Stay out of the sun and risk musculoskeletal pain

Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Article Date: 31 Dec 2003 - 0:00 PDT

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Vitamin D deficiency caused by sun avoidance may behind cases of persistent, nonspecific musculoskeletal pain in otherwise healthy patients, new research suggests.

A study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings analysed serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels for 150 patients presenting with persistent, nonspecific musculoskeletal pain refractory to analgesic medication.

Fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndromes, and conditions that would inhibit vitamin D usage were ruled out.

Deficient levels of vitamin D (20 ng/mL or less) were documented for 140 (93%) of subjects. Severely deficient levels, defined as 8 ng/mL or less, were identified in 42 (28%), and levels were undetectable in five patients.

The authors suggest that 'sun exposure may be required to prevent hypovitaminosis D2 and say that an adequate dose could be delivered to individuals by exposing hands, face, arms and legs for about 5 to 15 minutes daily between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Another way to restore adequate vitamin D levels would be an oral dose of 50,000 IU of vitamin D once a week for 8 weeks followed by similar doses once or twice per month.

Reference: Plotnikoff G and Quigley J (2003) Prevalence of Severe Hypovitaminosis D in Patients With Persistent, Nonspecific Musculoskeletal Pain Mayo Clin Proc 78 (12) 1463-1470

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