Chronic Pain Is Improved With Vitamin D

Vitamin D improves chronic widespread pain, according to a recent systematic review and meta-analysis.

Findings from the study were presented at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, which is taking place from November 3 to 8, 2017, in San Diego, California.
__________________________________________________________________

RELATED CONTENT
Chronic Widespread Pain Linked to Excess Mortality Risk
Certain Diets May Improve Fibromyalgia Symptoms
__________________________________________________________________

For their analysis, the researchers evaluated 287 adult patients enrolled in 3 studies. All patients included in the study had either chronic non-specific widespread pain (CWP) or fibromyalgia. Study data were obtained from the CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases from inception through January 2017.

The visual analog scale (VAS) of pain intensity was used to assess the study outcome. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to calculate pooled mean difference (MD) of VAS. The effects of change in vitamin D on difference in mean VAS were analyzed via meta-regression analysis using a random-effects model.

Pooled results indicated that VAS was lower in patients with CWP who had received vitamin D treatment vs placebo (MD = 0.46). According to meta-regression analysis, there had been no significant relationship between changes in vitamin D and VAS.

“In this meta-analysis, we conclude that vitamin D supplementation is able to decrease pain scores and improve pain despite no significant change in VAS after increasing serum vitamin D level,” the researchers concluded. “Further study needs to be conducted in order to explore the improvement of functional status, quality of life, and the pathophysiological change that improves chronic widespread pain.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Yong WC, Sanguankeo A, Upala S. Effect of vitamin D supplementation in chronic widespread pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Paper presented at: ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting; November 3-8, 2017; San Diego, CA. http://acrabstracts.org/abstract/effect-of-vitamin-d-supplementation-in-chronic-widespread-pain-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis/.