1337 - Rethinking the Rx: How a Simple Sleep Regimen Outperformed Standard Care for Neck Pain in Bakers

This case describes the successful treatment of chronic cervical pain in three master bakers using an improved sleep hygiene intervention.

Case Description:

Three master bakers (combined 65 years of experience) presented to a PM&R clinic with chronic neck pain. Contributing factors were early-morning start times (3:00 am), prolonged stooped postures, and repetitive manual tasks. They identified high stress as the primary aggravator. Each described sleeping under 6 hours per night and had little insight into the long-term detrimental effects of chronic sleep deprivation. Physical exams showed reduced cervical range of motion and muscle spasms. Conservative care had failed.

Treatment focused on sleep initiation 1 hour earlier than usual and patient insight. Average nightly sleep increased by 45 to 60 minutes. In 3 weeks, they reported improved sleep quality and reduced neck and daytime fatigue.

Discussions:

No studies specifically evaluate sleep hygiene as a treatment for neck pain in bakers. This case series illustrates the significance of a lack of insight into the role of sleep in pain management among this population. While current literature shows a strong association between sleep disturbance and neck pain in physically demanding occupations, bakers specifically face significant sleep debt and insomnia, which likely contributes to their persistent pain.

Conclusions:

In the absence of any published studies on this topic, this case series demonstrates that a simple, patient-led sleep intervention can effectively reduce chronic neck pain in master bakers. It also highlights a critical lack of insight into the importance of sleep as a component of pain management. This finding stimulates the question: “What if we could get all bakers to go to bed one hour earlier?” and calls for further research into improved sleep hygiene as a potential standard of care in this population.