Pain Management Information

Pain is a complex topic that can have many causes and symptoms. Hip and lower back pain may be caused by sacroiliac joint pain that can be caused by an injury or a twisting motion. Morning muscle stiffness commonly afflicts those with arthritis or fibromyalgia. Muscle stiffness in knees may be due to tendinitis, a sprain, or conditions such as arthritis. In each of these cases, quality sleep can be a key element in pain management and pain relief.

Lifestyle changes are an important part of treatment for chronic pain. Getting regular sleep at night and not taking daytime naps often help. The American Chronic Pain Association, for example, notes that for people with Fibromyalgia, getting a good night’s sleep is one of the best things you can do to help control pain. In an interview with Bernd Kundermann, Ph.D., of Germany in the Fibromyalgia Network quarterly publication Journal, said that "The pain-relieving action of the body's natural opioid system relies upon undisturbed sleep (e.g., sleep continuity) ... this points to a detrimental effect of sleep disruption on the ability of the opioid system to provide pain relief."

In the same publication, a report on work done by S. Hakki Onen, M.D., Ph.D., using Martha Lentz, Ph.D., R.N., of Seattle, WA Lentz’s technique to prevent healthy subjects from entering SWS (slow wave sleep), showed that when he allowed his subjects to sleep through the night undisturbed (the recovery night), SWS was substantially increased on the recovery night, along with the subject’s pressure pain thresholds. In fact, the increase in SWS produced greater pain relief than one would receive from a large dose of ibuprofen!

This link between proper sleep and improved pain management was also described in a paper that was a joint effort of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health and the American Pain Society Task Force on Pain in Infants, Children, and Adolescents - "The Assessment and Management of Acute Pain in Infants, Children, and Adolescents" noted "Attention should be paid to optimizing sleep-wake cycles, because sufficient sleep will enable the child to cope better (with prolonged pain) when awake."

A study published in the April 2007 issue of Sleep (Smith MT, Edwards RR, McCann UD, Haythornthwaite JA. The effects of sleep deprivation on pain inhibition and spontaneous pain in women. Sleep 2007;30:494-505 ) sought to fill the gap in the literature linking sleep deprivation and hyperalgesia by determining whether sleep loss and disruptions in sleep continuity impair endogenous pain inhibition. The study, conducted by Michael T. Smith, PhD, and colleagues at John's Hopkins University, focused on 32 healthy females.

On the first two nights, the subjects slept undisturbed for eight hours. Then, the women were assigned to one of three groups: "Control", "Forced Awakening" (FA) and "Restricted Sleep Opportunity" (RSO). From nights three-to-five, the "Control" group continued to sleep undisturbed, while the "Forced Awakening" group underwent eight forced awakenings, one per hour, and the "Restricted Sleep Opportunity" group received partial sleep deprivation by delayed bedtime. On night six, both the FA and RSO groups underwent 36 hours of total sleep deprivation, followed by 11-hour recovery sleep. The research demonstrated that disrupted sleep, marked by multiple prolonged awakenings, impairs natural pain control mechanisms that are thought to play a key role in the development, maintenance, and exacerbation of chronic pain.

In an article for Spine-Health, Richard A. Staehler, MD notes that "In general, elevating the knees slightly by placing a pillow under them while lying on the back can help many general forms of low back pain. Many patients also find that this is the most comfortable way to sleep after spine surgery." He further suggests that using a quality pillow can provide support, and further suggests a high quality mattress that provides support.

Many Cuddle Ewe™ Underquilt owners tell us that what they appreciate most is the stress and pain relieving effect it has on them -- especially those convalescing with broken bones, or suffering with back problems or other ailments such as fibromyalgia or arthritis. The issue here is often the aggravated pain of body pressure points with sitting or lying surfaces that makes undisturbed rest and sleep difficult. If you are dealing with such problems, easing yourself into the deep supple cushioning of a Cuddle Ewe™ Underquilt can be a real blessing. While our Underquilt is not a cure for any physical impairment, our customers report that it certainly alleviates their symptoms. Click on any of these links to learn more:

• Wool-Filled Mattress Toppers
• Flannelettes
• Personal Wool Comforters
• Luxury Comforters
• Natural Wool Pillows