The pain of poor sleep: a clinician’s guide to assessing and addressing sleep dysfunction in people with musculoskeletal pain conditions

Key Points

1. Clinicians should screen patients presenting with musculoskeletal pain for sleep disturbance.

All key points available for members only

Start free trial

Or log in here

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Sleep, or lack thereof, has been associated with a myriad of health issues, such as metabolic syndromes, mental health issues, and cardiovascular disease (1).

Musculoskeletal pain is very common, and the relationship between sleep and pain has progressed enormously over the past two decades. While clinicians may acknowledge a relationship between pain and sleep, knowing what to do when someone reports poor sleep may be beyond the knowledge or comfort level of many clinicians who do not specialize in sleep.

The objective of this study was to ascertain how physical therapists can integrate the assessment of sleep and/or behaviour into their assessment and management of musculoskeletal pain conditions.

Sleep, or lack thereof, has been associated with a myriad of health issues, such as metabolic syndromes, mental health issues, and cardiovascular disease.

Restorative sleep has a positive impact on multiple aspects of health, including these modifiable risk factors for increased healthcare utilization for musculoskeletal pain.

METHODS

This was not a study but rather a clinical commentary that provided clinicians with a framework for screening for and addressing sleep dysfunction. The commentary reviews the relationship between pain and sleep, discusses the lack of training in addressing sleep

Start free trial

to unlock full access to this review and 1241 more

Or log in here