Vitamin D deficiency & bone pain
Aching bones, weak muscles, tiredness — and a blood test that's low. Very common in India, easily treated, and easy to overdo.
हिंदी में पढ़ें →Common, often missed, easily treated
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and keeps bones and muscles strong. Despite plenty of sunshine, low vitamin D is very common in India — indoor lives, covered skin, darker skin (which makes less vitamin D from the same sun), pollution and diet all play a part.
Mild deficiency often causes no symptoms. More severe deficiency can cause aching bones and muscles that are easily mistaken for arthritis or fibromyalgia.
Symptoms that may point to low vitamin D
- Aching bones — shins, thighs, lower back, ribs — often tender when pressed
- Muscle weakness, especially difficulty climbing stairs or getting up from a chair
- Muscle cramps and generalised aches
- Tiredness
- In severe, long-standing deficiency: softening of the bones (osteomalacia) and fractures
Testing
- The test is 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH D)
- Most Indian labs label below 20 ng/mL as deficient; cut-offs differ between guidelines
- Results in nmol/L (common abroad) can be converted: divide by 2.5 for ng/mL — or use the lab unit converter
- Calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase and sometimes parathyroid hormone help judge how much the bones are affected
Treatment — and a warning about overdoing it
Deficiency is usually corrected with a course of higher-dose vitamin D (often weekly for several weeks) followed by a lower maintenance dose, along with adequate calcium from food. Your doctor will choose the dose for you.
Getting vitamin D naturally
- Sunlight on arms and legs for a short time several days a week (avoid burning)
- Foods: egg yolk, oily fish, fortified milk and oils — though food alone rarely corrects a deficiency
- Staying active outdoors helps bones and muscles in more ways than one
Common questions
Can low vitamin D cause joint pain?+
How long does it take to correct vitamin D deficiency?+
Is a vitamin D injection better than tablets or sachets?+
Aches all over, or unsure about your vitamin D?
Bone and muscle pain has many causes — a proper assessment finds the right one. Walk-in, no appointment needed.
Clinic timings & location