Although I am on vitamin D supplement, why does the knee pain persist?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 21-year-old female with a height of 5 feet and 2 inches and a weight of 92 pounds. I am suffering from vitamin D deficiency and have been having pain in my knees for six months. The pain mostly arises from stress on the knees when using stairs and disappears with rest for a few days.

On knee X-rays, the lateral tubercle of the intercondylar eminence is raised. My RA factor is negative, and ESR is normal on CBC. My MCH and MCHC were slightly low. Currently, I have been taking a supplement (Indrop D) once every two weeks.

Why is the pain not being relieved even with a supplement?
How long will it take to have my healthy knee back?

Being a medical student, I need to walk a lot, and this situation is depressing me.

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I feel that the two problems are indirectly related, but not causative.

Vitamin D deficiency leads to muscle pain, bone pain and also muscle weakness. The pain in the knee that you are suffering is called anterior knee pain, which is due to a muscle imbalance leading to the patellar tracking going off-track. The muscle pain and bone pain due to vitamin D deficiency will take six weeks to settle, but the anterior knee pain needs you to exercise under physiotherapy supervision to improve knee symptoms (while stair climbing).

I hope it helps.

Thank you.