Exercise tip of the month: sleep. Odd? Not at all! Sleep is just as vital
as exercise for pain management including back pain management. Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic helps many Montreal
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 reason!
CONTROLLING BACK PAIN
Since low back pain often is a condition
for life that comes and goes, a condition
that is handled rather than cured, it is a good
thing that researchers are studying just how a back pain
sufferer can control the Montreal back pain and how
often it ‘rears its head.' Ask any back
pain sufferer and you’ll know that warding off a pain episode is an objective. But how? Researchers are studying sleep, fatigue, emotion, and more to figure that out. Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic
shares the term “flare” as it has to do with
a back pain episode.
BACK PAIN FLARE
A Montreal 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 describe their
back pain to be a flare just because of increased pain, therefore
healthcare professionals need to look beyond the pain to visualize
what else is influencing the pain event, what
psychosocial factors are involved. (1,2) The mind-body connection
cannot 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 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 reduce the intensity, frequency, and risk of back pain flares.
(3) Sleep quality
also plays a role in how Montreal back pain is experienced.
SLEEP QUALITY
A study of sleep quality in older
adults in six middle-income countries uncovered that women had
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. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic
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 sleeping.
Schedule your Montreal
chiropractic appointment now. Let’s talk sleep
next time you are in for a visit!