Chronic Pain: A Study Finds People With Chronic Pain Have Deficiencies In Key Nutrients Family Health Women's Health Men's Health Diseases/Disorders

Suffering from chronic pain? A study published in the Wiley journal Pain Practice (May 16, 2025) has shown a direct link between low levels of key nutrients in the bloodstream and chronic pain.

Using the NIH’s All of Us Database, researchers looked at serum levels of vitamins D (38,006 subjects), C (656 subjects), B-12 (62,110 subjects), folate (25,937 subjects) and magnesium (93,445 subjects) – micronutrients generally associated with chronic pain. Blood samples showed that subjects with severe pain had lower levels of D, B12 and folate than those with mild/moderate and/or those without pain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic pain – defined as pain that lasts at least three months – affects nearly 1 in 5 Americans, or 51.6 million people. Chronic pain impairs one’s ability to function normally and may lead to brain inflammation, depression, insomnia and also the inability to make a living. Among people with chronic pain, two-thirds still suffer from it a year later.

Ironically, physicians receive almost no training in nutrition and are inadequately prepared to diagnose and treat chronic pain conditions. As a result, too many patients are gaslighted by their physicians, who tell them the pain "is all in your head." This gaping hole in physician training exacerbates a public health emergency that needs to be solved.

The Standard American Diet (SAD) has lost half of its nutrients in food processing. Therefore, as a physician I recommend a high potency multivitamin for most Americans. This is particularly important for those with chronic pain.

My recommendations for a high potency multivitamin include at least 25mg of most of the B vitamins (although not more than 45mg of B6, and this should be in the P5 P pyridoxal five phosphate form to decrease the risk of nerve pain from too much B6). It should have at least 250µg of vitamin B12, 150mg of magnesium and 1000 units of vitamin D.

In addition, for chronic pain I recommend a high absorption form of PEA ( Palmitoylethanolamide) at least 300mg twice a day. For even more powerful effects, take 1200mg a day for one month and then 2400mg a day for two months. 

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