Is it possible to achieve pain management with vitamin B12 and B complex vitamin injections?
Yes.
Two years ago Karin Harrison came to VIVA Wellness as a referral from her doctor. She had been experiencing chronic pain for many years and dealing with neuropathy in her legs. She also had a significant amount of anxiety, insomnia and was experiencing poor cognition. VIVA Wellness Nurse Practitioner, Jennifer Hruz, sat down with Karin during a consultation to discuss her issues and determine the best way to help Karin.
Health Issues Karin was Dealing with:
- Chronic pain
- Neuropathy in her legs related to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (a connective tissue disorder)
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Cognitive and memory issues
At 58 years old, Karin was struggling—out of work on disability insurance, couch-bound, and couldn’t even take care of her grandchildren. “In terms of quality of life,” says Karin “I was miserable!”
Pain Management, Anxiety and Neuropathy Relief was Karin’s Goal
Karin says she felt instantly comfortable with Jennifer and decided to proceed with treatment. Jennifer, a board-certified family nurse practitioner, explained the importance of B vitamins, specifically B12 and B Complex (B1, B2, B3, B4, B6), and their role in maintaining an optimally functioning body. B vitamins are required to support the nervous system, which can reduce anxiety, improve stress tolerance, reduce neuropathy, and improve cognitive function (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cns.13207). Further, B12 is necessary for cellular energy conversion, metabolism support, and red blood cell health (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b12-injections#section7). People that receive B12 and B Complex injections frequently note a sense of improved energy without a crash or jittery feeling.
The group of B vitamins is water-soluble—meaning that your body will use what it needs, and the remainder will be excreted by the kidneys through the urine. Because of this, the body will not overdose on B vitamins, and toxicity is not encountered. The body will not store excess water-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins (such as A, D, E, and K) are stored in fat tissue, and labs should be monitored for excess levels as treatment progresses. However, with B vitamins and other water-soluble vitamins, it is not necessary to do a blood panel or lab test to assess for deficiency.
Getting the Body to Better Absorb Vitamins
It was discovered through consultation and detailed history that Karin was not eating a balanced diet that would provide the proper nutrients. Her body was likely having difficulty absorbing vitamins orally due to her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which can increase inflammation in her GI tract and cause other GI-related conditions (https://ehlers-danlos.com/2014-physicians-conference/Collins.pdf). Jennifer started her on Vitamin B12 and B complex injections to improve her energy, reduce fatigue, improve her cognitive function and promote an optimized nervous system.
At VIVA Wellness, all treatment is completely customized to the individual. Jennifer took the time to start slow with her recommended treatment regimen. She wanted to be sure Karin’s body was tolerating each injection and also to minimize or avoid any side effects. But Karin noticed a positive change immediately.
“I have been dealing with these health issues for many years and over time had worked with any number of different practitioners and treatments. Some helped, some made it worse,” Karin said. “Once I even had a spinal fracture due to steroid treatments and a vitamin D deficiency, which caused bone depletion. With Jennifer just I started to feel better immediately.”
Throughout the past two years, Jennifer and Karin have worked together, taking a holistic approach to Karin’s pain management and cognitive issues. Once Karin was feeling better with the vitamin B12 and B complex injections, Jennifer advised other vitamin supplements for overall health and immunity optimization including: vitamin D, magnesium, and a probiotic. Karin noticed a difference in the medical-grade supplements she receives from VIVA Wellness. These are free of the dyes and fillers found in those you can get over-the-counter and they are pharmaceutical-grade tested for purity. For Karin, her pain management and cognition, and mood support is an ongoing process that, with Jennifer’s help, she works on every week.
Karin says working with Jennifer is like working with a friend. “Jennifer is so unlike other healthcare professionals I have gone to. She takes the time with me and listens—so supportive and kind. She’ll think outside the box and even refer me to other health care specialists if she thinks they can help.”
Much Improved Quality of Life
Today Karin is feeling much better and her quality of life is greatly improved. Karin has achieved success in her pain management with vitamin B12 and b complex injections. She is back to work, her neuropathy is gone, and she is going to physical therapy to improve her strength. Karin has been able to significantly reduce her medications, she has a lot more energy during the day, her anxiety is under control and she is sleeping a constant six hours each night. “I honestly didn’t think I would ever work again and my memory was so bad I thought I was getting Alzheimer’s. That’s all changed. I’m able to live my life now. The difference is amazing.”
The best part? Karin can now take care of her grandchildren and recently danced the Baby Shark Challenge on YouTube for her them.
If you are experiencing pain like Karin and would like to find out if you can manage your pain with vitamin injections like B12 and B Complex, contact VIVA Wellness today for a consultation.