No Link Found Between Vitamin D Levels and Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain has been associated with the leading cause of disability worldwide. Past research has also linked the lack of Vitamin D with lower back pain but a recent study from the University of Heidelberg in Germany claims that there is no relation between the two. Reportedly 619 million people around the world live with lower back pain and the underlying cause of this can be arthritis, osteoporosis, injured muscles or damaged spine. Lower back pain is often treated with medicines, physiotherapy or surgery depending on the situation. 

Past studies have shown that lack of Vitamin D  can cause lower back pain since the hormone is needed for healthy bones and regulating inflammation. Signs of Vitamin D deficiency include joint and muscle pain within the body.  

But recently a study published by the journal Nutrients shows that there is no correlation between the amount of Vitamin D and lower back pain. Researchers used data from 135,934 participants who were between the ages of 40 and 69. They analyzed the levels of Vitamin D and the consumption of any multivitamin supplement on all participants along with diagnoses of lower back pain. It was seen that 21.6% of all participants had a lack of Vitamin D whereas 4% regularly consumed the 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. 

Thus it was concluded that Vitamin D deficiency and supplementation were not associated with lower back pain which they assume might be due to the multifactorial nature of the pain. Some experienced doctors have said that they have treated patients who have been taking vitamin D supplements but had consistent lower back pain. But they also found an exception to a particular group of people. These include older or menopausal women who are already at a higher risk of osteoporosis and compression fracture along with low levels of Vitamin D. Now in such cases doctors have prescribed the intake of vitamin D or multivitamin supplementation. 

Some researchers are trying to find if osteoporosis or bone loss can be treated for some patients who have been treated for vitamin D deficiency early on in their life. Some researchers and doctors claim that lower back is something 90% of people face within their lifetime. The disease itself can be treated in the early stage and there might not be any particular food that helps prevent it in the long run. 

Journal Reference –Sha, S., Chen, L.-J., Brenner, H., & Schöttker, B. (2024). Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Status and Vitamin D Supplements Use Are Not Associated with Low Back Pain in the Large UK Biobank Cohort.

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