Relationship between sleep and pain part of WSU study

Washington State University will take part in a study on the relationship between sleep and chronic pain, part of a nationwide effort to stem the abuse of opioid pain relievers.

Study lead Marian Wilson of the WSU College of Nursing says doctors are being pressured to stop prescribing so many opioids.

Wilson says the relationship between sleep and pain has not been adequately studied. But there is some thought that suggests bad sleep goes with bad pain.

Wilson has joined with colleagues at WSU Health Sciences Spokane and the University of Washington’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine on the study.

It is funded by a $305,651 grant from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health.