The exercise topic of
the month is…sleep?! Weird? Not at all! Sleep is just as valuable
as exercise for pain management including management for back
pain. Chiropractic Care helps many West Palm Beach
pain sufferers cope with their spine, neck, and back pain with chiropractic spinal manipulation, nutrition advice, and exercise direction. Sleep – adequate
sleep – is added to that list for a good purpose!
CONTROLLING BACK PAIN
Since low back pain often 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 take charge of the West Palm Beach back pain and the frequency that it ‘rears its head.' Question any back
pain sufferer and you’ll know that warding off a pain episode is a goal. But how? Researchers are looking
at sleep, fatigue, emotion, and more to figure that out. Chiropractic Care
introduces the term “flare” as it relates to
a back pain episode.
BACK PAIN FLARE
A West Palm Beach low back pain flare is one that incorporates intensified pain,
paresthesia, or muscle tension, increased duration of symptoms, decreased
functional (social, cognitive, physical), and negative emotions. Researchers
found that back pain sufferers don’t describe their
back pain to be a flare just because of increased pain, therefore
healthcare professionals need to look beyond the pain to see
what else is going on around the pain event, 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 suffering with low back pain for over 3 months were studied to see what might trigger 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 recommended
to decrease the intensity, frequency, and risk of back pain flares.
(3) Sleep quality
also plays a part in how West Palm Beach back pain is experienced.
SLEEP QUALITY
A study of sleep quality in mature
adults in six middle-income countries found that women experienced
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 play a
role in chronic low back pain. Fortunately, sleep quality is able to mediate anxiety, making sleep a reasonable
recommendation in the treatment plan. (5)
CONTACT Chiropractic Care
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 keeping
him from sleeping.
Make your West Palm Beach
chiropractic appointment now. Let’s talk sleep
next time you are in for a visit!