If you suffer from bone and joint pain, stiffness, and muscle aches during the coldest months of the year, you are not alone.

Up to 8 in 10 people will have back pain in their lifetime, and in many cases, a flair up is caused by a drop in temperature. Aches and pains during these cold months can be some of the hardest to deal with because tendons and joints contract in the cold air, making the pain seem more excruciating. If you are one of the many people who suffers from winter pain, there may be a few solutions that will actually decrease your pain.

According to an extensive review of clinical research by Pain Treatment Topics, authored by Stewart B. Leavitt, MA, PhD., people suffering from pain usually had inadequate levels of vitamin D. “In our review of 22 clinical research studies persons with various pain and fatigue syndromes almost always lacked vitamin D, especially during winter months.

When sufficient vitamin D supplementation was provided, the aches, pains, weakness, and related problems in most sufferers either vanished or were at least helped to a significant degree.

The sun’s ultraviolet rays actually trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin, so if you’re in an area that tends to see lots of cloudy and overcast days during the fall and winter, you may think about taking a trip to a nice, sunny location every so often. Your other option, aside from using standard medications to manage pain, is to find a way to add more vitamin D to your diet – whether through Vitamin D rich foods or supplements. Introducing the extra Vitamin D to your system may very likely reduce your pain management as a whole along and better your quality of life.

If you suffer from chronic pain, seasonal pain or seasonal mood disturbances such as chronic fatigue syndrome and seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, look into adding Vitamin D supplements to your daily routine.

Source: www.imms.com; Nikole Schroeder; August 31, 2012.