Scientists have added yet another reason to seek medical attention if you suffer from sleep disturbances or insomnia. Poor sleep may lead to fibromyalgia and chronic pain.
Fibromyalgia is a complex chronic pain syndrome that primarily affects women. The syndrome includes widespread pain in muscles, ligaments, and joints as well as fatigue and trouble sleeping.
New research from Norway shows that women with sleep disturbances were THREE times more likely to develop fibromyalgia. The study included data from over 12,000 women over the course of ten years. Women over the age of 45 who had sleep troubles were at an elevated risk for developing fibromyalgia. While the link between fibromyalgia and sleep still needs further research to be fully understood, researchers in this study recommended that early intervention into sleep disorders could prevent future chronic pain.
For people that already have fibromyalgia, exercise, and chiropractic are two natural options for minimizing pain without the adverse effects of drugs.
New research has shown that gentle stretching, yoga, and tai chi can benefit fibromyalgia in a number of ways. In 2010, two different medical studies indicated that when compared to conventional treatment methods, patients who participated in yoga and tai chi experienced enhanced sleep quality, better physical symptoms, and improvements in mood, depression, and anxiety.
Chiropractic is another powerful, natural method to relieve the pain of fibromyalgia for many patients. One medical study followed fifteen patients, some of whom had been suffering with fibromyalgia for ten years. After receiving chiropractic treatments, the majority of patients improved significantly experiencing decreased pain intensity and fatigue as well as better sleep quality.
Don’t let the pain of fibromyalgia determine your quality of life. Talk to a chiropractor about how to incorporate gentle exercise and chiropractic therapies into your treatment plan.
References:
Carson JW, et al. “A pilot randomized controlled trial of the Yoga of Awareness program in the management of fibromyalgia.” Pain 151 (2010): 530-539.
Hains G, Hains F. “Combined ischemic compression and spinal manipulation in the treatment of fibromyalgia: a preliminary estimate of dose and efficacy.” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 23.4 (2000):225-230.
Mork P and Nilsen T. “Sleep problems and risk of fibromyalgia: longitudinal data from the Norwegian HUNT study.” Arthritis Rheum (2011): DOI: 10.1002/art.33346.
Panton LB. “Figueroa A, Kingsley JD, et al. Effects of resistance training and chiropractic treatment in women with fibromyalgia” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 15.3 (2009):321-328.
Wang C, et al. “A randomized trial of tai chi for fibromyalgia.” New England Journal of Medicine 363 (2010): 743-754.