Got pain? Get better sleep

The cell phone blares out reveille. Your eyes open reluctantly and you realize it’s morning, having only gone to bed four hours earlier because of a late-night party. You creak out of bed to ready yourself for work, arthritic joints hurting much more than usual. A painful day lies ahead even after taking ibuprofen. Does this sound familiar? If it does, you are not alone. Nearly 70% of Americans report getting insufficient sleep on a regular basis, and approximately 20% of Americans suffer from chronic pain. Recently, the intersection between these two conditions has become more apparent. The association between sleep deficiency or poor quality sleep and increased perception of pain from various medical conditions is well known; poor sleep quality predicts greater intensity of pain from conditions such as back strain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. In many cases, the relationship is bi-directional. For example, my colleagues and I have documented that heartburn is worse after a poor night’s sleep, and conversely heartburn can result in disrupted sleep. Recent studies now provide a greater understanding of why pain worsens after poor sleep. In brain imaging studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), there is greater activation of brain regions controlling perception of pain after a poor night’s sleep. In addition, the activity of other brain regions responsible for dampening the sensation of increased pain is reduced. The net effect is that the perception of pain is ac...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Fatigue Pain Management Sleep Source Type: blogs