The Effect of Stress on Pain
Pain is the most common symptom that brings patients to physical therapy. It is one word that can describe a multitude of sensations, which are different for each patient that enters the clinic. The truth is pain is subjective. Pain is an output from our brain rather than a specific sensation coming from body tissues. The purpose of pain, physiologically speaking, is to warn our body of tissue damage or impending tissue damage. Initially, this is great. Your body is doing its job to warn you of danger and promote survival. When pain persists, this is no longer adaptive.
Many things in our life affect the pain we feel – the situation around us, our emotional state, our feelings, our preconceived notions, and of course, stress. Being in a state of stress causes a release of hormones in your body that put you into that fight-or-flight response. Have you ever felt “on the edge” from being so stressed? This is not in your head. This is a physiologic response of your body because our body needs this in survival situations. In modern-day life, we are rarely in survival situations when we feel stressed. So what can we do with absolutely no direct treatment to improve our pain and function? Relieve stress!
There are many forms of stress relief and each individual is different in what their body and mind responds to best. My recommendations are to focus on two forms of stress relief – one involving movement and one involving rest.
Exercise is a great form of stress relief. Regardless of if its walking, yoga, running, lifting, or aerobics, we should all try to get 30-60 minutes of movement in a day. Exercise gets your body moving and provides a constructive outlet for all that pent-up energy and adrenaline. Rhythmic movement is very calming to the body and can help to promote relaxation in the muscles that tend to hold tension and prepare your body for rest. While exercising try to focus on your breath. Inhale deep and when you exhale, think about letting go of all your tension. Focusing on your breath will keep your mind distracted from stressors, and breathing consciously will help in relaxing your muscles and decreasing your stress-hormone production.
The more challenging of the recommendations is rest. Good quality sleep is crucial for reducing stress and pain hypersensitivity. Have you ever had a night of really bad sleep (or a string of them if you’re a new mom like me)? Do you remember feeling anxious, annoyed, hypersensitive the next day? For people with pain, especially chronic pain, this can critically effect your perception of pain by lowering your pain threshold and making your pain feel more intense. For many with chronic stress, nighttime can be the most difficult time to turn off our minds and forget about our stressors. The solution – relax. Just like you would for your child, find a bedtime routine that allows you to wind your body and mind down and prepare for rest. This may include a warm bath or shower, a gentle yoga or meditation routine, reading a book, watching a TV show, but it must be something that will allow you to clear your mind and let go of all the tension you have been storing in your body.
If you feel like life’s many stressors are contributing to your pain, please contact Life Changes Physical Therapy. I would love to help you identify and address physical and mental points of stress and tension to help you feel better and be more functional in your daily life!
