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Sleep for multimodal lifestyle intervention for chronic pain

Find out more our thinking on the importance of sleep, in shifting the chronic pain treatment paradigm from tissue- and disease-based approach to multimodal lifestyle interventions. See our Editorial appearing in the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, led by Prof Dr Jo Nijs at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.

 

Wed 06 Mar 2024, 15:41 | Tags: paper, chronic pain, sleep

Current sleep interventions for shift workers

A mini review led by Dr. Amber Tout is now published in Frontiers in Sleep. We reviewed a variety of strategies that have been employed to help manage the impacts of shift work on sleep, including: CBT-i, adjusting shift schedules, controlled light exposure, sleep hygiene education, planned napping, caffeine consumption, and mind-body interventions (e.g., yogic relaxation).

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsle.2024.1343393/full

Wed 06 Mar 2024, 15:30 | Tags: paper, sleep

New paper alert - mental health & university study completion

Our lab's PhD student, Laura Chandler, has just published a paper in Education Sciences about mental health symptoms during the pandemic and university study completion. It's Open Access - do take a look!

Do Mental Health Symptoms during the Pandemic Predict University Non-Completion in a Sample of UK Students? A Prospective StudyLink opens in a new window

Tue 12 Dec 2023, 10:34 | Tags: PhD, paper, student, mental health

Dr Bilterys' new chapter

Dr. Thomas Bilterys, who started his Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – COFUND EUTOPIA Science and Innovation Fellowship with us in October, has just published a chapter in Advances in the Psychobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms, edited by Melinda Jackson and Sean Drummond. Do check it out: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003296966 Link opens in a new window

 

More about the chapter:

Chronic pain is one of the most common yet debilitating conditions. One of the most reported complaints by people with chronic pain is sleep problems. While sleep disturbances were initially seen as a consequence of pain, recent research advances have made it clear that sleep plays a significant role in the onset and persistence of pain. Despite the high prevalence and the close link between pain and sleep problems, there is currently no established treatment approach, nor a consensus to treat sleep problems in chronic pain as a priority. Greater understanding of the sleep-pain relationship and its underlying mechanisms is fundamental to the development, adaptation and optimisation of chronic pain and insomnia management strategies. In this chapter, the intricate bidirectional relationship between sleep and pain will be described. Moreover, an overview of the most researched potential mechanisms explaining the sleep-pain relationship will be presented. Lastly, current treatment approaches and directions for future research avenues will be discussed.

More about Thomas:

Thomas completed his PhD in health science from Ghent University and Rehabilitation Sciences from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2022. After his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Pain in Motion Research Group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Henry Ford Health. His research mainly aims to increase insight into the interaction between sleep and pain and to improve the treatment of insomnia and chronic pain. His current research focuses on insomnia in people with chronic pain and possible treatment adaptations which consider the sleep-pain relationship to further enhance  treatment.


Thu 07 Dec 2023, 23:31 | Tags: paper, chronic pain, sleep, people

New JCM paper on Pain Management

The Management of Chronic Pain: Re-Centring Person-Centred Care

J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(22), 6957; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12226957

The drive for a more person-centred approach in the broader field of clinical medicine is also gaining traction in chronic pain treatment. Despite current advances, a further departure from ‘business as usual’ is required to ensure that the care offered or received is not only effective but also considers personal values, goals, abilities, and day-to-day realities. Existing work typically focuses on explaining pain symptoms and the development of standardised interventions, at the risk of overlooking the broader consequences of pain in individuals’ lives and individual differences in pain responses. This review underscores the importance of considering additional factors, such as the influence of chronic pain on an individual’s sense of self. It explores innovative approaches to chronic pain management that have the potential to optimise effectiveness and offer person-centred care. Furthermore, it delves into research applying hybrid and individual formulations, along with self-monitoring technologies, to enhance pain assessment and the tailoring of management strategies. In conclusion, this review advocates for chronic pain management approaches that align with an individual’s priorities and realities while fostering their active involvement in self-monitoring and self-management.

Tue 07 Nov 2023, 15:11 | Tags: paper, chronic pain, WITHIN

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