3 Thyroid Related Causes Of Low Back Pain You Need To Know

The symptoms of hypothyroidism can be quite varied from person to person; some may even seem unrelated to thyroid problems and therefore dismissed as irrelevant. However, if a connection to the thyroid is overlooked, any treatment with medication can be ineffective.

Many thyroid patients do not realize that the persistent low back pain may be related to hypothyroidism. Often, it becomes chronic because the source of the pain has not been correctly identified.

To know how to deal with low back pain effectively, it’s important to understand the 3 major causes of low back pain in thyroid patients:

Table of Contents

1. Vitamin D Deficiency

A person’s vitamin D level is most accurately determined through a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test. A vitamin D deficiency will be indicated by a level of less than 40 nmol/L.

A lack of vitamin D can predispose to poor bone and muscle health and therefore result in lower back pain. If left untreated, even mild to moderate vitamin D deficiency deficiency may contribute to bone loss and muscle weakness resulting in increased predisposition to fracture and fall and can be especially dangerous for older people.

Various studies have been made on several groups of patients, and these have revealed certain facts about the occurrence of vitamin D deficiency. It has been found to be common among patients with hypothyroidism and autoimmune conditions including Hashimoto’s disease. Furthermore, the severity of vitamin D deficiency correlates with duration of Hashimoto’s, size of the goiter and levels of thyroid antibodies (1).

Vitamin D serves not only as a nutrient but also as a steroid hormone, which aids in maintaining balance of the immune system. Unfortunately, 90% of patients with Hashimoto’s disease have a genetic defect that affects their vitamin D cell-receptors preventing the nutrients from entering into the cells (2).

Other study (3) has determined that a significant part of the North American population have low levels of vitamin D. Mild forms of vitamin D deficiency are in fact quite common, but often remain undetected. This widespread condition is partially caused by an imbalanced modern diet – an average North American’s regular daily intake often lacks food rich in vitamin D like seafood, egg yolks, organ meat and butter.

Other factors which contribute to the deficiency include physical conditions such as aging, bowel inflammation, adrenal problems and obesity. It’s also affected by stress or insufficient exposure to sunlight.

A six-year research was conducted in Saudi Arabian spinal clinics, revealing how vitamin D deficiency is one of the causes of low back pain. It has been found that over 80% of patients who suffered from chronic low back pain with no apparent causes had significantly low levels of vitamin D. After these patients were given vitamin D supplements, they were all reported to experience noticeable improvements. Based on these findings, the authors suggest that screening for vitamin deficiency in patients with low back pain should be mandatory.

To provide more effective solutions to lower back pain, testing for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and appropriate vitamin D supplementation as well as adequate sunlight and diet rich in vitamin D foods in people with deficiency should be a part of current clinical guidelines for managing chronic low back pain.

The objective is to restore and maintain high normal levels of vitamin D for patients who experience lower back pain, particularly for those with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s disease. This can be successfully done with supplementation of vitamin D in emulsified form (cholecalciferol).

2. Low Adrenal Output

Adrenal glands are responsible for regulating the body’s energy and stress levels. Any form of chronic stress that exceeds body’s ability to handle it can cause low output of hormones produced by adrenal glands. This includes cortisol, DHEA and others.

The most common sources of stress include:

Lack of sleep
Strenuous physical activity (including exercise)
Prolonged or serious illness
Chronic and acute infections
Surgery
Root canal repair
Trauma
Depression
Anger
High-sugar diet

When a person is consistently under stress for long periods of time, the adrenal glands eventually decrease production of major hormones. It must be noted that any hormonal imbalance in the body can contribute to much larger problems.

The function of the adrenal glands are related to the work of the thyroid gland, so when one begins to fail to function at optimal levels, the other is sure to follow.

Hypothyroidism almost always occurs with hormonal imbalance resulting from malfunctioning adrenal glands. It is one of “protective mechanisms” when our body cannot handle outperforming thyroid gland compared to low adrenal function, and slows down by reducing the output of thyroid hormones.

One of the most common warning signs of severe adrenal dysfunction is a sudden, penetrating pain in the lower back. The vast majority of patients remain symptomatic and their treatments usually fail until the adrenal imbalance is diagnosed and treated accordingly.

3. Myofascial Trigger Points

Many of the daily aches and pains we commonly experience in hypothyroidism are caused by small, sensitive knots in the muscle tissue. These are called myofascial trigger points, or simply trigger points. Trigger points are formed over time due to strenuous physical activity,or can be caused by metabolic factors.

The most common metabolic factors are:

Subclinical or mild hypothyroidism and especially low levels of metabolicaly active thyroid hormone T3
Low iron, B12, B1, B6, folic acid, vitamin C and other nutritional deficiencies that are aslo very common in thyroid patients
High levels of uric acid
Estrogen dominance
Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)
Chronic viral or bacterial infection

Back pain of any kind usually involves trigger points. After other causes such as spinal arthritis, herniated disc and dislocated vertebrae are ruled out, one of the most common causes of low back pain are trigger points. The sensation is often referred pain from these tender areas.

When a person has myofascial pain syndrome, the pain may often be diagnosed incorrectly because the trigger points are similar to the symptoms of other diseases like fibromyalgia or hypothyroidism. Unless this is identified, any treatment given for the pain will be ineffective.

Overworked muscles and intensive physical activity can lead to knotting and pain in the muscle tissue, though this may subside within a few weeks if the affected tissue is not exposed to too repeated stress.

Trigger points massage is also very effective for immediate pain relief that works instantly. The costs vary from $80 to $130 per hour by a qualified massage therapist and investing into Trigger Point Self-Treatment System can save you a lot of money. Most people can feel trigger points and learn how to reactivate them. The system is easy to use and can help you to completely relax your muscles and eliminate trigger points while you apply only the amount of deep therapeutic pressure needed to your tolerance level.

If contributing metabolic factors remain unidentified and not corrected the positive effects of trigger point massage usually are only temporary. The trigger points can be reactivated again by the same stress and the patient can develop chronic myofascial pain. The most effective treatment for low back pain that was caused by trigger points is a combination of a specialized massage and correction of underlying metabolic imbalances and physical stressors.

A proper treatment of hypothyroidism and nutritional deficiencies is the best way to ensure long-lasting results of the trigger points massage therapy. Instead of reaching to pain medication, it’s necessary to understand the causes of low back pain. It’s beneficial to consider the possibility of vitamin D deficiency, adrenal fatigue or trigger points, because a proper solution to any ailment always depends on a precise diagnosis.

4. Improve Mobility.

Too much sitting and inactive life style are a very common cause of low back and hip pain. The problem is that when you are sitting for long hours stiffens up the erector spinae muscles in your back, your hamstrings and the gluteal muscles in your hips.

As a result, your back and hip pain can become really hard to get rid off because you have developed a debilitating condition called “Tissue Lock.” This means that waking up feeling stiffness that compromises your mobility and even standing for longer periods of time causes you a back pain.

A lot of stretching, yoga and core exercises can help with this issues, however it doesn’t work for all people. In fact, there is a more effective method introduced by the LA physical therapist Dr. Brian Schwabe who is a USC certified health professional and some of his clients are NFL and the NBA big name athletes.

In order to eliminates chronic back and hip aches and pains, Dr. Schwabe developed his unique sequence of 7 movements. The main idea is to rebalance muscles in your back and hip areas using this specific 9 minute Release and Rebalnce Method and to reverse the “Tissue Lock” to build the foundation for an easy and quick recovery.

The best part is that this sequence includes gentle and easy movements that can be done at home even by people who are out of shape and have low mobility issues. Learn more about the 7 movements to get rid of your back and hip pain today.

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References:

Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? When My Lab Tests Are Normal by Dr. D.Kharrazian, Elephant Printing LLC, 2010