It may not be clear if vitamin C can combat the common cold, but new evidence suggests that it may stave off a form of nerve pain known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). RSD may develop following an injury, such as a fracture, and is characterized by pain, swelling and limited movement that is out of proportion to the injury and lingers long after the injury has healed. People who took vitamin C after breaking a wrist were less likely to develop RSD than those who took an inactive placebo drug. In the study, 115 wrist fracture patients aged 24 to 88 took either 500 milligrams of vitamin C daily for 50 days following the injury, or a placebo (inactive) drug. One year later, RSD occurred in only 7% of patients in the vitamin C group, compared with 22% of those on placebo. The finding suggests that taking 500 milligrams of vitamin C per day for 50 days after a wrist fracture may help prevent RSD. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and it may help prevent RSD by speeding up nerve repair.

The Journal of Family Practice March 2000;49:268-269.