Fibromyalgia or Vitamin D Deficiency?

Julian Whitaker, MD

Fibromyalgia is being diagnosed with increasing frequency. World-renowned vitamin D expert Michael Holick, MD, PhD, of Boston University Medical Center, has an intriguing perspective on fibromyalgia. In a talk at the annual meeting of the American College of Nutrition, Dr. Holick reported on research suggesting that as many as 40 to 60 percent of all fibromyalgia cases are misdiagnosed.

What these patients may actually have is osteomalacia, softening of the bones due to a loss of calcium (essentially adult rickets) caused by vitamin D deficiency. Like fibromyalgia, osteomalacia sufferers have diffuse pain with tenderness at specific points. But while fibromyalgia is extremely hard to manage, osteomalacia has a cure: vitamin D supplements.

Recommendation

• If you suffer with fibromyalgia or diffuse chronic pain of any type, talk to your doctor about a blood test to rule out an underlying vitamin D deficiency and, if appropriate, treatment with high-dose supplemental vitamin D.

Modified from Health & Healing with permission from Healthy Directions, LLC. Copyright 2005. Photocopying, reproduction, or quotation strictly prohibited without written permission from the publisher. To subscribe to Health & Healing, click here.