Vitamin D is an important vitamin for our health and low levels have been associated with various disease states, including osteoarthritis.
The majority of us primarily meet our vitamin D needs via the sun and exposure to ultraviolet (UVB) radiation. When people age, they lose the ability to synthesize the vitamin D through sun exposure, which puts older people at greater risk for deficiency and the associated diseases. Vitamin D deficiency and osteoarthritis symptoms have some overlap. Those with osteoarthritis suffer from joint pain, muscle wasting, and decreased motion in their joints, all of which can increase in severity with age. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include greater joint pain, poor muscle function and progression of osteoarthritis. Will supplementation with Vitamin D help? In many cases, yes. Studies have shown that Vitamin D supplementation may help to decrease the chronic pain people with osteoarthritis experience. An Australian study, in the Archives of Osteoporosis, showed that those suffering from knee osteoarthritis combined with Vitamin D deficiency, had improved muscle strength, better knee function, and reduced pain with Vitamin D supplementation. This combination resulted in less risk of falls and an overall improved quality of life.
How does Vitamin D do this? It may have a protective effect on cell function resulting in less inflammation. It also may be that osteoarthritis pain leads to reduced physical activity, including outdoor activity, which would lend to the decreased vitamin D levels from sun exposure. Since osteoarthritis is the most common cause of musculoskeletal disability and pain worldwide, supplementing with vitamin D can provide a simple, safe and inexpensive option to consider for reducing pain and improving muscle strength and physical function in those with osteoarthritis.
