Vitamin D Supplementation May Improve Fibromyalgia Pain Symptoms, Especially in Vitamin D-Deficient Individuals

by | Sep 27, 2022 | 2022, Fibromyalgia, Vitamin D - General

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Evaluating data from 9 RCT studies assessing changes in fibromyalgia patient’s pain symptoms as a result of vitamin D supplementation show that supplementation may have beneficial effects for musculoskeletal pain in subjects with 25OHD deficiency. 

fibromyalgiaFibromyalgia (FMS) is a syndrome characterized by chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP)1. It affects around 0.2% to 6.6% of the world population, especially women, after 50 years of age2. The main symptoms include muscle stiffness, joint stiffness, fatigue, sleep disturbance and cognitive dysfunction3. Although the pathogenesis is still unknown, evidence supports a central sensitization and a central dysregulation at a spinal and supra-spinal level in patients with FMS4.

The effect of low serum vitamin D on the pathophysiology of chronic pain disorders has become a popular topic of research5. Vitamin D (25OHD) is a steroid hormone which is involved in a whole range of biological systems6. Furthermore, it is an important regulator of the immune system which acts as an active cofactor in the incidence of autoimmune diseases7. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent worldwide and is not only associated with musculoskeletal disorders, but it also acts in the pathogenesis of several extra-skeletal disorders8.

Lombardo et al. conducted a systemic review focused on clinical studies to better summarize the literature surrounding the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation on CMP and FMS symptoms. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to assess the quality of the eligible studies. Nine RCTs assessing changes in subjects’ pain symptoms as a result of vitamin D supplementation using the visual analogue scale (VAS) were included in the review.

Of the nine studies, six of them demonstrated that vitamin D supplementation may improve pain symptoms relating to CMP, particularly in patients with deficient 25OHD levels. One study noted that vitamin D deficiency is common in FMS patients and is associated with exacerbation of pain symptoms. In the review, three studies confirmed a correlation between diffuse muscle pain and 25OHD deficiency. Two studies assessed the efficacy of combining vitamin D and other tools to improve symptoms in patients with FMS and CMP, with the use of physiotherapy and vitamin D supplementation together resulting in significantly improved pain scores.

Results of the systemic review show that vitamin D deficiency is common in FMS and CMP patients and suggest that vitamin D supplementation may positively influence pain symptoms related to CMP and FMS. Further research is needed to understand the 25OHD threshold level and ideal dosage for FMS subjects.

Source: Lombardo, Mauro, Alessandra Feraco, Morena Ottaviani, Gianluca Rizzo, Elisabetta Camajani, Massimiliano Caprio, and Andrea Armani. “The Efficacy of Vitamin D Supplementation in the Treatment of Fibromyalgia Syndrome and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.” Nutrients 14, no. 15 (2022): 3010.

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

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Posted September 27, 2022.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

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