More exercise, better sleep, less back pain.
OrthoIllinois Chiropractic knows our McHenry chiropractic patients
look forward to some good sleep and less back pain while some may not always
look forward to exercising! These lifestyle practices really do
influence each other! OrthoIllinois Chiropractic offers chiropractic care treatment plans
to reduce back pain and advise our McHenry chiropractic patients to
incorporate these other practices to get the most out of the McHenry
back pain relief care offered via the treatment plan.
Always looking to the research studies, OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
found that these studies support well the impact sleep has on pain perception and
reaction to pain. One article states that sleep
restriction increases sensitivity to pressure pain. (1) So you need your sleep!
Another reports that poor sleep and other sleep issues increase the risk for
chronic low back, neck and shoulder pain. Another reason you need your sleep! (OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
is working to get rid of McHenry back and neck pain, so sleep well!)
Men and women share this risk of poor sleep and increased pain. What might
help? Regular exercise and keeping a normal body weight may counteract
any mild sleep problems that increase the risk of chronic pain. (2) Sedentary
time and moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity influence
sleep-disordered breathing, and more physical activity and less sedentary time
seems to positively influence sleep. (3) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic never wants to thrust
our McHenry chiropractic patients into hard exercise, but
OrthoIllinois Chiropractic certainly encourages, along with spinal manipulation, small steps toward exercise and movement
for good reason.
And one good reason is that the
research supports the notion that exercise reduces pain and
improves physical health. As a matter of fact, exercise reduces pain perception
and improves back strength. (4) Exercise improves sleep quality and effectiveness.
(5) Exercise with active rehabilitation therapy not only improves back muscle strength,
it also reduces pain. (4) (See a pattern here?!) A simple senior elastic band
exercise program improves the self-perceived health status and sleep quality
for older adults living in community settings. (6) And exercise in the form of
Pilates offers statistically significant improvement in pain relief and function
to chronic low back pain sufferers. (7) It’s gentle and effective if you’d like
to try Pilates; it would be a small yet significant step into the exercise
arena! (Let’s talk before you start, of course!)
Lastly, exercise is shown to affect more than pain perception
and health. Exercise keeps the body functioning properly. In that, exercise shares a
goal with McHenry chiropractic care at OrthoIllinois Chiropractic! Exercise jumpstarts the autonomic nervous system, the system
that controls involuntary body functions like the heartbeat, breath, and digestion.
(8) Those are pretty essential body functions! Exercise also activates the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis which controls reactions to stress, mood
and emotions, energy use and more. (8)
These systems keep us balanced in mind and body. Since exercise is known to be
beneficial, curious researchers wondered if late night exercise would be
beneficial and, if so, how. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic certainly has some late night
exercising McHenry chiropractic clients, so this article was really
timely! The researchers found that late night exercise didn’t disturb sleep
patterns but did influence the heart rate and autonomic nervous system function.
(8) So exercise whenever you can!
Contact OrthoIllinois Chiropractic to explore options
within your McHenry chiropractic treatment plan to get you
exercising as best you can, improve your sleep, and reduce your pain.