Vitamin D supplements ‘can aid fibromyalgia patients’

Fibromyalgia pain can be relieved through the use of vitamin D supplements, according to new research from Austria.

A report in the medical journal Pain has revealed that among those with low vitamin D levels, supplements can reduce pain as a cost-effective alternative or adjunct to other treatment.

To test this theory, 30 women with fibromyalgia were also affected by low serum levels of calcifediol – a prehormone produced in the liver that acts as an indicator of a person's vitamin D levels – were assessed.

After 24 weeks, a marked reduction in the level of perceived pain occurred in the treatment group, who also saw improvements in terms of their physical function and levels of 'morning' fatigue.

Lead investigator Dr Florian Wepner of the department of orthopaedic pain management at the Orthopaedic Hospital Speising in Vienna said: "Vitamin D supplementation may be regarded as a relatively safe and economical treatment for fibromyalgia patients and an extremely cost-effective alternative or adjunct to expensive pharmacological treatment, as well as physical, behavioural and multimodal therapies."

It is estimated that fibromyalgia affects nearly one in 20 people worldwide, with close to 1.76 million adults with the condition in England and Wales.