Vitamin D Deficient Twice as Likely To Have Chronic Pain

While vitamin D deficiency has often been linked to various health issues such as osteoporosis, a new study finds that a lack of vitamin D may contribute to widespread chronic pain.

In an effort to determine how inadequate amounts of vitamin D affect the body, researchers from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom analyzed data from more than 2,300 men in the European Male Ageing Study. According to the authors, the results demonstrate that study participants with vitamin D deficiency at the start of the study were more than twice as likely to experience chronic widespread pain, in comparison to those with the highest levels.

After following up with participants on an average of 4.3 years, the researchers found that 1 in 15 men who experienced no symptoms of pain at the beginning of the study had developed chronic widespread pain. In addition, these men were more likely to be obese, physically inactive, and depressed, as well as being more prone to other health conditions.
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“In keeping with other studies, our results highlight the association between vitamin D and chronic pain syndromes,” says Paul McCabe, MD, NIHR academic clinical fellow in rheumatology at the University of Manchester, and lead author of the study.

For example, “we know osteomalacia—a condition caused by profound vitamin D deficiency— is a potential cause of chronic musculoskeletal pain,” continues McCabe, adding that the condition was not addressed in the University of Manchester study.

“Therefore, assessing vitamin D levels and treating deficiency in patients with chronic pain may be appropriate. However, the evidence of benefit of vitamin D replacement benefit in patients with chronic pain without osteomalacia is rather mixed.”

McCabe notes the European Male Ageing study is an observational study, and did not assess the role of treating vitamin D deficiencies in an effort to prevent chronic widespread pain.

“There is no evidence on the role of screening for or treatment of vitamin D deficiency in people without chronic widespread pain in an attempt to prevent its onset,” he adds. “Therefore, such an approach cannot be recommended.”

Ultimately, “the key message” that primary care physicians can take from the findings is that “adverse health and lifestyle factors, particularly the presence of raised body mass index and depression are potentially significant, and [are] also modifiable risk factors for the development of chronic widespread pain in men,” concludes McCabe.

“Therefore, treatment directed at restoring or maintaining a healthy body mass index and treatment of depression may significantly reduce the risk of men developing chronic widespread pain, in addition to the many other health benefits.”

—Mark McGraw

Reference

McCabe P, et al. Low vitamin D and the risk of developing chronic widespread pain: results from the European Male Ageing Study. Rheumatology. 2014.