The Effect of Vitamin D Supplement as Analgesic in Low Back Pain Patients: A Literature Review

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a musculoskeletal disease characterized by severe pain in the lower back that originates in the spine's muscles, nerves, and other organs. Adults experience 50-80 percent of the symptoms, and it is the leading cause of disability when compared to other diseases. One of the risk factors for pain is vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D aids in the maintenance of musculoskeletal health in patients with paraspinal muscle weakness and atrophy, such as those with LBP. Because of the controversy surrounding this topic, this research will specifically examine the effect of giving vitamin D as an analgesic in patients with low back pain. This is expected to serve as a model for the treatment of low back pain in Indonesia. Purpose: This research aims to specifically examine the effect of giving vitamin D as an analgesic to patients suffering from low back pain. Method: This research used the literature review method. Data were taken from articles published in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct in the last 10 years, which were then eliminated based on restriction criteria and PICO. Results: There were 988 articles found and then excluded based on the restriction criteria, yielding 15 articles to be reviewed. A review of 15 articles discovered several themes; vitamin D alone acted as an analgesic (9 articles), vitamin D combined with light physical exercise (4 articles), and the use of vitamin D did not show significant changes in pain (2 articles). Conclusion: By paying attention to the optimal dose and duration of administration, Vitamin D has the potential to aid in the healing process as an analgesic in patients suffering from low back pain. Vitamin D also has the potential to prevent disease or lessen its severity in people suffering from low back pain.