Pain and stress can form a vicious cycle. Being stressed can lead to aches and can often exacerbate existing pain. Being in pain can meanwhile cause more stress hormones to be produced. This post further delves into the link between pain and stress – and how to break the vicious cycle.
How does stress cause pain?
Stress isn’t just a mental state, but a physical response. Stress hormones (known as cortisol) travel around the body. These hormones prepare the body for fight or flight – our muscles get tense, our mind becomes more alert, and our inflammation response kicks in to ward off toxins and viruses.
Unfortunately, when stress isn’t released and it is left to build up, it can become a hindrance instead of a help. Chronic stress can often tire us out and lead to pain. This includes:
- Achy muscles
- Headaches
- Increased inflammation
Any pain from previous injuries or conditions is likely to be made worse by stress because of the increased inflammation and muscle tension.
How does pain lead to extra stress?
Studies have found that those suffering from chronic pain often have increased cortisol levels in their blood. This is because pain triggers the production of cortisol – pain after all can be a sign that the body is under attack.
This leads to a vicious cycle of constant pain and chronic stress. Fortunately, there are ways of breaking the cycle.
Finding ways to relieve pain
One way to break the cycle is to explore different forms of pain relief. By treating the pain, you can reduce the production of further cortisol.
Over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin and prescription painkillers such as tramadol and morphine can help to interfere with pain signals. You can also explore herbal pain relief such as turmeric and hemp.
On top of this, it can be worth looking into treatment procedures. A doctor may be able to recommend treatments such as injections or surgery to help with certain injuries or conditions. You can also try alternative treatments such as seeing a chiropractor for back pain or getting a sports massage for a sports injury.
Finding ways to relieve stress
Another way to break the cycle is to find ways of relieving stress. By reducing stress, you can prevent this stress from leading to extra pain.
Because stress is a way of preparing your body for fight or flight, it makes sense to release this stress through a physical activity where possible. Doing some boxing on a punchbag or going on a run could be the perfect way to release your stress.
You can also relieve stress by engaging in other activities that cause a release of endorphins (feel-good hormones). Endorphins can help to flush away cortisol. Exercise is one activity that releases endorphins, however, there are other activities such as laughing and listening to music that can also release these feel-good hormones.
Meditation could be another way to relieve stress. This is a way of clearing the mind of negative thoughts that may be unnecessarily triggering your body’s stress response. Often by taking time out from the situation, you can then assess the bigger picture – unless you are facing imminent physical danger, there is often no positive reason to get stressed.
