Chronic pain afflicts millions worldwide, and its connection with sleep is proving to be more complicated than once believed. New research has shown that as many as 90% of individuals suffering from chronic pain also experience difficulties with sleep. This highlights the crucial role that sleep plays in both managing and possibly preventing persistent pain.
While it’s commonly thought that pain primarily interferes with sleep, the emerging research is suggesting that inadequate sleep might significantly contribute to both the emergence and intensification of chronic pain.
Insufficient sleep can escalate stress on the nervous and immune systems, potentially worsening pain and leading to chronic conditions, rather than merely being a result of it. Chronic pain leads to more disability than both cancer and heart disease combined, highlighting the urgent need for effective treatment options.
Historically underutilized as a pain treatment, sleep is now gaining attention in new research exploring it as a potential therapy. Past studies have primarily investigated how new acute or chronic back pain develops. The research will now investigate the more common scenario of fluctuating symptoms in individuals living with the condition. It will also delve into how the nervous and immune systems react to both restorative and disrupted sleep patterns.
This study is part of a larger effort to understand how lifestyle factors affect pain, which may be crucial for creating effective treatments. The findings could prompt a shift in chronic pain management, highlighting the role of sleep therapy in conjunction with conventional treatment methods.
Acknowledging the importance of sleep used in treatment could also aid in preventing acute pain from evolving into severe chronic pain.
To view the original scientific study click below:
Is sleep the new treatment for pain? Two issues need resolving before deciding
