The exercise topic of
the month is…sleep?! Weird? Not at all! Sleep is just as vital
as exercise for pain management including back pain management. Satterwhite Chiropractic helps many Oxford
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 many times is a condition
for life that is sporadic, a condition
that is handled rather than cured, it is a good
thing that researchers are studying just how a back pain
sufferer can take charge of the Oxford 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 figure that out. Satterwhite Chiropractic
introduces the term “flare” as it has to do with
a back pain episode.
BACK PAIN FLARE
A Oxford low back pain flare is one that incorporates increased pain,
paresthesia, or muscle tension, longer duration of symptoms, decreased
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, so
healthcare professionals need to look past the pain to visualize
what else is going on around the pain episode, 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 suffering with low back pain for more
than 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 rose 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) The quality of sleep
also plays a part in how Oxford back pain is felt.
SLEEP QUALITY
A study of sleep quality in older
adults in six middle-income countries uncovered that women experienced
more sleep problems. Further, age, depression, low back pain,
and poor self-rated health were also significantly linked to
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 Satterwhite 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.
Make your Oxford
chiropractic appointment now. Let us talk sleep
next time you’re in for a visit!