Exercise tip of the month: sleep. Unusual? Not at all! Sleep is just as important
as exercise for pain management as well as management for back
pain. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation helps many Carrolltown
pain sufferers cope with their spine, neck, and back pain with chiropractic spinal manipulation, nutrition advice, and exercise direction. Sleep – adequate
sleep – is included in that list for a good purpose!
CONTROLLING BACK PAIN
Since low back pain often is a condition
for life that comes and goes, a condition
that is managed rather than cured, it’s a good
thing that researchers are looking into just how a back pain
sufferer can take charge of the Carrolltown back pain and the frequency that it ‘rears its head.' Ask any back
pain sufferer and you will know that warding off a pain episode is a goal. But how? Researchers are looking
at sleep, fatigue, emotion, and more to find out. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
introduces the term “flare” as it relates to
a back pain episode.
BACK PAIN FLARE
A Carrolltown low back pain flare is one that includes intensified pain,
paresthesia, or muscle tension, increased duration of symptoms, decreased
functional (social, cognitive, physical), and negative emotions. Researchers
found that back pain sufferers do not consider their
back pain to be a flare just because of increased pain, therefore
healthcare professionals need to look past the pain to visualize
what else is happening around the pain episode, what
psychosocial factors are at play. (1,2) The mind-body connection
can’t always be overlooked! Nor can the time of day
that pain is experienced.
PAIN: MORNING NOON AND NIGHT
Patients suffering with low back pain for more
than 3 months were studied to see what might precipitate a flare up of their pain. Researchers found
that poor sleep quality and morning pain were threats for such
flare-ups. Increased pain risk grew with days of more afternoon and
evening pain, fatigue, and fear of activity. Sleep is suggested
to reduce the intensity, frequency, and risk of back pain flares.
(3) Sleep quality
also plays a part in how Carrolltown back pain is experienced.
SLEEP QUALITY
An analysis 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 associated with
sleep problems. (4) Sleep, perceived stress, and anxiety contribute to chronic low back pain. Fortunately, sleep quality is capable
of mediating anxiety, making sleep a reasonable
recommendation in the treatment plan. (5)
CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Ted Siciliano on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses
his use of Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction to ease arm pain and numbness that was keeping
him from sleeping.
Schedule your Carrolltown
chiropractic appointment now. Let us talk sleep
next time you are in for a visit!