Is Vitamin D related to lower back pain? Study finds out

According to a study conducted at the University of Heidelberg in Germany and published in the journal Nutrients, there is no correlation between vitamin D deficiency and lower back pain.

The widespread prevalence of low vitamin D status poses a significant public health concern across many countries. Vitamin D is known to offer a wide range of health benefits. Its integral role in maintaining musculoskeletal health, including facilitating calcium absorption, bone mineralization, and supporting muscle function, is widely acknowledged.

As the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorder, low back pain (LBP) has emerged as the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide.Previous observational studies have observed a cross-sectional association of vitamin D deficiency with LBP. However, there is little evidence of the association.

For the study, researchers analyzed information from the UK Biobank. They used data from 1,35,934 participants between the ages of 40 and 69 years. They accessed vitamin D information on all participants, including their levels and whether or not they took a vitamin D or multivitamin supplement. They also collected information on any lower back pain diagnoses.

Scientists reported about 21.6% of all study participants had a vitamin D deficiency and about 4% regularly took a vitamin D supplement.About 3.8% of study participants reported lower back pain the month before the study started. Another 3.3% were diagnosed with lower back pain for the first time during a median follow-up time of 8.5 years.

Further, researchers found that vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D supplementation were not associated with lower back pain. They believe this is partially due to the multifactorial nature of lower back pain.

The study concluded that although the role of vitamin D in LBP is plausible due to potential anti-inflammatory effects and a general role in maintaining musculoskeletal health, the causes of LBP are likely too complex to be significantly influenced by vitamin D supplement use alone.

Reference:Sha Sha,Li-Ju Chen 1,Hermann Brenner andBen Schöttker; Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Status and Vitamin D Supplements Use Are Not Associated with Low Back Pain in the Large UK Biobank Cohort; Journal: Nutrients; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16060806