For chronic pain sufferers, it may be smart to let sleeping dogs lie, a new University of Alberta study suggests.

Contrary to blanket medical advice, shooing Fido out of the bedroom may not help people with long-term pain get a better night’s sleep, said researcher Cary Brown of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.

“Typically, people who have pain also have a lot of sleep problems, so usually if they ask their health-care provider about a pet, they’re told to get the pet out of the bedroom. But that standard advice can actually be damaging.”

A small study published earlier this year of people who suffered long-term chronic pain revealed that hitting the hay with their pooches was “overwhelmingly positive” for them, Brown said.

 

Continue reading at University of Alberta.

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