How Sunshine Can Help Postmenopausal Women With Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is one of the most common health problems among the aging population. The issues can lead to disability and even death, but the symptoms seem to affect women more than men. New research conducted by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) found vitamin D deficiency may be the cause. 

A study published in the journal Menopause found postmenopausal women are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency, which can increase lower back pain and result in lumbar disc degeneration. 

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which as we all know, builds strong bones. But along with maintaining healthy levels of calcium, vitamin D also keeps phosphorus concentrations within a normal range, which helps to mineralize the skeleton—once again, building strong bones. 

Previous research has linked lower levels of estrogen—a symptom of menopause and postmenopause—to disc degeneration, but this study wanted to focus on the role of vitamin D.

Researchers studied serum concentrations of 232 women who were 65 years old on average. They then analyzed the relationship between those vitamin levels with disc degenerations and lower back pain.

All the women who had gone through menopause had a serum concentration of less than 10 ng/mL, which indicated severe vitamin D deficiency. Lower concentrations were significantly linked to lower back pain but less associated with upper back pain.