Sleep Deprivation Can Cause Chronic Pain

Do you keep experiencing recurrent low back pain?  Or perhaps your neck and shoulder pain keeps acting up?  Do you have fibromyalgia?  Trips to the chiropractor, physiotherapist, acupuncturist, or massage therapist provide temporary relief but the pain keeps coming back.  Frustrated, tired, moody, and pain are taking their toll on you.  Could sleep deprivation be one of the causes of your chronic pain?

The percent of people in Canada that suffer with chronic pain is high.  One in five people in Canada have chronic pain and that number increases with age.  (1)  65 to 80 percent of the elderly suffer with chronic pain. (2, 3)

Although there are many causes of chronic pain, sleep deprivation can be a major factor.  In fact, one-third to two-thirds of adults in developed nations don’t get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night during the week. (4, 5, 6) 

Sleep deprivation increases pain perception in your brain and spinal cord

When you don’t get good quality sleeps on a regular basis, changes in your nerves that are involved with pain become more sensitive.  (7, 8, 9)  This increases your chances of experiencing pain more regularly.   This could mean you get recurrent low back pain, migraines, or chronic pain like fibromyalgia. (10, 11, 12)

Sleep deprivation suppresses your immune system and increases inflammation (swelling) in your body

Your immune system needs to be functioning at peak level for you to heal and repair properly.  Sleep deprivation can cause chronic pain because it suppresses your immune system. (13, 14, 15, 16)  You can’t heal well and your body can’t repair injured tissue well when you aren’t getting good sleep.

Furthermore, sleep deprivation increases inflammation in your body. (17, 16)  Inflammation irritates the nerves in your joints and muscles causing painful joint and muscle pain.

Summary 

If you suffer from recurrent migraines, low back pain, neck and shoulder pain or any type of chronic pain, ask yourself if you’re getting good quality sleeps.  If you’re not, make sleep a priority.  

Here is an article I wrote awhile back with some Sleep Tips that may help you.