Exercise tip of the month: sleep. Unusual? Not at all! Sleep is just as important
as exercise for pain management as well as back pain management. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic helps many McHenry
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 many times is a condition
for life that is intermittent, a condition
that is handled rather than cured, it’s a good
thing that researchers are looking into just how a back pain
sufferer can control the McHenry back pain and the frequency that it ‘rears its head.' Question any back
pain sufferer and you will know that keeping
the pain away is a goal. But how? Researchers are looking
at sleep, fatigue, emotion, and more to figure that out. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
shares the term “flare” as it relates to
a back pain episode.
BACK PAIN FLARE
A McHenry low back pain flare is one that includes increased pain,
paresthesia, or muscle tension, longer duration of symptoms, reduced
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, so
healthcare professionals need to look past the pain to know
what else is happening around the pain episode, what
psychosocial factors are involved. (1,2) The mind-body connection
cannot always be ignored! Nor can the time of day
that pain is felt.
PAIN: MORNING NOON AND NIGHT
Patients dealing with low back pain for more
than 3 months were studied to see what might precipitate a flare up 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 suggested
to reduce the intensity, frequency, and risk of back pain flares.
(3) Sleep quality
also plays a part in how McHenry back pain is felt.
SLEEP QUALITY
A study of sleep quality in mature
adults in six middle-income countries uncovered 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 OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
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 deliver
relieving treatment for his arm pain and numbness that was keeping
him from sleeping.
Make your McHenry
chiropractic appointment now. Let’s talk sleep
next time you’re in for a visit!