Could Low Vitamin D Be Making Your Pain Worse?

A study of 184 breast cancer patients found vitamin D deficiency was linked to worse pain after surgery.

Patients with vitamin D below 30 nmol/L reported more moderate-to-severe pain in the first 24 hours after a unilateral modified radical mastectomy.

The low-vitamin D group also used more opioids, including tramadol, than patients with higher levels.

If confirmed, vitamin D screening and supplementation could become a simple way to reduce postoperative pain and opioid needs.