There has been a lot of talk on the Dr. Fibro Facebook Page about the use of vitamin D for fibromyalgia patients to find help for their chronic muscle pain. This vitamin is one of the most frequently recommended supplements for chronic pain patients and with good reason because it’s responsible for A LOT of functions in your body!
Vitamin D is responsible for immune function, heart health, bone health, etc…that’s only just the beginning; therefore, when people are deficient in this vitamin, they can experience chronic pain, muscle weakness, arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease and so on.
Believe it or not, at least one study about fibro and vitamin D deficiency was done which showed that about 25% of us with these conditions are deficient in this vitamin. Odds are good that many more of us aren’t technically deficient, but are in the lower end of the “normal” range.
Another article which explains how fibromyalgia and vitamin D are linked says that there are SEVERAL studies on both children and adult subjects which have found that low levels of vitamin D in the body lead to UNEXPLAINED bone and muscular PAIN. It then goes on to say, “These findings have been received with excitement by health professionals because if the connection between fibromyalgia and vitamin D deficiency can be verified, the pain and weakness of patients suffering from fibromyalgia will be possible to treat with nutritional sources of vitamin D.”
This is all very exciting but it does NOT mean that fibromyalgia is simply a deficiency of vitamin D in the body; it is only one factor in aggravating the symptoms of fibromyalgia pain.
Deficiency in Vitamin D used to be MUCH less common but thanks to the use of sunblock, it has become one of the most common deficiencies in our society. Don’t worry though, there are a few ways that you can easily obtain more. One way is to go outside and enjoy the sunlight. You shouldn’t be spending a lot of time in the sun daily but exposure to the sun is ESSENTIAL for a healthy level. This is because vitamin D is converted to it’s active form when sunlight hits the skin and works to direct Calcium to the proper areas in your body. Without that, you can experience both muscle and joint pain. Patients do find help for fibromyalgia pain just by getting 10-15 minutes of sunshine EACH day.
This is a natural treatment for fibromyalgia!
Vitamin D is important for everyone and especially so right now because winter is coming! For those of you who live in the northern climate and experience cold snowy weather, please make sure you are getting adequate sun exposure. If you can’t get that exposure, you may need to supplement yourself with vitamin D to make sure your body is getting the HEALTHY and PROPER amount of the vitamin. As always, make sure to check with your doctor before you start taking anything but two options of rich supplements would be Citracal Plus D and Minerals and Caltrate 600-D Plus Minerals.
Another way to up your level of this vitamin is to incorporate vitamin D rich foods into your diet. Foods such as wild salmon, fortified yogurts and cereal, and shrimp are good for this and you can check out this site for an even bigger list of vitamin D rich food.
I know that living with pain from fibromyalgia isn’t easy but these are a few easy ways to help treat your Fibromyalgia pain. If you’re on a strict diet and can’t add foods to your daily intake plan or if you can’t stand the thought of buying another pill, then you CAN treat your fibromyalgia pain naturally. You can go outside and feel the sunshine from your own home – no need to go to a doctors office and pay another bill 
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I used to be very active with running and horses but now cannot. I do still love time in the sun and usually feel better when I am outside with the animals. Always thought it was from being around the critters, but now that I think about it, it may be the pure sunshine as well. Thanks for reminding me of this need. Another excuse to get out of bed when it hurts!
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Sindee, I’m glad to hear that you’re still getting out into the sunshine! Vitamin D is great for both your body and mind
Stay strong!
How much Vitamin D should we take everyday. I live in Northwesstern Pa. where we do not see much sunshine. Thanks for you response! Diane
About 5 years ago when diagnosed with hypothyroid and PCOS, I was also told I had a vitamin D deficiency. Since then, I take 2,000 in the winter and 1,000 in the summer. 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Fibro. I take my vit D daily and still have pain.