If pain does wake you in the middle of the night, first try meditation, visualization, or whatever relaxing distraction you favor. But if it doesn't work, getting up to read a book in a quiet room with low light can help you to get back to sleep.
New research also has suggested that pain may follow a circadian rhythm like the body's internal 24-clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. "This helps explain why some people regularly have higher pain levels at certain times, such as during the night," says Slawsby.
For patients who experience chronic pain, it is not uncommon to experience hypersomnia. This condition means the patient gets too much sleep. Typically, this is caused by certain medications or depression. Depression in pain patients is overwhelmingly common.
If you have chronic pain, then it is possible that you often find problems sleeping. Research details that approximately 50% to 80% of patients with chronic pain experience ongoing sleep difficulties, with most of them exhibiting symptoms of insomnia.
The concept of living well while living with chronic pain can sound impossible, but you can thrive despite chronic pain. Living well with your chronic pain isn't just about managing your pain, but rather about finding ways to live a happy, fulfilled life in spite of your symptoms.
Continually fighting pain exhausts your body because pain makes it hard to rest completely. Pain can usually be a result of inflammation that takes a toll on your body or an untreated health problem.
Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia are well-known culprits, but persistent pain may also be due to such ailments as cancer, multiple sclerosis, stomach ulcers, AIDS, and gallbladder disease.
“Treating chronic pain is challenging because of the complex nature of pain and unique nature of each sufferer. Therefore, a customized approach is required for best results. The first step is to appropriately identify the source of pain.
Avoid caffeine four to six hours before bed, and minimize it daily to allow your body time to become tired. Less caffeine will help with overstimulated nerves that can intensify nightly pain. Turn off electronic devices such as your smartphone and TV an hour or more before bed to help your brain wind down.
Aging has also been linked to an increase in the pain threshold, a decline of painful sensations, and a decrease in pain tolerance. Still, elderly patients with chronic pain show an increased risk for dementia and cognitive impairment.
The most powerful pain relievers are opioids. They are very effective, but they can sometimes have serious side effects. There is also a risk of addiction. Because of the risks, you must use them only under a doctor's supervision.
Chronic pain syndrome can force people to retire early or severely limit their daily activities. In many cases, people have pain that is not curable. The Social Security Administration does not consider chronic pain to be a disability and chronic pain syndrome is not listed as an impairment in the Blue Book.
Being in long term pain literally changes the structure of our brains. Chronic pain reduces the volume of gray matter in our brains. Grey matter is the area of the brain which controls learning, attention, memory, thought processes, motor control and coordination.
Regardless of its source, chronic pain can disrupt nearly all aspects of someone's life – beyond physical pain, it can impede their ability to work and participate in social and other activities like they used to, impact their relationships and cause feelings of isolation, frustration and anxiety.
The person in pain may not even realize the connection between their pain and a traumatic event. Approximately 15% to 35% of patients with chronic pain also have PTSD. Only 2% of people who do not have chronic pain have PTSD. One study found that 51% of patients with chronic low back pain had PTSD symptoms.
People living with chronic pain are at heightened risk for mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Chronic pain can affect sleep, increase stress levels and contribute to depression. An estimated 35% to 45% of people with chronic pain experience depression.
Chronic or persistent pain is pain that carries on for longer than 12 weeks despite medication or treatment.
Chronic pain as a risk factor for early death
Paradoxically, however, in cross-sectional studies chronic pain prevalence is often reported to peak at age 60 and possibly to decrease thereafter30–35.
Physical therapy: Stretching and strengthening muscles with the help of a physical therapist not only relieves pain, but can prevent it from coming back. Physical therapy can also improve overall muscle functioning, which reduces strain and risk of injury in the long run.
Severe Pain.
When it intensifies to level 8, pain makes even holding a conversation extremely difficult and your physical activity is severely impaired. Pain is said to be at level 9 when it is excruciating, prevents you speaking and may even make you moan or cry out. Level 10 pain is unbearable.
Even if you have chronic pain, there is a way to be happy—“not fake happy but truly finding joy,” Wachholtz clarifies. Moderate exercise, even just a ten-minute evening stroll, can diminish the pain experience. Tiffany, of course, would recommend yoga. The secret, however, is in your mindset.