La Grande Back Pain Benefits from Good Sleep

Exercise tip of the month: sleep. Odd? Not at all! Sleep is just as important as exercise for pain management as well as management for back pain. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC helps many La Grande pain sufferers cope with their spine, neck, and back pain with chiropractic spinal manipulation, nutrition advice, and exercise direction. Sleep – adequate sleep – is included in 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’s a good thing that researchers are studying just how a back pain sufferer can control the La Grande back pain and the frequency that it ‘rears its head.' Question any back pain sufferer and you’ll know that keeping the pain away is a goal. But how? Researchers are looking at sleep, fatigue, emotion, and more to find out. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC shares the term “flare” as it relates to a back pain episode.

BACK PAIN FLARE

A La Grande low back pain flare is one that includes increased pain, paresthesia, or muscle tension, increased duration of symptoms, reduced 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 increased pain, therefore healthcare professionals need to look beyond the pain to know what else is happening around the pain episode, what psychosocial factors are involved. (1,2) The mind-body connection can’t always be ignored! Nor can the time of day that pain is experienced.

PAIN: MORNING NOON AND NIGHT

Patients suffering with low back pain for over 3 months were studied to see what might bring on a flare up of their pain. Researchers discovered that poor sleep quality and morning pain were risks 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) Sleep quality also plays a role in how La Grande back pain is experienced.

SLEEP QUALITY

A study of sleep quality in older adults in six middle-income countries found 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 contribute to chronic low back pain. Luckily, sleep quality is capable of mediating anxiety, making sleep a reasonable recommendation in the treatment plan. (5)

CONTACT Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC

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 ease arm pain and numbness that was keeping him from getting sleep.

Schedule your La Grande chiropractic appointment soon. Let’s talk sleep next time you’re in for a visit!