A study published in the journal Modern Rheumatology suggests low vitamin D status may negatively impact balance among patients with fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic condition in which an individual experiences widespread musculoskeletal pain throughout the body, as well as sleep, mood and memory disturbances. Patients with FMS often experience balance issues, placing them at an increased risk for falls.
Due to vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory properties and role in muscle function and strength, researchers theorize that vitamin D status may be associated with postural control in patients with FMS.
Researchers recently conducted a case-control study in an effort to further evaluate the relationship between vitamin D status, pain and balance among FMS patients.
A total of 70 FMS patients and 60 healthy controls between the ages of 35-65 years of age were included in the study. The participants were divided in two groups based on their vitamin D status (+/- 30 ng/ml). The following tools were used to evaluate the health status of all participants:
Here is what the researchers found:
The researchers concluded,
“It was observed that low vitamin D levels affected balance in both FMS group and healthy control group. It should be kept in mind that vitamin D level is likely to negatively affect balance and VAS values in FMS.”
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