The Vital Role of Vitamin D in Arthritis Management and Bone Health

Vitamin D is a vital vitamin for the health of your bones. This vitamin is crucial in absorption of calcium in the bones along with helping in fighting inflammation, communication between nerves and muscle movement.⁽¹⁾ The Arthritis Foundation says that individuals who take oral steroids tend to be twice more deficient in vitamin D than people who do not take them.⁽²⁾ One of the commonly prescribed treatments for arthritis is oral steroids.

One more study showed that vitamin D deficiency is also common in individuals who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and it can also be the reason for musculoskeletal pain.⁽³⁾

Insufficient vitamin D leads to the following:

• Reduces the levels of phosphorus and calcium.
• It negatively affects the immune system.
• It increases the risk for rheumatoid arthritis; especially in females.

However, one of the biggest health concerns, which vitamin D deficiency causes is osteoporosis where the patient has brittle bones.⁽⁴⁾ Osteoporosis increases the risk for suffering from bone pain, bone fractures and hearing loss.

Osteoporosis occurs as a result of vitamin D deficiency and taking increased dose of steroids, such as prednisone, which is medication for arthritis that also increases the risk for getting osteoporosis. When a person suffers from osteoporosis they suffer from brittle bones from losing bone density causing bones to become weak. This in turn increases the risk for fractures from even small things, such as bumping into objects or from falls.

Osteoporosis commonly develops without any obvious symptoms and to diagnose this condition, a bone mineral density test needs to be done.

Concentrate on Diet and Supplements: In order to have healthy bones, one should also get sufficient calcium and vitamin D. This is the first line of treatment or prevention of osteoporosis.⁽⁵⁾ Calcium is vital to keep the bones healthy and to absorb the calcium well to protect the bones. One of the best sources for getting all these nutrients is your diet and food. Some of the calcium rich foods are yogurt, low-fat milk and cheese.⁽¹¹⁾ Good sources of Vitamin D are fatty fishes, such as tuna, blue fish, mackerel and salmon.⁽¹²⁾ Other than this, fortified juices and breakfast cereals and other such foods help in increasing the intake of vitamin D and calcium.

Other ways of getting ample vitamin D for healthy bones and prevention of arthritis are:

Exercise: The symptoms of arthritis, osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency improve greatly with exercise. Other than this getting enough sunlight also helps in manufacturing of vitamin D in the body. Supplements are also a good option; even if they will not help in alleviating inflammation of the joints they are hugely beneficial for the health of the muscle. If the muscles surrounding the joints are strong, then it can relieve the discomfort occurring from arthritis. Strong muscles help by taking some of the strain and stress off the damaged joint cartilage and also help in supporting the bones.

Exercises, such as lifting weights and yoga can increase the risk for falls. It is better to consult your doctor regarding what exercises are suitable for you if suffering from osteoporosis and arthritis.

In theory, vitamin D is beneficial in delaying, preventing and decreasing the inflammation of arthritis. However, there is little and mixed evidence, which show that vitamin D supplements help in preventing or alleviating symptoms of arthritis. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that individuals who took vitamin D supplements for two years did not feel any improvement in knee pain.⁽⁶⁾

Another study showed that vitamin D can benefit by preserving the cartilage of the knee.⁽⁷⁾ Research has also shown that older adults had more of preserved knee cartilage if they had increased vitamin D levels in their blood and got more sun exposure. Reduced vitamin D levels and no time in the sun were associated with more loss of cartilage.

Rarely can one suffer from excessive Vitamin D via supplements. Hypervitaminosis D or Vitamin D toxicity is a condition where there is accumulation of calcium in the blood⁽⁸⁾ causing symptoms such as: nausea, poor appetite, vomiting, frequent urination, tiredness and kidney problems.

Excessive sun exposure can also cause skin damage; especially if one is not using sunscreen. It is highly recommended to wear sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 to 50 when expecting to go out in the sun. However, the National Institutes of Health recommends that having sun exposure few days a week for about five to 30 minutes without the application of sunscreen in the summer is good.⁽⁹⁾ If you live in a place where there is little sunlight in the winter season, then start taking supplements only after consulting your doctor. In case you are already taking supplements, then ask your doctor if there is any need for changing or increasing the supplements to get your levels to a normal range.

Osteoporosis is the biggest issue associated with vitamin D deficiency and arthritis. People suffering from arthritis need to take oral steroids for their condition to relieve their symptoms of arthritis. However, oral steroids increase the risk for developing osteoporosis as they double the chances of causing vitamin D deficiency. However, getting sufficient vitamin D and calcium greatly helps in reducing this bone loss. Additionally, your health care provider also can prescribe medications for preventing and treating osteoporosis.

Staying active and exercising is extremely important for any health problem including management of arthritis and osteoporosis. Always consult your doctor before starting any kind of exercise regime. Consulting a physical therapist helps in ensuring that you are doing your exercises in a safe manner. If needed, aids such as walkers, canes or devices to help your grip can be beneficial in making your life easy when suffering from arthritis by giving you that support and taking the stress off the bones.

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• 10 Different Types of Arthritis : Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid, Cervical, Gout, Reactive
• Arthritis Foot Pain: 5 Best Ways to Ease Its Symptoms
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