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 Solutions helps many San Jose
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’s a good
thing that researchers are studying just how a back pain
sufferer can take charge of the San Jose back pain and how
often 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 studying sleep, fatigue, emotion, and more to find out. Chiropractic Solutions
shares the term “flare” as it relates to
a back pain episode.
BACK PAIN FLARE
A San Jose low back pain flare is one that incorporates intensified pain,
paresthesia, or muscle tension, increased duration of symptoms, reduced
functional (social, cognitive, physical), and negative emotions. Researchers
found that back pain sufferers don’t consider their
back pain to be a flare just because of increased pain, therefore
healthcare professionals need to look past the pain to know
what else is influencing the pain episode, what
psychosocial factors are at play. (1,2) The mind-body connection
can’t 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 trigger a new episode of their pain. Researchers found
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 recommended
to reduce the intensity, frequency, and risk of back pain flares.
(3) Sleep quality
also plays a part in how San Jose back pain is felt.
SLEEP QUALITY
An analysis of sleep quality in older
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 play a
role in chronic low back pain. Luckily, sleep quality is able to mediate anxiety, making sleep a reasonable
recommendation in the treatment plan. (5)
CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions
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 getting sleep.
Make your San Jose
chiropractic appointment today. Let’s talk sleep
next time you are in for a visit!