ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Vitamin D is associated with many skeletal-related processes in the body. A major health problem concerning decreased quality of life is chronic low back pain (LBP). Many studies have proved that chronic pain improves with Vitamin D supplementation. This study aimed to explore the correlation between vitamin D levels and the occurrence of LBP in women aged 30 to 40. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was taken up at PK Das Institute of Medical Sciences wherein 50 cases (women aged 30-34 years who had chronic LBP >3 months) and 50 age-matched controls were included. Frequencies of Vitamin D deficiency, inadequacy, and sufficiency were studied. The t-test for examining statistical significance was employed to compare means. Keeping a 95% confidence interval (p<0.05), the odds ratio was calculated. RESULTS: Vitamin D deficiency diagnosed when Vitamin D level is <20ng/mL was found in 74% of cases and 48% of controls. Vitamin D levels were not found to be statistically different between cases and controls. The odds ratio was found to be 3.083 (p=0.009), showing that participants with LBP are more expected to be deficient in Vitamin D compared to those without LBP. CONCLUSIONS: Although a higher frequency of Vitamin D deficiency was found in cases compared to controls, the mean value of Vitamin D levels was not found to be statistically different amongst cases and controls. A significant Odds ratio establishes a positive association between LBP and Vitamin D deficiency. The reason could be due to most people being restricted indoors due to COVID-19 restrictions. It is essential to standardize the biochemical analysis of Vitamin D and establish appropriate Vitamin D level ranges specifically tailored for the Indian population.
