According to a
report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), more than 100 million Americans suffer from some type of chronic pain condition, which results in $600 billion a year in lost productivity and medical treatments. The most common types of chronic pain are chronic back pain, chronic headaches, joint pain, neuropathic pain, and pain related to autoimmune disease.
With so many dietary supplements on the market today, it can be difficult to figure out the best ones to invest your hard-earned money on. After all,
some of them are quite expensive yet don't offer the results you expect.
If you're going to choose a supplement, you want to go beyond the simple manufacturer and get some science-based evidence that it has a good chance of working for you.
As a doctor with over 30 years of clinical experience, I can say that the following 5 dietary supplements often provide my patients with significant and lasting pain relief and they have science to back them up.
These supplements include:
1. Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3, a fat-soluble secosteroid, enhances the absorption of minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphate and zinc. It is the most common vitamin deficiency in the United States and Canada.
- Chronic Pain Linked to Vitamin D3 Deficiency
According to a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, vitamin D3 deficiency has a close link with multiple chronic pain conditions.
- Men With Vitamin D3 Deficiency Prone to Pain
A study conducted by the University of Manchester in the UK noted that men with vitamin D3 deficiency were more than twice as likely to
experience chronic, wide-spread pain than men whose levels were optimal.
- Low Back Pain Linked to Vitamin D3 Deficiency
The Bastyr Center of Natural Health released a study conducted by Spine that tested 360 men and women
between the ages of 15 and 52 suffering with low back pain. Initial tests revealed that a startling 83% of the study participants were deficient in vitamin D3! After taking high doses of a vitamin D3 supplement, all participants reported improvement in their back pain.
Diamond Nutritional's Vitamin D3 - 5,000 helps to optimize your vitamin D3 levels, boost your immune system, and help your body heal itself of chronic pain. It has worked very well for my patients.
2. Magnesium
Magnesium deficiency is the
most common mineral deficiency in the world. This deficiency is largely due to a decrease in the quality of the soil in which our food grows.
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Relieved
A study conducted on patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, showed that participants taking intravenous magnesium experienced improved energy, better emotional state, and less pain.
- Fibromyalgia Patients Deficient in
Minerals
The Journal of Korean Medical Science cited a study that revealed women with fibromyalgia were far more likely to have a deficiency in calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese according to tested hair samples.
- Magnesium and Malic Acid Treats Fibromyalgia
The University of Maryland cited a small preliminary study of the effect of magnesium supplementation on fibromyalgia. When combined with malic acid and taken for a period of 2 months, both pain and tenderness decreased.
Diamond Nutritional's Chelated Magnesium supplement is ideal for patients with chronic pain. Unlike many other magnesium supplements, chelated magnesium is easier to absorb. In addition to easing chronic pain, it also helps the anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia associated with autoimmune conditions.
3. Boswellia
Boswellia is an herbal supplement extracted from a resin that has shown real promise in providing significant pain relief. It treats chronic pain by blocking a pro-inflammatory enzyme called 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX).
