VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY COULD BE CAUSING YOUR BACK PAIN…

VITAMIN D is really important for our bodies because it helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. This is necessary for keeping bones and teeth healthy. A lack of vitamin D can impact several areas, including your back, muscles and your immune system.

When I moved down south I had to get my name down on the list for Pain Management and when I eventually got an appointment to see them they were quite sure I was suffering from a Vitamin D deficiency.

A couple of blood tests later and I was put on a huge dose as it was so low and now I take Vitamin D daily. I wouldn’t say it has made any difference to my back pain but I am glad they sent me for a blood test as I would never have known I was so deficient in it.

The GP told me that there is a massive amount of people in the UK suffering from Vitamin D deficiency which they think is occurring due to people being indoors in front of their screens instead of outside in the daylight and sun.

A lack of vitamin D is termed a vitamin D deficiency and can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and several conditions in adults. If you are spending a lot of time indoors, the NHS suggests you should take 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day to keep your bones and muscles healthy. Dietary vitamin D is available in foods such as oily fish, cod liver oil, red meat, fortified cereals, fortified spreads and egg yolks.

You can get vitamin D in three ways: through your skin, from your diet, and from supplements. Your body forms vitamin D naturally after exposure to sunlight. But too much sun exposure can lead to skin ageing and skin cancer, so many people try to get their vitamin D from other sources.

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a loss of bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures (broken bones).

Severe vitamin D deficiency can also lead to other diseases. In children, it can cause rickets. Rickets is a rare disease that causes the bones to become soft and bend. African American infants and children are at higher risk of getting rickets. In adults, severe vitamin D deficiency leads to osteomalacia. Osteomalacia causes weak bones, bone pain, and muscle weakness.

With Autumn and Winter upon us and Covid creeping back into our faces again it could mean more people not going out but staying inside where they feel safer and with GP’s surgeries working in a different way now you probably would find it difficult to get a blood test done to check your Vitamin D levels. Fortunately, you can buy home kits to check your own Vitamin D. There is a number available from Amazon and other websites. Holland and Barrett have one that only costs £6.99.

Source: The Express, Medline Plus, Holland & Barrett, Amazon