The exercise topic of
the month is…sleep?! Unusual? Not at all! Sleep is just as important
as exercise for pain management as well as management for back
pain. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre helps many Toronto
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 reason!
CONTROLLING BACK PAIN
Since low back pain many times is a condition
for life that comes and goes, a condition
that is managed rather than cured, it’s a good
thing that researchers are studying just how a back pain
sufferer can control the Toronto 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 looking
at sleep, fatigue, emotion, and more to figure that out. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
shares the term “flare” as it relates to
a back pain episode.
BACK PAIN FLARE
A Toronto low back pain flare is one that consists
of increased 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 past the pain to see
what else is going on around the pain event, 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 dealing with low back pain for more
than 3 months were studied to see what might bring
on a new episode of their pain. Researchers found
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 suggested
to reduce the intensity, frequency, and risk of back pain flares.
(3) Sleep quality
also plays a part in how Toronto back pain is experienced.
SLEEP QUALITY
A study of sleep quality in mature
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 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 Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
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 sleeping.
Make your Toronto
chiropractic appointment today. Let us talk sleep
next time you are in for a visit!