Vitamin C deficiency is associated with neck and back pain, and possibly headaches
Vitamin C deficiency appears to be more common in people with back pain, according to a study just published in the journal Pain by Canadian researchers. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is important for collagen formation and collagen is one of the main ingredients of ligaments, tendons, and bones. Recent studies have reported that vitamin C deficiency is common in the general population. The authors “hypothesized that lack of vitamin C contributes to poor collagen properties and back pain”. They used nationwide data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003–2004. Information was available for 4,742 individuals older than 20. Low serum vitamin C levels were associated with one and a half times higher prevalence of neck pain and 1.3 times higher prevalence of low back pain, as well as low back pain with pain radiating to below the knee in the preceding three months. Deficiency was also associated with the self-described diagnosis of arthritis or rheumatism and related functional limitations. The authors concluded that the association between vitamin C deficiency and spinal pain warrants further investigation to determine the possible importance of vitamin C in the treatment of back pain patients.
Neck pain is very common in patients with migraine and tension-type headaches, so it is possible that vitamin C could also play a role in the treatment of headaches. My search revealed no studies looking at vitamin C levels in migraine sufferers. It may be worth checking vitamin C levels in those headache patients who do not respond to usual treatments and recommending supplementation to those who are deficient. However, even if I see good responses to vitamin C in my patients, these observations are not going provide true scientific evidence, even if hundreds of my patients report feeling better. This is because besides giving vitamin C, I would continue to recommend regular exercise, healthy diet, meditation, and other vitamins and minerals, all of which could be contributing to improvement. We need a large study to measure vitamin C levels in headache patients, and the deficient patients should be enrolled in a double-blind study to find out if vitamin C can improve different types of headaches.
Thank you for this article. Vitamin C in one study also reduced the risk of developing CRPS, complex regional pain syndrome. CRPS is, like migraine, a neurological condition involving abnormal inflammation and nerve dysfunction. For me, taking 250 mg vitamin c in 3 doses a day seems to help both. I wouldn’t go over that on a daily basis, as too much ascorbic acid can cause other issues.
For 20 years, I’ve suffered from horrible back-neck pain, as a result of numerous accidental falls and fibromyalgia. I’ve probably spent twenty thousand dollars or more on various therapies, Rx drugs, and doctor visits. July 2020, I decided to end the Rx drugs use because of their dangerous side effects. Started using only vitamin supplements and noticed that after taking a 1,000 mg dose of Liposomal Vitamin C before going to bed, the morning back pain decreased. Amazingly, Vitamin C did reduce my back and neck pain and will continue using it.
I have noticed how extra large doses of liposomal Vitamen C given with probiotics prevent adverse reactions. I have recommended this as a stand alone remedy for constant back and neck pain in the absence of effective use of analgesia. It seems to improve flexibility and minimize general stiffness after exercise and in one client the pain from varicose veins. Furthermore, children especially benefit where there is a dislike of green vegetables and fruit who complain of joint pain which cannot be explained.In the elderly neck flexibility is often enhanced by Vitamin C particularly if they wish to prevent stiffness during driving a car, and general joint aches walking distances.
Vitamin C improves adrenal function, which if impaired, is associated with headache.
I totally agree with you. A friend of mine was suffering from severe headache, he was given 500 mg of vitamin C 2x daily, the next morning, he was totally fine. It’s unbelievable for some people, but it’s true.
I had the most severe headache with eye pain last night. It was excruciatingly painful to the point that I thought I might have to visit the ER. As a last resort, I decided to take 1,000 mg of Vitamin C and surprisingly within 30 min the pain began to subside. It was completely gone within an hour.