What is stress?
Mental Health’s website explains stress and its contributing factors as “the body’s response to pressures from a situation or life event. What contributes to stress can vary hugely from person to person and differs according to our social and economic circumstances, the environment we live in and our genetic makeup.
Some common features of things that can make us feel stress include experiencing something new or unexpected, something that threatens your feeling of self, or feeling you have little control over a situation.”
Stress and chronic pain are no strangers to one another! They go hand in hand, and if you cannot address one without the other. It’s a nasty cycle, however, you can begin decreasing your stress and pain levels by first understanding how stress relates to your pain perception.
If you’re experiencing chronic pain as a result of stressful situations in life, a therapist at Partners in Physical Therapy may be able to help you. Call our clinic today to learn more about stress management techniques and how your stress levels may be related to your pain problem.
Signs of stress
There are a variety of ways stress reveals itself in our behavior.
Emotional stress can have harmful effects on a person’s mental state. For instance, it can cause us to become fearful, anxious, frustrated, angry, or sad. Some people’s stress even contributes to feelings of depression.
Stress can also cause a person to behave in ways they normally would not, especially if they feel under pressure. Stressed out individuals may become withdrawn from others, inflexible, indecisive, irritable, or even find themselves crying when faced with decisions. Even more, stress can cause a person to lean on unhealthy habits for relief such as smoking, doing drugs, or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
Lastly, stress can reveal itself in the way our bodies function as well. Some people might get tension headaches when they’re stressed out. Some may become nauseous or have indigestion or digestion issues. They may suffer from panic attacks and random aches and pains.
Sometimes we don’t realize how stressed out we are until our bodies start to actually hurt.
How are stress and pain related?
Maryland Pain and Wellness Center’s site explains how stress and pain are related.
“Stress influences pain perception in two primary ways. Stress-induced analgesia is influenced by gender, age, and encounters with pain, stress, or provocations that activate the descending pain modulatory system that suppresses pain.
Stress-induced hyperalgesia, when stress, anxiety, and fear are extant, exacerbates pain and influences its intensity, duration, and cause.”
If you suffer from random aches and pains, have tension headaches often, find yourself feeling tense or tight after work, chances are your stress is contributing to your discomfort.
“While the body has a natural response system, a person will benefit from stress and pain management care while in the alarm or resistance stages as it will prevent long-term impairment.” A licensed specialist at Partners in Physical Therapy can help you with decreasing stress levels and managing pain that may be a factor in your situation.
Call Partners in Physical Therapy for chronic pain management
If you’re experiencing chronic pain, it’s a good idea to see a physical therapist at Partners in Physical Therapy in Lake Charles, LA for treatment.Your therapist will be able to determine if stress is a leading factor in your pain problem, and they will also examine your body to figure out what part you’re carrying your stress in.
For example, patients carrying their stress in their head and shoulder may be experiencing daily headaches. Therapy can help to reduce the number of headaches they experience as well as help pinpoint stress triggers causing the headaches.
It’s important to regularly review your lifestyle for things that cause you stress, as well as keep up with a healthy exercise routine and eating habits to reduce pain and inflammation. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Let a Partners in Physical Therapy therapist in Lake Charles, LA take a closer look and help you on your way to managing chronic pain and leading a less stressful life.
