3 daily;
even though there is limited toxicity never exceed 2000 I.U. per day. Do
not take with Vitamin A as in cod liver oil, because Vitamin A competes
with the absorption of Vitamin D. Recent research has suggested that
Vitamin D helps to lower systemic chronic inflammation and insulin
resistance in tissues throughout the body. This may explain its wide
spread health affects and its ability to combat chronic myofascial pain
disorders, so do not pass Vitamin D3 up in optimizing your patients
health.
Copyrighted 2007 by Dr. Greg Fors-Article or portions
of this article cannot be used without the authors permission .
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