Sleep disturbance and chronic widespread pain
John McBeth1, Ross Wilkie, John Bedson
1Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK, j.mcbeth@keele.ac.uk.
Current Rheumatology Reports
|January 22, 2015
Summary
Chronic widespread pain (CWP) and insomnia often coexist. Evidence suggests a bi-directional relationship, where pain and poor sleep influence each other, impacting management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pain Medicine
- Sleep Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Musculoskeletal pain is prevalent, frequently affecting multiple body sites.
- Chronic widespread pain (CWP) is commonly associated with sleep disturbances.
- The causal link between sleep disturbance and CWP has been historically unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between insomnia and chronic widespread pain (CWP).
- To review epidemiological data for both insomnia and CWP.
- To examine evidence supporting a bi-directional relationship between insomnia and CWP.
Main Methods:
- Review of descriptive epidemiological data for insomnia and CWP.
- Synthesis of existing research evidence on the insomnia-CWP connection.
- Discussion of clinical management strategies in primary care settings.
Main Results:
- Epidemiological data on insomnia and CWP are presented.
- Evidence supports a bi-directional relationship between insomnia and CWP.
- The interaction between pain and sleep appears to be cyclical.
Conclusions:
- The relationship between chronic widespread pain and insomnia is likely bi-directional.
- Effective management in primary care requires addressing both CWP and insomnia.
- Further research may elucidate specific mechanisms underlying this bi-directional link.
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