Vitamin D & Muscle Pain

As a Chiropractor people often ask me about back, neck and joint pain and how they can help to relieve their symptoms. Fortunately and unfortunately, the majority of back pain can attributed to incorrect biomechanics and physiology issues that can be corrected. The unfortunate part of that statement is that people are often deficient in the common vitamins and nutrients that can go a long way in relieving musculoskeletal pain.

Living in the Northern Hemisphere, as far North as the Rockford region, we experience a strange season that lasts approximately 6 months termed winter. During this time we experience a shortage of sunlight, and often times a Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamins come in many forms and the primary form of Vitamin D that body uses in it's multitude of functions is D3 - termed Cholecalciferol. Approximately 80-90% of the Vitamin D used in the body comes from a hormone located in the skin that when combined with UV light from the sun forms Vitamin D3.

The lack of adequate sunlight, when combined with diets deficient in Vitamin D and hidden diseases can result in Vitamin D deficiencies. One of the most common complaints of patients deficient in Vitamin D is joint and muscle pain, better known as the conditions that Chiropractors most often treat.

So, it would seem that supplementing with Vitamin D would be a smart choice right? But then the question of which Vitamin D supplement should I take arises and we all know that there is no shortage of options. Unfortunately, the Food & Drug Administration does not regulate vitamins or supplements so who knows if what you're buying is actually effective in providing the correct amounts. In fact, a study conducted by the Consortium of Multiple Sclerois Centers found that "The mean vitamin D content from 10 OTC brands was only 33% of what the label claimed, with the actual content ranging from less than 1% to 82% of the advertised level....The labeled doses ranged from 400 IU to 10,000 IU, but the mean actual dose was only 33.5% of the labeled dose, with a range from 0.24% to 81.7%. Lower-dose products tended to be closer to their labeled dose than higher-dose products, with the three 400-IU products averaging 51.5%, the two 1000-IU products averaging 34%, and the three 10,000-IU products averaging 29.9%. On the other hand, the single worst sample -- the one with only 0.24% of what it claimed -- was a 400-IU sample."

The vitamins utilized at Rehabilitation & Spinal Care of Rockford SC are from USANA and were chosen because they guarantee the quality of their product, so much so that they willing submitted to rigorous FDA policy to obtain a "Drug Establishment Registration," holding it to a standard well above most traditional nutritional supplementation companies.

Fit-A-Thon

The maiden voyage for the newsletter for Rehabilitation & Spinal Care of Rockford SC begins with exciting news regarding fitness, wellness and local collaboration. But first, I wanted to introduce myself in case you find yourself reading this blog before you fully navigate the website. My name is Mike Donohue and I'm a Chiropractor who graduated from the National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) in December of 2009. I'm originally from the Northeast and only recently moved to Rockford from Chicago, where I had lived with my wife Sarah, 2 dogs and newborn daughter. Sarah is originally from Rockford, so we have many local ties to the community in addition to many friends and family members.

Rehabilitation & Spinal Care of Rockford SC (RASC) was opened in August of 2011. I have been treating patients for about a month and a half now and have been enjoying every minute of it. I had no idea being a small business owner could be so liberating, but also so stressful, regardless of how many times I'd been told just that. I performed my undergraduate studies at the University of New Hampshire with a focus on Kinesiology, specifically exercise physiology. With that background, combined with my studies at NUHS I treat patients with the primary goal of getting them back moving and exercising as soon as possible.

Some people would term that an active philosophy, whereas a passive philosophy would rely on solely adjusting patients. With this philosophy in mind, I have collaborated with a local gym, FitMe Wellness owned and operated by Greg Georgis, to sponsor a Fit-A-Thon. The Fit-A-Thon is being held this coming weekend, Saturday the 22nd, from 8 AM - 6 PM and is open to the public (both members and non-members). The proceeds from the event will go to MAPS of Illinois - an organization dedicated to providing basic necessities for Rockford children and teens. This event will be a great way to shape up, meet other fitness enthusiasts, check out new and exciting fitness activities and help out a great cause. We're looking forward to seeing you there.