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Vitamin D deficiency and bone pain

Widespread aching in the bones, tiredness, and difficulty getting up from a chair or climbing stairs. Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common in India — and it is one of the few causes of bone pain that is simple and cheap to correct.

Do not wait for an appointment

These need checking rather than waiting.

  • Aching in the bones rather than the joints — the shins, ribs, hips and lower back
  • Difficulty rising from a chair or climbing stairs without using your arms
  • A waddling walk that has come on gradually
  • Bone pain in a child, or bowing of a child's legs
  • A fracture after a minor fall
  • You are pregnant or breastfeeding and have bone pain
Sheet 53 · Bone strengthening exercisesBone & joint diseaseImproves over 8–12 weeks of treatment

Do this

  • Ask for a blood test. Vitamin D, calcium and alkaline phosphatase together
  • Sunlight on the arms and face for 20–30 minutes most days, in the morning or late afternoon
  • Take the supplement as prescribed — and finish the course
  • Get calcium in the diet too. Vitamin D cannot work without it — milk, curd, paneer, ragi, sesame, green leafy vegetables
  • Weight-bearing exercise as the pain settles — Sheet 53
  • Ask us to check the rest of the family. If one person is deficient, others usually are

Avoid this

  • Assuming aching bones are simply age
  • Taking very high doses bought over the counter without a blood test
  • Stopping the supplement as soon as you feel better
  • Relying on sunlight alone if you cover your skin, work indoors, or have darker skin — all three reduce how much you make

The questions everybody asks

Why is this so common here?

Because of how most of us live, not because of where we live.

Indoor work, covered skin, air pollution reducing the sunlight that reaches us, and diets that are often low in calcium. Living in a sunny country is not protective if the sunlight does not reach your skin. Darker skin also needs longer exposure to make the same amount.

Will it fix my joint pain?

It helps bone and muscle aching. It will not cure arthritis.

The pain of deficiency is a deep, widespread ache in the bones and a weakness in the thigh and shoulder muscles. If you have a single painful, swollen joint, that is something else and needs looking at separately.

How long before I feel better?

Usually several weeks, and often two to three months for the muscle weakness.

It is slower than people expect. Do not stop the treatment at four weeks because nothing has changed yet — and have the level rechecked afterwards.

Open the exercise sheet

Pictures, how many and how often, and what it should feel like. Free, and printable.

Guides for you

In your language, free to download. Each one is a short PDF you can keep on your phone or print.

Calcium and Vitamin D Englishहिंदीमराठी
Food for Bones and Healing Englishहिंदीमराठी
Starting to Exercise Safely Englishहिंदीमराठी
Bone Density Scan (DEXA) Englishहिंदीमराठी

On cost: if we suggest a scan, an injection or an operation, ask us what it costs and what happens if you do nothing. We will answer both. You should never feel pushed into spending money.

Consultation is ₹500 for a first visit and ₹300 for a follow-up, the same at both clinics. For anything else, ask at the desk or on WhatsApp before it is done — we will tell you the exact cost.

Should you come and see us?

A page is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If the pain is not settling, come in and have it looked at properly — bring any X-ray, MRI or CT films you already have.

Nallasopara West

Opposite Patil Hospital

Shop No. 14, Veena Apartment,
Opposite Patil Hospital, near Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir,
S.T. Stand Road, Nallasopara West — 401203

Monday to Saturday
12:00 noon – 2:00 pm  ·  7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Sunday by prior appointment only

Call 87665 22099

Virar East

Opposite Parimal Hospital

Shop No. 7, Damodar Tower,
Opposite Parimal Hospital, Morya Nagar,
Manvel Pada Road, Virar East — 401305

Monday to Saturday
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunday by prior appointment only

Call 92702 84859

Other conditions

Ready when you are.

Call either clinic during consulting hours, or send a WhatsApp message any time.

Nallasopara West Virar East