Many older men deal with either sleep problems, back pain, or both. Now, a new study led by Soomi Lee at Penn State shows that back pain may lead to sleep problems years later.
This finding could help older adults and their caregivers better understand how to protect health and well-being over time.
The study looked at data from more than 1,000 men over the age of 65. All participants were part of the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study.
These men took part in two sleep-related clinic visits that were at least six years apart.
During the years between those visits, they completed regular surveys about their back pain. These surveys were done every four months and asked about how often they had back pain and how severe it was.
The researchers defined sleep problems in several ways: people who went to sleep too early or too late, those who slept too little, and those who reported feeling sleepy during the day or were unhappy with their sleep.
To better understand the relationship between pain and sleep, the research team did two comparisons. First, they checked if earlier sleep problems could predict later back pain. Then, they reversed the process to see if earlier back pain could predict sleep problems later.
The results were clear. Back pain predicted worse sleep years later, but sleep problems did not predict future back pain. Specifically, back pain was linked to a 12% to 25% increase in sleep problems six years down the road. Men who had back pain were more likely to fall asleep at unusual times and feel unhappy with their sleep quality.
This study, published in the journal Innovation in Aging, is important because both poor sleep and chronic pain are common problems among older adults.
They can also lead to more serious issues, including depression, memory loss, anxiety, and falling. The findings show that if someone is dealing with back pain now, it could be a sign that they are at risk for sleep troubles in the future.
Lead author Soomi Lee said that it is important for older adults to recognize their back pain and talk with doctors about how to manage it. Treatment might include physical therapy, gentle exercise, or other pain-relief strategies. Addressing back pain early could help protect sleep quality and prevent other health problems later on.
The study only included men, and most of them were white, so future research will need to include women and people from more diverse backgrounds to see if the same pattern applies to everyone. Still, the message is useful for anyone who wants to age well: take back pain seriously, not just for today, but to protect your sleep and overall health in the future.
If you care about pain, please read studies about vitamin K deficiency linked to hip fractures in old people, and these vitamins could help reduce bone fracture risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that Krill oil could improve muscle health in older people, and eating yogurt linked to lower frailty in older people.
The study is published in Innovation in Aging.
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