Vitamin D and Chronic Widespread Pain (e.g., Fibromyalgia)
Vitamin D deficiency has been found to be very common in chronic pain. This study looked at vitamin D levels in 6,824 white British adults who were 45 years old. Chronic Widespread Pain (CWP) was present in 14.6% of those with a vitamin D level (25 OHD) under < 25 nmol/l, 14.7% for a vitamin D level of 25-49 nmol/l, 11.5% for 50-74 nmo/l, 7.7% for 75-99 nmol/l, and 9.7% for participants with > 100 nmol/l. That means those with a low vitamin D level had almost twice the risk of having widespread pain (and likely also fibromyalgia). This connection was only found in women (3/4 of those with fibromyalgia are women).
I recommend that those with chronic pain or fibromyalgia take 2,000 units of vitamin D a day. You can also get vitamin D by going outside and getting sunshine, which is how your body gets 90% of its vitamin D. Remember. Get sunshine—not sunburn!
For more information on vitamin D deficiency, see Vitamin D Could Save Your Life!
References
Vitamin D and chronic widespread pain in a white middle-aged British population: evidence from a cross-sectional population survey. Ann Rheum Dis. Published Online First: 12 August 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.090456. Kate Atherton,1 Diane J Berry,1 Tessa Parsons,1 Gary J Macfarlane,2 Chris Power1 and Elina Hypponen1*
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. His newest book (June 10, 2024) is You Can Heal From Long COVID. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.
