Exercise tip of the month: sleep. Unusual? Not at all! Sleep is just as important
as exercise for pain management including management for back
pain. New Roads Chiropractic Center helps many New Roads
pain sufferers manage their spine, neck, and back pain with chiropractic spinal manipulation, nutrition advice, and exercise direction. Sleep – good
sleep – is added to that list for a good purpose!
CONTROLLING BACK PAIN
Since low back pain many times is a condition
for life that comes and goes, a condition
that is managed rather than cured, it’s a positive
thing that researchers are studying just how a back pain
sufferer can take charge of the New Roads back pain and how
often it ‘rears its head.' Question any back
pain sufferer and you will know that warding off a pain episode is a goal. But how? Researchers are studying sleep, fatigue, emotion, and more to find out. New Roads Chiropractic Center
shares the term “flare” as it relates to
a back pain episode.
BACK PAIN FLARE
A New Roads low back pain flare is one that consists
of heightened pain,
paresthesia, or muscle tension, increased duration of symptoms, reduced
functional (social, cognitive, physical), and negative emotions. Researchers
found that back pain sufferers don’t consider their
back pain to be a flare just because of increased pain, so
healthcare professionals need to look beyond the pain to see
what else is happening around the pain episode, what
psychosocial factors are involved. (1,2) The mind-body connection
cannot always be overlooked! Nor can the time of day
that pain is experienced.
PAIN: MORNING NOON AND NIGHT
Patients dealing with low back pain for more
than 3 months were studied to see what might trigger a new episode of their pain. Researchers discovered
that poor sleep quality and morning pain were risks for such
flare-ups. Increased pain risk grew with days of more afternoon and
evening pain, fatigue, and fear of activity. Sleep is recommended
to reduce the intensity, frequency, and risk of back pain flares.
(3) The quality of sleep
also plays a role in how New Roads back pain is experienced.
SLEEP QUALITY
A study of sleep quality in mature
adults in six middle-income countries found that women had
more sleep problems. Further, age, depression, low back pain,
and poor self-rated health were also significantly linked to
sleep problems. (4) Sleep, perceived stress, and anxiety contribute to chronic low back pain. Fortunately, sleep quality is able to mediate anxiety, making sleep a practical
recommendation in the treatment plan. (5)
CONTACT New Roads Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Ted Siciliano on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes
his use of Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction to ease arm pain and numbness that was preventing
him from getting sleep.
Make your New Roads
chiropractic appointment soon. Let’s talk sleep
next time you’re in for a visit!