More Vitamin D = Less Pain!

Vitamin D supplementation is all over the media right now - it's known for preventing cancer, for improving our moods, decreasing overall body inflammation (especially in conditions such as arthritis or Food Intolerances) and more! I work with many patients who notice an immediate spike in their energy levels when low Vitamin D levels are addressed correctly. But did you know that optimal Vitamin D levels can do so much more - like decrease back pain?

Two important studies on Vitamin D are highlighted below:A) The average pain rating (scale of 0 to 10) decreased by 12% in those with a serum Vitamin D level of 80 ng/ml versus those with 10 ng/ml. In the specific case of back pain - pain reduced by 20%B) Studies find that being overweight (or having a higher BMI) causes vitamin d deficiency. In order to alleviate the adverse affects of being overweight, Vitamin D testing, supplementation, and monitoring is indicated.

Vitamin D also helps fight cold and flu. It influences 10% of our genes. It's critical in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, osteopenia, diabetes, heart disease, auto immune diseases, and more. A study by vitamin D expert Dr. William Grant, Ph.D., found that about 30 percent of cancer deaths could be prevented each year with higher levels of vitamin D.

I believe in "measuring what you manage." You can't blindly correct a health problem if you don't understand what that problem is! And just because nutritional supplements such as Vitamin D are "good for us" does not mean that they couldn't become harmful if used excessively or inappropriately. In the case of Vitamin D, it's critical to actually have your level measured with an appropriate supplement dose, and regularly re-checked to monitor the effectiveness of what you're doing to resolve it.

Caution: There's more than one Vitamin D test, so make sure you're using the right one as well as the OPTIMAL ranges... not outdated laboratory values. A traditional medical doctor would follow laboratory values which have a very high range. Holistic physicians or providers (like Chiropractors, nutrition specialists, Acupuncturists, and others) will use optimal ranges - very specific, targeted values to promote real health and wellness.