The association between vitamin D concentration and pain: a systemic review and meta-analysis

Wu et. al (2018) reviewed published observational research on 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration and pain-related conditions with the aim of finding an association between mean 25(OH)D concentration on the level of vitamin D deficiency and pain conditions. A meta-analysis was conducted on the eighty-one observational studies included in this review with a total of 50 834 participants. In comparison to the controls, mean 25(OH)D concentration was significantly lower in patients with arthritis (mean difference (MD): -12·34 nmol/l; P<0·001), muscle pain (MD: -8·97 nmol/l; P=0·003) and chronic widespread pain (MD: -7·77 nmol/l; P<0·001), but not in patients with headache or migraine (MD: -2·53 nmol/l; P=0·06). The odds of vitamin D deficiency were higher for arthritis, muscle pain and chronic widespread pain, but not for headache or migraine, compared with controls. Sensitivity analyses revealed similar results. The results of this review suggests that low 25(OH)D concentrations may be associated with pain conditions. [NPID: pain, vitamin D, arthritis, muscle pain, headaches, migraines, 25-hydroxyvitamin D]

Year: 2018

Reference: Wu, Z., Malihi, Z., Stewart, A. W., Lawes, C. M., & Scragg, R. (2018). The association between vitamin D concentration and pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Public health nutrition, 21(11), 2022–2037. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018000551

Related Studies

A low-fat diet improves fatigue in multiple sclerosis: Results from a randomized controlled trial

With no proven cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), fatigue can be a debilitating symptom. Chase et al. (2023) sought to ascertain whether a low-fat diet helps people with MS (PwMS) feel less fatigued through their 16-week randomized controlled study (RCT). PwMS were randomized to the wait-list (control, n = 19) group or the low-fat diet […]

Chronic musculoskeletal pain and function improve with a plant-based diet

Current research demonstrates how pervasive chronic musculoskeletal pain can be, impacting individuals of different ages, genders, and ethnicities, in addition to how a plant-based diet (rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains) could help improve the symptoms of chronic pain and overall quality of life. In this study by Towery et al. (2018), the authors […]