A study examining U.K. Biobank data found no significant association between vitamin D status or supplement use and the incidence of lower back pain, highlighting the complex nature of pain origins.
By Dr. Chinta SidharthanMar 13 2024Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc. In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers from Germany investigated a large cohort from the United Kingdom Biobank to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between vitamin D status or the use of vitamin D supplements and the incidence of lower back pain.
Of the many chronic pain conditions, lower back pain is believed to be the one linked to the most years lived with disability across the world. Health statistics from 2017 indicate that close to 8% of the global population suffers from lower back pain, and the number is rapidly rising.
Vitamin D status was decided based on the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, with deficiency defined as 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels below 30 nmol per liter, while concentrations between 30 and 50 nmol per liter being considered as vitamin D insufficiency. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels above 50 nmol per liter were considered sufficient. Baseline visit questionnaires provided the researchers with data on the use of multivitamins and vitamin D supplements.
Results The results showed that lower back pain showed no associations with serum levels of vitamin D or the use of vitamin D supplements. The researchers believe this lack of any significant association is perhaps due to the multi-factorial nature of lower back pain.