More exercise, better sleep, less back pain.
Vancouver Disc Centers knows our Vancouver chiropractic patients
appreciate good sleep and less back pain while some
may not fully appreciate exercise. These lifestyle practices really do
influence each other! Vancouver Disc Centers offers chiropractic care treatment plans
to reduce back pain and advise our Vancouver chiropractic patients to
incorporate these other practices to get the most out of the Vancouver
back pain relief care offered via the treatment plan.
Always looking to the research studies, Vancouver Disc Centers
found that these studies explain well just how sleep affects pain and our
reactions to pain. One article states that sleep
restriction increases sensitivity to pressure pain. (1) So you need your sleep!
Another reports that poor sleep and other sleep issues increase the risk for
chronic low back, neck and shoulder pain. Another reason you need your sleep! (Vancouver Disc Centers
is working to get rid of Vancouver back and neck pain, so sleep well!)
Men and women share this risk of poor sleep and increased pain. What might
help? Regular exercise and keeping a normal body weight may counteract
any mild sleep problems that increase the risk of chronic pain. (2) Sedentary
time and moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity influence
sleep-disordered breathing, and more physical activity and less sedentary time
seems to positively influence sleep. (3) Vancouver Disc Centers never wants to thrust
our Vancouver chiropractic patients into hard exercise, but
Vancouver Disc Centers certainly encourages, along with spinal manipulation, small steps toward exercise and movement
for good reason.
And one good reason is that the
research supports the notion that exercise reduces pain and
improves physical health. As a matter of fact, exercise reduces pain perception
and improves back strength. (4) Exercise improves sleep quality and effectiveness.
(5) Exercise with active rehabilitation therapy not only improves back muscle strength,
it also reduces pain. (4) (See a pattern here?!) A simple senior elastic band
exercise program improves the self-perceived health status and sleep quality
for older adults living in community settings. (6) And exercise in the form of
Pilates offers statistically significant improvement in pain relief and function
to chronic low back pain sufferers. (7) It’s gentle and effective if you’d like
to try Pilates; it would be a small yet significant step into the exercise
arena! (Let’s talk before you start, of course!)
Lastly, exercise is shown to affect more than pain perception
and health. Exercise keeps the body functioning properly. In that, exercise shares a
goal with Vancouver chiropractic care at Vancouver Disc Centers! Exercise jumpstarts the autonomic nervous system, the system
that controls involuntary body functions like the heartbeat, breath, and digestion.
(8) Those are pretty essential body functions! Exercise also activates the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis which controls reactions to stress, mood
and emotions, energy use and more. (8)
These systems keep us balanced in mind and body. Since exercise is known to be
beneficial, curious researchers wondered if late night exercise would be
beneficial and, if so, how. Vancouver Disc Centers certainly has some late night
exercising Vancouver chiropractic clients, so this article was really
timely! The researchers found that late night exercise didn’t disturb sleep
patterns but did influence the heart rate and autonomic nervous system function.
(8) So exercise whenever you can!
Contact Vancouver Disc Centers to explore options
within your Vancouver chiropractic treatment plan to get you
exercising as best you can, improve your sleep, and reduce your pain.