Nashua Back Pain Benefits from Good Sleep

The exercise topic of the month is…sleep?! Unusual? Not at all! Sleep is just as crucial as exercise for pain management including back pain management. Moriarty Chiropractic helps many Nashua pain sufferers manage 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 is a good thing that researchers are studying just how a back pain sufferer can take charge of the Nashua back pain and the frequency that 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. Moriarty Chiropractic introduces the term “flare” as it relates to a back pain episode.

BACK PAIN FLARE

A Nashua low back pain flare is one that includes 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 consider their back pain to be a flare just because of increased pain, therefore healthcare professionals need to look past the pain to see what else is influencing 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 felt.

PAIN: MORNING NOON AND NIGHT

Patients suffering with low back pain for more than 3 months were studied to see what might precipitate a new episode of their pain. Researchers discovered 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 decrease the intensity, frequency, and risk of back pain flares.  (3) The quality of sleep also plays a part in how Nashua back pain is experienced.

SLEEP QUALITY

A study of sleep quality in older adults in six middle-income countries found that women had more sleep problems. Additionally, age, depression, low back pain, and poor self-rated health were also significantly associated with 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 Moriarty 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 keeping him from getting sleep.

Set up your Nashua chiropractic appointment soon. Let’s talk sleep next time you are in for a visit!