Chronic pain is a disabling problem that could affect as many as 1 out of every 5 adult Americans. It is a costly and tragic collection of disorders that often has limited and disappointing treatment options. Could sleep be a central mediator of chronic pain? Could it be a pathway for treatment? In this episode we will:Contrast the relationship between pain causing disturbed sleep with the condition of disturbed sleep itself causing painExamine study numbers showing the high incidence of disturbed sleep in patients with chronic painConsider that while many patients with disturbed sleep have concurrent depression, a much higher cohort complains of disturbed sleepRevisit a 2006 study I highlighted in my first book that shows increased pain indices following relatively trivial reductions in total sleep and REM sleepExtend this concept as it relates to high incidence of chronic pain in military veterans with sleep disorders/disturbancesView the relationship through the lens of a 2022 Harvard study confirming a relationship but stopping short of endorsing causationList ways in which sleep considerations could be utilized to improve pain conditionsProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related