Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among patients attending a multidisciplinary tertiary pain clinic

To estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a tertiary multidisciplinary pain clinic.

From 14 July 2006 to 30 November 2007, the author requested vitamin D status from all patients with chronic persistent pain presenting to The Auckland Regional Pain Service (a tertiary multidisciplinary pain service). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were determined by radioassay.

Of 177 patients, 3% had 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels less than and equal to 17.5 nmol/L--a level associated with osteomalacia, 32% had 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels =50 nmol/L--a level associated with vitamin D deficiency, and 73% had 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels less than and equal to 80 nmol/L.

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients attending a multidisciplinary pain clinic is similar to if not less than that of the normal New Zealand population. Recent African immigrants and south Asian females are two patient groups that are frequently vitamin D deficient. The identification and treatment of vitamin D deficiency has the theoretical potential to help a number of chronic pain patients. Only a limited number of interventional clinical trials have looked at this.