Chronic Pain and Sleep Deprivation

The symptoms of chronic pain may be able to be partially relieved through adequate sleep.  A small new study covered in an article by the Huffington Post spoke about the benefits of sleep aiding many chronic pain conditions.  The study, which used 18 people between 21-35 years of age, tested pain sensitivity after a period of sleep deprivation.  Some subjects then went to bed for a normal amount of time, while others received 10 hours of sleep per night.  All subjects then completed a pain tolerance test which consisted of having subjects leave their finger over a source of heat for as long as possible.  The subjects who stayed in bed longer could keep their fingers over the heat source for 25% longer than those subjects who received less sleep.   Researchers hypothesized that this difference in pain tolerance may have to do with cytokines, which may increase inflammation.  Cytokines are activated when sleep is disrupted or restricted.

People who suffer from chronic pain due to an injury may be able to receive compensation if the injury was due to the fault of another.  Injuries sustained through car crashes, slip and falls, or elder abuse may lead to chronic pain that is long-lasting and detrimental.  If you or a loved one are now dealing with chronic pain due to an accident at the fault of another person, it might be time to consult with an attorney.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  For more information on his law practice, please visit his website athttp://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his law firm at 814-946-4100.

Sleep and Chronic Pain

As discussed time and time again in this blog, chronic pain and lack of sleep often go together.  Pain reduces your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, and the resulting fatigue often leads to more intense and long-lasting pain.  It is a vicious cycle that is difficult to break.


An article on CNN Health also discussed this phenomenon.  According to the article, "Patients with any pain syndrome often come in complaining of fatigue or tiredness. Their bodies have trouble falling and staying asleep. Sleep and pain are both ultimately controlled by the central nervous system. Poor sleep and pain form a vicious cycle - uncontrolled pain makes sleep difficult (if not impossible) and, in turn, the resulting poor sleep makes it more difficult to adequately control the pain."  Additionally, chronic pain sufferers spend more time in the light stages of sleep and therefore do not reach the deeper, more refreshing stages of REM sleep.  They also tend to have abnormal EEGs during sleep, called "alpha intrusion".  Although the cause of this is unknown, it is often linked to disorders that involve sleep and/or chronic pain.  


Chronic pain is a serious and life-altering diagnosis.  If you have been having trouble sleeping and have also had consistent pain lasting over six months, it might be time to consult with a doctor.  If this pain was caused by an accident due to the fault of another, it may also be time to consult with an attorney.   If you would like more information about this page or central Pennsylvania attorney Doug Stoehr's areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm by calling 814-946-4100.

Brain Changes Under Stress of Chronic Pain

As noted in previous blogs, chronic pain not only affects your physical body, it also has other secondary effects.  Most notably, sleep deprivation and psychological disorders (such as depression or anxiety) seem to be the most prevalent and debilitating side effects of chronic pain.  Many researchers have considered these interactions and took their studying a step further to examine how all of these relationships affect the brain.  

Specifically, scientists at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine studied these interactions and found that, in patients with chronic pain, the emotional center of the brain is in constant overdrive.  This, in turn, deactivates other parts of the brain and changes neural connections and wiring.  Constant overfiring of some neurons while little to no activation of other neurons could lead to permanent damage and changes in the brain.  For example, it may be harder for a patient with chronic pain to make rational decisions or make them more likely to suffer from mood disorders.  Implications of this study are to have physicians not only help chronic pain to manage their chronic pain, but also to help identify possible areas of cognitive dysfunction as a result of the pain and treat those areas as well.

 Attorney Doug Stoehr is a lawyer located in Altoona, PA who has successfully negotiated claims for those who have chronic pain as the result of personal injury.  For more information on him and his firm, please click here.

Chronic Pain and Sleep Deprivation

As you can imagine, chronic pain has a hugely negative affect on the amount and quality of sleep.  Many Americans suffer from chronic pain, and a large number of them also report secondary complains of chronic sleep loss and decreased quality of sleep.  For many chronic pain sufferers, it is extremely difficult to find a method of pain relief that will allow a good amount of sleep without waking up several times during the night.

As more and more patients are reporting instances of sleep loss, The National Sleep Foundation compiled data relating to this important issue.  According to their statistics:

-15% of adult Americans report experiencing chronic pain, but 50% of older adults report the same problem
-Among those reported experiencing chronic pain, 2/3 also report trouble sleeping (characterized as poor or unrefreshing sleep)
-The longer a chronic pain patient goes without a good night's sleep, the worse their corresponding pain seems to become
-Some common causes of trouble sleeping include: caffeine and/or alcohol consumption, vigorous exercise in the afternoon or evening, taking prolonged naps (more than 10-20 minutes long)
-Some common treatments include light exercise in the afternoon and relaxation techniques.  Prescription drugs and sleeping pills may also be used under the direction of a trained physician.


Sleep deprivation as it coincides with chronic pain will exacerbate an already debilitating condition. It is very important to monitor your sleeping patterns and consult with a knowledgeable physician if you suspect that you may have a case of  sleep deprivation with chronic pain.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer located in Altoona, PA and serves the central and western Pennsylvania area.  For more information on him and his firm, please click here.