About half of older men suffer from sleep problems, back pain or both, according to Soomi lee, Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State. Lee recently led a study to investigate whether one precedes the other and found that back problems can predict sleep problems years later in men over 65 years old.

In the study, published in Innovation and Aging, the researchers analyzed data from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study, a study of 1,055 older men who completed two clinical sleep visits six or more years apart and answered questionnaire by mail about back pain — measured by severity and frequency — every four months between the two sleep study visits. Sleep problems were defined by irregular sleep, limited amounts of sleep and self-reports of daytime sleepiness and sleep satisfaction.

For each participant, the researchers compiled back pain reports over the course of one year and used these reports to create back pain frequency and severity scores. They then compared each participant’s sleep problem score from the first sleep-study visit to their back pain score six years later. They also reversed the approach — comparing participants’ back pain scores from early in the study to their sleep problems score at their second visit six years later — to assess if back pain could predict sleep issues.

Back pain predicted a 12% to 25% increase in an individual’s sleep problems six years later, the researchers said, but sleep problems did not predict future back pain.

Chiropractic care is a recommended, proven, hands-on, opioid free, care pathway for chronic back pain.

Presented as a service to the community by: Union County Chiropractic Clinic, 110 Skyline Drive, Maynardville, TN (865) 992-7000 www.unioncountychiropractic.com