Vitamin D reduces 5 types of chronic pain

Perplexity AI which used Chat-GPT 4.0 as of July 2024
Vitamin D has been studied for its potential role in reducing various types of pain, particularly in individuals with vitamin D deficiency. Here are the primary types of pain that vitamin D may help alleviate:

1. Musculoskeletal Pain
2. Inflammatory Pain
3. Neuropathic Pain
4. Cancer Pain
5. General Chronic Pain
VitaminDWiki – Back Pain category contains
VitaminDWiki – Pain - chronic category contains:
694 studies had Pain and Vitamin D in the title - Google Scholar - July 2024
12 studies had Cancer, pain, and Vitamin D in the title - Google Scholar - July 2024

1. Musculoskeletal Pain

Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain, including muscle, bone, and joint pain. Supplementation has shown potential benefits in reducing these types of pain, particularly in individuals with low vitamin D levels.
Myopathy: Inadequate vitamin D levels can lead to muscle weakness and pain. Supplementation can help in the normal development, repair, and growth of muscle fibers, potentially alleviating myopathy-related pain.

2. Inflammatory Pain

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Vitamin D's anti-inflammatory properties may help reduce joint pain associated with inflammatory conditions like RA. Studies suggest that individuals with RA often have lower vitamin D levels, and supplementation may help manage pain by reducing inflammation.
General Inflammatory Pain: Vitamin D can reduce the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins, which are involved in pain signaling pathways. This anti-inflammatory action can help alleviate pain caused by chronic inflammation.

3. Neuropathic Pain

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: Reduced vitamin D levels have been significantly associated with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Supplementation has shown potential benefits in reducing neuropathic pain in these patients.
General Neuropathic Pain: Vitamin D may influence pain signaling pathways involving nerve growth factor (NGF), glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and opioid receptors, which can help in managing neuropathic pain.

4. Cancer Pain

Cancer-Related Pain: Some studies have shown that vitamin D supplementation can reduce pain in cancer patients, particularly those with coexisting low levels of vitamin D. This effect is likely due to vitamin D's role in reducing inflammation and supporting muscle and bone health.

5. General Chronic Pain

Chronic Nonspecific Pain: Vitamin D supplementation has been associated with pain relief in cases of chronic nonspecific pain, which lasts more than three months and is not attributable to a specific cause. This includes conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Mechanisms of Pain Reduction

Anti-inflammatory Effects: Vitamin D reduces the release of inflammatory chemicals such as prostaglandins and cytokines, which play a role in pain perception.
Pain Pathways: Vitamin D interacts with pain signaling pathways, including those involving NGF, GDNF, and opioid receptors, which can modulate pain sensation.
Muscle and Bone Health: Adequate levels of vitamin D are crucial for muscle and bone health, reducing pain associated with musculoskeletal conditions.

Conclusion

Vitamin D supplementation may help reduce various types of pain, particularly in individuals with vitamin D deficiency. The most notable benefits have been observed in musculoskeletal, inflammatory, neuropathic, and cancer-related pain. However, more randomized controlled trials are needed to establish definitive conclusions and optimal dosing regimens for different pain conditions.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5666851/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4427945/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.00820/full
https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/vitamin-d-deficiency
https://www.medicinenet.com/does_vitamin_d_help_with_pain_relief/article.htm

VitaminDWiki – Back Pain category contains

Low back pain 2X more likely if very low Vitamin D – meta-analysis Nov 2017
Lumbar degenerative disc diseases might be fought by Vitamin D Receptor activation– many studies
Back pain was found in one study to be relieved in 95% of patients by vitamin D
Vitamin D treats many types of Chronic Pains
Vitamin D improves bone health, which decreases back problems
There are 44 items in the Back Pain category in VitaminDWiki
Magnesium also reduces back pain
- by reducing muscle tension and improving bones
Founder of VitaminDWiki found a combination including Vit D plus Mg to be great

VitaminDWiki – Pain - chronic category contains:

168 items in category Chronic pain

See also

Overview Pain and Vitamin D
Percentage of people with pain increased 25 percent in 18 years – Jan 2019
Pain not reduced by 60,000 IU monthly vitamin D (need 50,000 IU weekly) – RCT Aug 2023
Overview Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue and vitamin D
Overview Rheumatoid Arthritis and vitamin D
Shingles and vitamin D
Shin splints decrease with vitamin D
Migraine and Vitamin D
Headache category 82 items
"musculoskeletal pain" 490 items as of Aug 2023
"chronic fatigue" 240 items have it in title or abstract as of Dec 2024
Category Back Pain 44 items
7 pain studies in VitaminDWiki with KNEE in the title as of Aug 2023 (see below)
Opioid OR Opiate OR Morphine in the title 14 pages as of Dec 2024

694 studies had Pain and Vitamin D in the title - Google Scholar - July 2024

Google Scholar

12 studies had Cancer, pain, and Vitamin D in the title - Google Scholar - July 2024