The effect of vitamin D repletion and proposed walking program exercise on chronic idiopathic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial

Objective The aim was to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and chronic idiopathic low-back pain (LBP), and to observe the effect of vitamin D correction and a proposed walking program exercise (WPE) on the severity of LBP. Patients and methods In this randomized, controlled study, 110 patients (100 with deficiency and 10 with insufficiency of vitamin D3), 95 women and 15 men with chronic idiopathic LBP were randomly assigned to receive either oral vitamin D3 or oral vitamin therapy and a proposed walking program exercise (WPE). Group A included 55 patients, 50 with deficiency and five with insufficiency Group B included 55 patients, 50 with deficiency and five with insufficiency over 3 months. Visual analog scale 0–10 was used to assess the degree of pain intensity. Results Findings have shown that 100% of the patients included in this study (n=110) (100 deficiencies and 10 insufficiencies) had an abnormally low level of vitamin D before treatment with vitamin D therapy and WPE. By the end of the study, all the 110 patients have normalized their vitamin D level after vitamin D oral therapy and WPE (100%). However, only 49 patients (group A) (44 deficiencies and five insufficiencies) reported disappearance of LBP after vitamin D oral therapy and only 51 patients (group B) (46 deficiencies and five insufficiencies) reported disappearance of LBP after vitamin D oral therapy and WPE so the total number of responders of both groups being 100 (90.9%) cases and the total number of nonresponders of both groups being10 (9.1%) Conclusion After correction of vitamin D3 over 3 months, the authors found that the chronic LBP has improved. A combination of both (correction of vitamin D3 and WPE) is more beneficial in improving chronic LBP.