Can Chronic Pain Cause Nightmares?

October 21, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Your chronic pain condition can feel like a real-life nightmare, but could the physical condition actually increase your risk of having bad dreams at night? According to a recent study, there appears to be a strong correlation between chronic pain and bad dreams. So if we want to put an end to these nightmares, we may need to get serious about treating chronic pain.

Chronic Pain And Bad Dreams

As you might imagine, it’s not easy to thoroughly study bad dreams and the processes that go into why a person has a nightmare. With that being said, bad dreams have typically been associated with:

Stress
Anxiety
Depression
Psychiatric and Emotional Disorders

Some of the side effects associated with a chronic pain condition are, as you might have guessed, stress, anxiety, depression and psychiatric and emotional disorders. In other words, the same emotions that you may be feeling because of your chronic pain condition could put you at a heightened risk for bad dreams.

To test that hypothesis, researchers took a look at the frequency of self-reported bad dreams between two patient groups. One group had chronic musculoskeletal pain, while the control group did not. Over the course of one month, 44 percent of the 191 participants in the pain group reported bad dreams compared to 7.3 percent of the 191 participants in the control group.

That’s not to say that you’ll never have a bad dream again if you take care of your chronic pain condition, but for many chronic pain sufferers, their condition is the biggest source of stress and anxiety in their life, and these sensations can manifest in the form of a bad dream. Working to correct the pain condition or simply educate yourself about the best practices for controlling pain can go a long way in reducing these negative emotions that can contribute to bad dreams.

So while bad dreams are probably pretty low on your list of reasons why you want to put an end to your chronic pain condition, the fact of the matter is that nightmares aren’t an enjoyable experience and they can compound already heightened feelings of stress and anxiety. If you work with a pain management specialist to help alleviate or reduce your chronic pain condition, there’s a good chance your bad dreams will also become less frequent. Even if you can’t fully rid yourself of pain, staying educated and working to control the modifiable factors can put you in a better head space and help reduce the affects of your chronic pain condition, including the frequency of bad dreams.

So if you’re constantly worried, anxious or depressed in part because of your chronic pain condition, let Dr. Cohn and his team find a solution for your mental and physical health.

Five Red Flags That You Should See A Neck Pain Specialist

October 13, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Neck pain can be, well, a real pain in the neck! But how do you know if your neck pain is serious or something that will go away on its own with a little rest? In today’s blog, we take a closer look at five red flags that suggest you should see a neck pain specialist for your neck discomfort.

Neck Pain Red Flags

If you’re experiencing any of the following sensations, or any of the following statements are true, it’s time that you connect with a neck pain specialist like Dr. Cohn to get to the bottom of your pain and start a treatment regimen.

1. Severe Pain – The most obvious sign that you need to seek professional help for your neck pain is if it is severe in nature. If movements bring crippling pain, or you’re in constant pain throughout the day because of your neck, don’t delay. Set up an appointment with a pain management specialist right away.

2. Limited Range Of Motion – You may not have severe pain, but if your neck discomfort is limiting your ability to turn your neck in different directions, you’re avoiding certain movements because you know they will hurt, or you’ve lost your normal range of motion because of your pain, it’s a sign that you need medical intervention. Contact a back and neck specialist to help restore this lost flexibility.

3. Inhibited Gait Or Balance – You might be amazed to learn how much your neck affects your ability to walk normally and maintain your balance. If a shifted cervical disc is pinching a spinal nerve, you may find it hard to walk normally or keep your balance. If you’re walking differently because of neck pain, or you’re finding it harder to keep your balance, sync up with a pain management specialist.

4. Extremity Discomfort or Numbness – Your spinal nerves travel down your body and to your arms and legs, so if a nerve is damaged in the neck region, it can lead to symptoms in your arms and legs. If your hands are going numb when you’re seated or there is a shooting pain down your leg when you walk, have a pain specialist find the source of the nerve impingement and work to correct it.

5. Your Quality Of Life/Independence Is Decreasing – Finally, if you find that you’re not doing all the activities that you once loved because of your neck pain, or your discomfort is restricting your independence, it’s a clear sign that you need medical assistance. Don’t let neck pain dictate your life. Treat the problem head on, regain your independence and achieve that higher quality of life that you deserve.

For more information, or for help with your neck pain, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

5 Scary Side Effects Of Chronic Pain That We Don’t Talk About

October 6, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Chronic pain, like Halloween, can be scary, and one driving factor behind our fear of our chronic pain condition is that certain aspects of our care are not easy to talk about. However, we’re here to shine a light on these issues and bring them to the forefront so that they are easier to talk about and less stigmatized. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at five scary side effects of chronic pain that we don’t always talk about.

Scary Side Effects Of Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can be scary for a number of reasons outside of the physical pain. Here’s a look at some of the scary side effects of chronic pain that we don’t always talk about.

1. Isolating – Chronic pain can be extremely isolating. It can make you not want to get out of bed and negatively affect your social life. You may not want to go out with friends or family because you’re scared of a flare up. You may also feel like the only person who knows what you’re going through, and if other people can’t relate to your pain, you can feel all alone. However, you don’t have to feel alone. Really open up with your friends about why your chronic pain is limiting, and strive to reach out on good days. Also, know that there are support groups and pain management specialists who want to help treat your pain any way we can so you have fewer bad days.

2. Self-Defeating – Chronic pain can make it so you don’t want to get out of bed, and this inactivity can worsen a chronic pain condition. A chronic pain condition can be self-defeating, but only if you allow it to be. It won’t always be easy, but fight through your discomfort and find ways to win some small battles on even the worst of days. Get up, get moving and do your therapy exercises. It will make it easier to get out of bed the next day.

3. Pain Is So Individualized – Pain is so unique to the individual, and so it can be tough to really find someone who knows exactly what you’re going through. That’s why it can be so difficult to find relief through online forums and your inner circle. Nobody can really relate to your specific pain. That said, a pain management specialist has likely seen very similar cases and has experience helping those patients overcome their pain. Pain is very individualized, but a professional can help find individualized solutions to your pain.

4. It Will Never Go Away – Many patients feel like their chronic pain condition will never go away, but the good news is that’s not typically true. While we may not be able to fully resolve your pain, the vast majority of patients can see a significant reduction in symptoms by working with a specialist and really committing to an active treatment plan. Pain is only defeating if you allow it to be, so focus on your progress and know that it’s possible to feel better in the near future.

5. The Psychological Effects – Finally, chronic pain can have a significant effect on a person’s mental health. A restricting condition can leave a person feeling as if they are less of a parent or a spouse because of the way their condition affects them. This is entirely untrue, but that doesn’t mean that it always feels untrue. It’s imperative to treat the physical and the psychological effects of chronic pain, because physical pain can take a huge toll on our mental well-being.

To talk with someone about any of these five aspects, or to get in contact with a specialist who will put your health first, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

Targeting The Brain With Therapy, Not Pills, Could Help Eliminate Chronic Pain

September 30, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Chronic pain conditions tend to be extremely complex, which is why successful treatments are often so difficult to find. Some providers know that certain medications can help to drown out some symptoms, but opioids don’t really treat the underlying issue. According to new research out of Colorado, targeting the brain with psychological therapy could be much more successful at treating the root cause of a number of chronic pain conditions.

The Psychological Side Of Pain

Chronic pain is typically caused by how the brain interprets neurons and other signals from the body, so it stands to reason that our focus should be on working to change how our brain understands the signals it’s being sent. That’s obviously easier said than done, but according to researchers at the Intermountain Neuroimaging Consortium on the CU Bolder campus, it can be done.

For the study, lead author Yoni Ashar, who conducted the study while earning his PhD in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at CU Boulder, and team recruited 151 men and women who had back pain for at least six months at an intensity level of at least four on a scale of zero to 10. Participants were divided into three groups, with the treatment group receiving eight one-hour sessions of Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a technique developed by Los Angeles-based pain psychologist Alan Gordon.

The goal of PRT is to educate the patient about the role their brain has in generating chronic pain, to help them reappraise their pain as they engage in movements that they’ve been afraid to perform, and to help address emotions that can exacerbate their pain. For example, if a person always has pain when they sit down, they’ll be asked to perform the action slowly, pay attention to how it really feels and to acknowledge the action of sitting as being a safe on. They are also asked to pay attention to when pain develops in other parts of their day, because it could be stress or activity induced.

Finding A Solution To Pain

Study senior author Tor Wager said that while pain may be caused by your brain, it doesn’t mean that it’s something the brain is making up.

“This isn’t suggesting that your pain is not real or that it’s ‘all in your head’,” stressed Wager, a former professor in CU Boulder’s Institute of Cognitive Science, now at Dartmouth College. “What it means is that if the causes are in the brain, the solutions may be there, too.”

According to researchers, 66 percent of patients in the treatment group were pain-free or nearly pain free at the end of treatment, compared to 20 percent of the treatment group and 10 percent of the no-treatment group. However, they also noted that this type of treatment should only be considered for pain that’s being caused by a brain misinterpretation, not pain that is rooted in an acute injury or disease with a clear pain pathway.

We’ll keep tabs on this technique, but the idea is there. If the cause is in the brain, a solution can be found there too. If you need help overcoming your chronic pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.

Tips For Treating Post-Traumatic Pain

September 23, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Post-traumatic pain is any type of pain that persists longer than it should or pain that is greater than expected given the nature of the injury. For example, if you sprain your ankle and you’re still dealing with pain and discomfort weeks later, you may be dealing with post-traumatic pain. Similarly, if you’ve gone through 2-3 months of rehabilitation after spine surgery and you’re still battling lingering pain, it could be a case of post-traumatic pain. Below, we explain why post-traumatic pain exists and how a pain management specialist can help you treat it.

Why Does Post-Traumatic Pain Develop?

Post-traumatic pain can develop for a few different reasons. Obviously there will be pain associated with your original injury, but if it persists after your body has returned to normal function, there could be more going on behind the scenes. Oftentimes post-traumatic pain is caused by damaged or misfiring sensory nerves or a disproportionate inflammatory reaction by the body’s immune system.

Nerve damage or a disproportionate inflammatory response can occur after any type of traumatic experience, but they tend to be most common after trauma associated with:

Car accidents
Athletic injuries
Falls from a height

Pain tends to develop in and around the area of the initial injury, but it doesn’t always follow this pattern. Depending on which nerve is damaged, pain sensations could be expressed in other areas of you body, like your arms or legs. As you might imagine, this can make it difficult to pinpoint the cause of the problem, much less treat it.

Treating Post-Traumatic Pain

Because pain is so unique to the individual, there is no one-size-fits-all plan for successfully treating post-traumatic pain. With that in mind, there are some steps that you can take that can help reduce your likelihood of developing post-traumatic pain or eliminating it once it sets in. Those steps include:

Do Some Active Conservative Treatments On The Initial Injury – Don’t just let time run its course and hope that your initial injury will heal. Participate in physical therapy, do some gentle exercises and regularly stretch the area to retain flexibility and function in the area. This will help your body recover from the initial injury and strengthen structures that support and stabilize the area.

Pair Active Options With Rest And Anti-Inflammatory Medications – Rest and anti-inflammatory medications can help to calm inflammation that could be contributing to post-traumatic pain, but these passive options should not be your only form of treatment. You need to pair them with the active treatments above to preserve healthy tissue and joint function, which can help stave off post-op pain.

Connect With A Pain Management Specialist – Finally, sync up with a pain management specialist in your area like Dr. Cohn. He’ll be able to look at your initial injury and any lingering effects and determine exactly what’s going on in your body. From there, he’ll be able to develop a treatment plan that targets the specific nerve or regions that are contributing to your post-traumatic pain. Let a professional assist you on your pain recovery process if you’re finding it difficult to overcome discomfort.

If you need help managing or treating your post-traumatic pain, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office for assistance. Give his team at call today at (952) 738-4580.