Take Some Vitamin D and Call Me in the Morning
Pain relief may be just a vitamin pill away!
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For some people, Vitamin D may lessen chronic pain.
Curing chronic pain may be as simple as taking a pill, according to a new study.
Patients with chronic pain may reduce their need for narcotic medications by nearly half if they have a deficiency of vitamin D, and correct it.
Vitamin D "deficiency is an under-recognized source of diffuse pain and impaired neuromuscular functioning," said researcher Dr. Michael Turner of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "By recognizing it, physicians can significantly improve their patients' pain, function and quality of life."
Chronic pain is the leading cause of disability in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. And a simple blood test can tell if there is a vitamin D deficiency.
"Physicians who care for patients with chronic, diffuse pain that seems musculoskeletal, and involves many areas of tenderness to palpation, should strongly consider checking a vitamin D level," said Dr. Turner.
The study results are in the journal of Pain Medicine.
