Richmond Back Pain Benefits from Good Sleep
Exercise tip of the month: sleep. Weird? Not at all! Sleep is just as vital as exercise for pain management including management for back pain. Johnson Chiropractic helps many Richmond 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 purpose!
CONTROLLING BACK PAIN
Since low back pain often is a condition for life that is sporadic, a condition that is handled rather than cured, it is a good thing that researchers are looking into just how a back pain sufferer can control the Richmond back pain and how often it ‘rears its head.' Question any back pain sufferer and you will know that warding off a pain episode is an objective. But how? Researchers are studying sleep, fatigue, emotion, and more to find out. Johnson Chiropractic introduces the term “flare” as it relates to a back pain episode.
BACK PAIN FLARE
A Richmond low back pain flare is one that consists of intensified 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 describe their back pain to be a flare just because of heightened pain, therefore healthcare professionals need to look beyond the pain to see what else is influencing the pain event, what psychosocial factors are involved. (1,2) The mind-body connection can’t always be overlooked! Nor can the time of day that pain is experienced.
PAIN: MORNING NOON AND NIGHT
Patients dealing 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 suggested to decrease the intensity, frequency, and risk of back pain flares. (3) The quality of sleep also plays a part in how Richmond back pain is experienced.
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. Fortunately, sleep quality is capable of mediating anxiety, making sleep a reasonable recommendation in the treatment plan. (5)
CONTACT Johnson Chiropractic
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 preventing him from getting sleep.
Schedule your Richmond chiropractic appointment today. Let’s talk sleep next time you are in for a visit!
