McHenry Back Pain Benefits from Good Sleep
The exercise topic of the month is…sleep?! Weird? Not at all! Sleep is just as important as exercise for pain management including back pain management. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic helps many McHenry 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 reason!
CONTROLLING BACK PAIN
Since low back pain many times is a condition for life that comes and goes, a condition that is handled rather than cured, it is a good thing that researchers are studying just how a back pain sufferer can control the McHenry back pain and the frequency that it ‘rears its head.' Ask 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 find out. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic introduces the term “flare” as it has to do with a back pain episode.
BACK PAIN FLARE
A McHenry low back pain flare is one that consists of heightened pain, paresthesia, or muscle tension, longer 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 heightened pain, therefore healthcare professionals need to look past the pain to see what else is influencing the pain event, what psychosocial factors are involved. (1,2) The mind-body connection cannot always be overlooked! 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 new episode of their pain. Researchers found that poor sleep quality and morning pain were threats for such flare-ups. Increased pain risk rose 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 role in how McHenry back pain is felt.
SLEEP QUALITY
An analysis of sleep quality in mature adults in six middle-income countries found that women experienced more sleep problems. Additionally, 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. Luckily, sleep quality is able to mediate anxiety, making sleep a practical 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 preventing him from sleeping.
Set up your McHenry chiropractic appointment soon. Let us talk sleep next time you’re in for a visit!
