Behavioral Therapy Improves Sleep / Pain | Arthritis Information

 

Behavioral Therapy Improves Sleep And Lives Of Patients With Pain

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia significantly improved sleep for patients with chronic neck or back pain and also reduced the extent to which pain interfered with their daily functioning, according to a study by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers.

The study, published online by the journal Sleep Medicine, demonstrates that a behavioral intervention can help patients who already are taking medications for pain and might be reluctant or unable to take additional drugs to treat sleep disturbance.

"This therapy made a major difference to these patients," said Carla R. Jungquist, F.N.P., Ph.D., of the Medical Center's Sleep and Neurophysiology Research Laboratory, who is the lead author of the Sleep Medicine article. "We saw very good treatment effects."

For the study, a nurse therapist delivered the eight weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy, which included sleep restriction, stimulus control, sleep hygiene, and one session devoted to discussion of catastrophic thoughts about the consequences of insomnia.

"This study really shows that this therapy can be delivered successfully and very effectively by advance practice nurses," Jungquist said. "Training nurses in the delivery of this type of therapy will result in better access for patients. Currently, access to this therapy is limited as there are few trained therapists and most are psychologists."

Patients with chronic pain often use sleep as an escape. They seek sleep when not sleepy, sleep in places other than the bedroom, and engage in non-sleep behaviors, such as watching television and resting a painful back, in the bedroom, the researchers report.

 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/179040.phpHope the USG didn't fund this one since it's a real no-brainer. Seriously, how many ways to Sunday are there that always point to the fact that if you resolve your emotional issues, sleep improves.[QUOTE=Sam1234]Hope the USG didn't fund this one since it's a real no-brainer. Seriously, how many ways to Sunday are there that always point to the fact that if you resolve your emotional issues, sleep improves.[/QUOTE] That is not always the case.  I have no "emotional issues" and I have had chronic insomnia since I was in my early 20's. Did I read this wrong?  I didn't get sleep issues were necessarily tied to emotional issues, though I can see where if one had emotional issues, good sleep could be a problem.  So many other things can effect sleep.  I am currently having a tough time getting to sleep and the first thing my PCP suggested was a review of medications.

I agree with you, Lynn, and thanks for the great articlel

"Patients with chronic pain often use sleep as an escape. They seek sleep when not sleepy, sleep in places other than the bedroom, and engage in non-sleep behaviors, such as watching television and resting a painful back, in the bedroom, the researchers report."

I've definitely been guilty of that.  It can quickly become a vicious cycle.
[QUOTE=Lynn49][QUOTE=Sam1234]Hope the USG didn't fund this one since it's a real no-brainer. Seriously, how many ways to Sunday are there that always point to the fact that if you resolve your emotional issues, sleep improves.[/QUOTE] That is not always the case.  I have no "emotional issues" and I have had chronic insomnia since I was in my early 20's. [/QUOTE] I take issue with the cognitive behavior therapy being issued by a nurse. This is way out of their ballpark. Nurses don't have the training, nor would they know how to handle ancillary psychological problems should they arise. Sam12342010-02-16 19:07:35Then don't go to a nurse for your CBT.
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