Monday, March 25, 2024
HomeFactsCan Vitamin D Help With Joint Pain

Can Vitamin D Help With Joint Pain

Upping Your Vitamin D Intake Has Been Shown To Help With Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Easing Joint Pain from Breast Cancer with Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is essential for building strong bones. Too little of this vital nutrient can lead to having thin, soft and brittle bones, known as osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children.

Studies also have found that a lack of vitamin D is linked to rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease characterized by swollen, aching joints and numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, scientists found that vitamin D deficiency not only is highly prevalent in rheumatoid arthritis patients, but its also related to chronic pain and lower mental and physical quality of life scores. Another study revealed that a higher intake of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids may be associated with better treatment results in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.

Is Vitamin D Helpful For Joint Pain

Joint pain is often known to bother many people across the globe and most of them do not respond to treatment even. Thats when you may start thinking if there is any other contributing factor to this joint pain? Could it be nutritional deficiency or some kind of imbalance with the absorption of vital nutrients?

Many scientific studies revolve around this doubt and some of them have found that there is a possible link between vitamin D deficiency and joint pain. Researchers have been working for years and now it is believed that that there is some association between very low levels of vitamin D and chronic pain, especially joint pain.

Can I Have Hip Pain From Vitamin D Deficiency

I am a 55 year old white female with chronic lower back pain and pain into the right hip and down into my ankle. Much pain in the hip though and in general I am usually tired with not as much energy. Just thought it was my age but would really like to live with less daily pain. I don’t seem to have as much control over walking a normal gait due to guarding the right leg and hip pain. Could this be caused in any part by a Vitamin D deficiency. I also do not take any supplements, do not like milk, do not eat much fatty fish, and live in a climate with cold winters.

Also Check: Can I Take Prenatal Vitamins To Help Get Pregnant

Q: Can I Get My Vitamin D Through Food

You can, but it can be tough through diet alone since few foods contain it. Egg yolks, mushrooms, and fortified foods have some D. But the best sources are fatty fish like salmon, trout, swordfish, mackerel, and tuna. Bonus: The omega-3s found in fish have anti-inflammatory properties that may help control the inflammation of RA. Eating fish at least twice a week is associated with lower disease activity in RA patients, a study in Arthritis Care & Research found.

Supplement Your Way To Good Vitamin D Levels

At Home Vitamin D and Inflammation Test

This is my personal way of obtaining vitamin D. Most of these supplements are cheap, easy to take small capsules or pills, and take almost no time and effort, another thing is you know exactly what amount of vitamin D youre getting. Its recommended to get 600-4000 IU of vitamin D per day.

Wrapping Up

Getting enough vitamin D is an easy thing, but saying that most adults are dificant is this, but if your have RA you need to be extra careful not to have low levels. Most doctors wont talk much of the importance of good supplementation, they rather just write another prescription, though thats important in itself, there is a time and place for getting our essential vitamins and minerals, I mean theyre essential for a reason right? Anyway if you want to know more about how vitamin D could help your mind and body, please have a look more on this site.

Also Check: What Vitamins Should I Take For Immune System

Homocysteine And Vitamin B12

The reason people believe that vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to joint pain is that there appears to be a relationship between low vitamin B12 levels and high levels of homocysteine . This is because healthy levels of B12 can lower homocysteine.

Studies have found that people who have arthritis tend to have high levels of homocysteine.

The idea is that vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to increased homocysteine levels, which would then cause inflammation and then joint pain.

However, there are a couple of problems with this theory. Firstly, while there is evidence that vitamin B12 deficiency causes high homocysteine levels, there is insufficient evidence that elevated homocysteine levels cause inflammation and therefore, joint pain.

Secondly, there is no evidence that vitamin B12 deficiency causes joint painjust the study mentioned above.

That does not mean that we can say for sure that vitamin B12 deficiency doesnt cause joint pain, just that the evidence is not there yet.

How Much Vitamin D Do You Need

In healthy people, the amount of vitamin D needed per day varies by age. The chart below shows the often-cited recommendations of the Institute of Medicine, now the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It is important to know that these are general recommendations. If your doctor is checking your blood levels, he or she might recommend higher or lower doses based on your individual needs.

If you have osteoporosis, your doctor might suggest a blood test of your vitamin D levels. The amount of vitamin D supplement can be customized for each person, based on the results. For many older patients, a vitamin D supplement containing anywhere between 800 to 2000 IUs daily, which can be obtained without a prescription, can be both safe and beneficial. It is important to speak with your doctor about your individual needs.

People by age

*refers to adequate intake vs recommended dietary allowance of the other age groups.

Don’t Miss: What Vitamins Are Good For Acne Prone Skin

Studies Linking Vitamin D And Joint Pain

A number of studies have been done to determine whether vitamin D levels affect joint pain. Most of these studies found a positive link between the vitamin and the joint pain experienced as symptom of a number of diseases.

A 2009 study published in Translational Research: The Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine examined the effect of vitamin D deficiency on patients with musculoskeletal pains who were placed on a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins.

The study concluded that musculoskeletal pain is worsened when in people with vitamin D deficiency.

This pain is believed to be due to the interaction between statins and the vitamin deficiency.

A more direct link between vitamin D deficiency and joint pains was established by a group of researchers who examined the vitamin D levels of 231 patients. These patients were receiving treatment for arthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases in South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital in Cork, Ireland.

The study found a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among these patients.

70% of them had low vitamin D levels and 26% had severe deficiency of the vitamin. These high rates are believed to be related to the cause and presentations of arthritis, rheumatism and osteoporosis affecting the patients.

A 2011 study involving 1993 post-menopausal women whose vitamin D levels were monitored compared vitamin D supplement intake with the severity of joint pain.

Having Pain Whiletaking Vitamin D

Could Your Joint Pain Be a Vitamin C Deficiency?

Do you have Pain While Taking Vitamin D supplements? While this may be frightening, and your doctor will not likely know anything about it, this is actually a fairly common problem that occurs when someone who is fairly severely deficient takes vitamin D. So, please stop worrying that there is something wrong when, in fact, this Vitamin D Side Effect is simply your bodys response to the healing that you are experiencing.

Also Check: What Vitamins Cause Weight Loss

Spend Some Time In The Sun

To increase your vitamin D levels, the Arthritis Foundation recommends getting 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight exposure every other day. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun helps your body produce its own vitamin D.

However, too much UV ray exposure can cause skin cancer. Dont spend too much time in the sun with your skin exposed.

Joint Pain Disappears After Taking Vitamin D

I have been struggling with joint pain and just found out that my vitamin D level is really low. My doctor put me on a megadose of 50,000 IU each week for eight weeks. Then, I will switch to 800 IU daily.

I took the first 50,000 IU pill yesterday, and today I can’t believe how good my joints feel. My wife thinks I’m crazy. I just returned from a six-mile walk and then did my weights. I have no pain and wonder if the vitamin D is responsible.

Shouldn’t a vitamin D check be part of a physical? After reading about the problems low vitamin D causes, it seems it should be right.

You may be right. Rheumatologists have reported that low vitamin D levels often contribute to joint and soft-tissue pain. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Insufficient vitamin D can mimic other serious problems, too, as this reader reported: “I was diagnosed with MS until the doctor found that my vitamin D level was 8.3 . I’m on 50,000 IU twice weekly, and I can tell you it makes a huge difference!”

I am 44 years old and have had acne since I was a teenager. Dermatologists have prescribed countless antibiotics, including Cleocin T, to no avail. Birth control pills worked, but when I stopped, the acne returned. I also took Retin-A, which helped but made my skin more sensitive to the sun and caused redness and cracking.

I tried ginger candy to soothe my throat, and it’s working. Have you heard of ginger helping with reflux symptoms?

Also Check: How Much Vitamin C Is In A Cutie

Lets Get Right To The Research Vitamin D Is An Important Vitamin For Our Health And Low Levels Have Been Associated With Various Disease States Including Osteoarthritis

The majority of us primarily meet our vitamin D needs via the sun and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. When people age, they lose the ability to synthesize the vitamin D through sun exposure, which puts older people at greater risk for deficiency and the associated diseases.

Vitamin D deficiency and osteoarthritis symptoms have some overlap. Those with osteoarthritis suffer from joint pain, muscle wasting, and decreased motion in their joints, all of which can increase in severity with age. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include greater joint pain, poor muscle function, and progression of osteoarthritis.

Will supplementation with Vitamin D help? In many cases, yes. Studies have shown that Vitamin D supplementation may help to decrease the chronic pain people with osteoarthritis experience. In research we are about to examine, investigators have shown that those suffering from knee osteoarthritis combined with Vitamin D deficiency, had improved muscle strength, better knee function, and reduced pain once they started to take Vitamin D supplementation. This combination resulted in less risk of falls and an overall improved quality of life.

Sunlight And Vitamin D

Is Vitamin D Helpful For Joint Pain?

This is a tricky solution because you dont want to increase your risk of skin cancer. But if you expose your skin to sunlight for a brief period daily, a compound in your skin will convert ultraviolet B radiation into vitamin D. Even sitting by an open window for several minutes can boost your intake. People with darker skin tones wont burn as easily, but they also do not absorb as much vitamin D as people with lighter skin.

Recommended Reading: What Is Fish Oil Vitamins Used For

Get Effective Knee Pain Treatment In Lake Nona Orlando

While adding these nutrients to your diet will not cure your diet, some people will find that their symptoms improve as a result of changing the food they eat. However, people are different, and what works for one person suffering from joint pain, might not necessarily work for another.

If this is the case, you should consider our non-surgical solutions for pain management. At ViscoGen, we understand the pain and suffering that comes with knee pain, and we are dedicated to offering lasting non-surgical solutions for your condition.

With our Knee Visc5® protocol, you can get pain relief faster through injections which means less downtime compared to a normal surgical procedure.

Contact us today to experience true knee pain relief without surgery in Lake Nona, Orlando.

Common Causes Of Joint Pain

There are many different causes of joint pain, but before looking for a cure, it is essential to get an idea of how joint pain is caused.

Age is a common factor, but not a specific cause. Gout is a common cause of joint pain, which is caused by high levels of uric acid in the body.

Injury from exercise or a fall is another common cause of joint pain. Falling over, over-use injuries, or getting injured by say, a tackle in football can lead to joint pain down the line.

Then youve got inflammation that comes from arthritis, or in rare cases medical conditions such as cancer can cause joint pain.

As you can imagine, many of these causes have nothing to do with vitamin B12, which is why supplementation is not always a cure for joint pain. Though often, supplements can be helpful. Particularly for injury/exercise-related joint pain and arthritis.

Read Also: What Is The Most Bioavailable Form Of Vitamin C

What Causes Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency can be caused by specific medical conditions, such as:

  • Cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease: These diseases do not allow the intestines to absorb enough vitamin D through supplements.
  • Weight loss surgeries. Weight loss surgeries that reduce the size of the stomach and/or bypasses part of the small intestines make it very difficult to consume sufficient quantities of certain nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. These individuals need to be carefully monitored by their doctors and need to continue to take vitamin D and other supplements throughout their lives.
  • Obesity: A body mass index greater than 30 is associated with lower vitamin D levels. Fat cells keep vitamin D isolated so that it is not released. Vitamin D deficiency is more likely in obese people. Obesity often makes it necessary to take larger doses of vitamin D supplements in order to reach and maintain normal D levels.
  • Kidney and liver diseases: These diseases reduce the amount of an enzyme needed to change vitamin D to a form that is used in the body. Lack of this enzyme leads to an inadequate level of active vitamin D in the body.

Q: Ok Im On Board With D Will I See Immediate Improvement

3 Best Supplements for Joint Pain Without Pain Killers | Doc Cherry

Dont expect miracles. Youre not going to take 2,000 IUs of vitamin D and suddenly feel like your is better, notes Dr. Hylland. Dr. Yuan also encourages patience: When you have a severe disease, it can be very hard to raise the level of vitamin D. But when the disease quiets down, its much easier.

Also Check: How Much Vitamin D Does A 13 Year Old Need

Does Research Support Vitamin D As A Treatment For Joint Pain

A small study of five people with vitamin D deficiency noted that pain symptoms went away when the participants took vitamin D supplements. Another study predicted that adults with a vitamin D deficiency who are older than 50 are more likely to develop pain in their hip and knee joints. The study also noted that the pain is more likely to get worse if the deficiency isnt treated.

Another study looked at vitamin D levels in people who have rheumatoid arthritis , an autoimmune condition that causes the body to attack its own joints. The study found that most of the participants had low vitamin D levels. The researchers concluded that the low vitamin D levels were a complication of RA. Other studies have concluded that people with RA have low vitamin D levels from their corticosteroid medications.

However, a study of postmenopausal women found that taking daily vitamin D3 and calcium supplements did not improve joint pain.

Got Knee Pain Stack On Calcium

Calcium is required to keep bones healthy and strong. Patients with a calcium deficiency are at a high risk of osteoporosis, which results in weak bones that are at risk of breaking. A lack of calcium in your diet might also result in other conditions such as osteomalacia, which can cause rickets.

Weak bones such as these might result in fatal injuries, which might lead to long-term joint pain like seen on many athletes. This is why there are different calcium needs for people with arthritis. Here are good food sources of calcium:

  • Cheese
  • Sardines

You May Like: Do Lipotropic Vitamin B12 Injections Work

What Does Sunlight Have To Do With Getting Enough Vitamin D

There are health benefits of sunlight. Vitamin D is produced when your skin is exposed to sunshine, or rather, the ultraviolet B radiation that the sun emits. The amount of vitamin D that your skin makes depends on such factors as:

  • The season: This factor depends a bit on where you live. In areas such as Cleveland, OH, the UV-B light does not reach the earth for six months out of the year due to the ozone layer and the zenith of the sun.
  • The time of day: The sun’s rays are most powerful between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
  • The amount of cloud cover and air pollution.
  • Where you live: Cities near the equator have higher ultraviolet light levels. It is the UV-B light in sunlight that causes your skin to make vitamin D.
  • The melanin content of your skin: Melanin is a brown-black pigment in the eyes, hair and skin. Melanin causes skin to tan. The darker your skin, the more sun exposure is needed in order to get sufficient vitamin D from the sun.

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular