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Stress cause neck pain: 7 Ways to Alleviate Neck Pain from Stress

7 Ways to Alleviate Neck Pain from Stress

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7 Ways to Alleviate Tense Neck Muscles from Stress

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When we are affected by neck pain from stress, most of us realize that stress can manifest itself in our bodies. And can appear in many ways, including headaches or tight muscles. When we experience anxiety, we’re putting our bodies through extensive, long-term stress. Our bodies are in fight or flight mode and then release hormones. Therefore, tensing neck muscles from stress and even contribute to further anxiety.

Neck Pain & Stress

Neck pain is a common symptom caused by persistent stress, and many people have experienced neck pain as a result. The pain can center in our necks as stress and worries build. The most common cause of neck pain is muscle tension. Tense Neck Muscles from Stress can occur. In fact, the more stressed we are, the more we may have pain and discomfort.

By treating both our mind and our body, we can help lessen the stress and the resulting pain. Here are some steps that can help us manage our neck pain from stress:

  1. Massage therapy is one of the best ways to reduce pain in the neck. It can help push out some of the tension in our bodies and release some of the stress that causes this type of neck pain.
  2. A hot bath or shower can be soothing for tense neck muscles from stress. Heat makes it harder for our muscles to hold in tension.
  3. Gentle neck stretches can loosen muscle tightness and assist the range of motion for our necks.
  4. Exercise can help. When we use energy in our muscles, it becomes harder for them to tense up during stressful times. It releases endorphins, a hormone that generates feelings of happiness and well-being.
  5. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has proven beneficial for developing healthy thought patterns. In fact, support from friends or family members is often more favorable.
  6. Yoga or meditation can be a great way to calm our thoughts and anxieties.
  7. Understanding that our health is a priority and focusing on what’s most important is essential. We can better our worries by realizing what’s important and what is really inconsequential.

These strategies can reduce some of the effects of muscle tension. It’s also crucial to make sure that you’re sitting with good posture, as poor posture can contribute to neck pain caused by anxiety.

What to Do For Neck Pain From Stress?

If your stress-related neck pain is not relieved by a week or two of self-care, call or visit us at Spine & Orthopedic Center for other neck pain treatment options and for diagnosing any possible underlying conditions.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

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Tension in Neck and Shoulders From Anxiety: 5 Home Remedies

Tension in Neck and Shoulders From Anxiety: 5 Home Remedies

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Medically reviewed by Angela M. Bell, MD, FACP — By Sara Lindberg — Updated on February 16, 2023

Stress or anxiety-related tension can lead to chronic pain in the neck and shoulders. Fortunately, this can be relieved with stretching or yoga, as well as relaxation and other stress management techniques.

Let’s explore several simple techniques to help release tension in your neck and shoulders, as well as some stress management strategies to help calm your mind and body.

When you experience a stressful event or a bout of anxiety, your muscles contract, sometimes forcefully. This is an automatic or reflex reaction. It’s known as a stress response or “fight or flight” response.

It’s your body’s way of gearing up to face a perceived physical threat that you’ll need to fight off or run away from. Along with muscle tension, you may also notice other physical symptoms when you’re stressed or anxious, such as:

  • a fast heart rate
  • quick, shallow breathing
  • cold skin
  • sweating

Although your body’s stress response is designed to help you deal with physical threats, your body responds in the same way when the threat isn’t physical. Your muscles may tighten up when you’re stuck in traffic, dealing with pressure at work, or watching the news.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), your muscles and other organs may only relax again once the perceived threat has passed.

If stress is ongoing — meaning the stressful situation doesn’t seem to have a clear end — your body may stay in a heightened state of readiness to face a threat. As a result, your muscles may stay tense and tight for much longer than they need to.

According to the APA, ongoing muscle tension in your neck and shoulders can lead to more serious issues like back and shoulder pain, body aches, and migraine and tension headaches.

Preventing stress-related neck and shoulder tension isn’t always easy to do, especially in today’s busy world. But, there are techniques and strategies that may help relieve muscle tension and ease pain and discomfort.

Here are five stretches and poses you can do on a daily basis to help relieve tension and tightness in your neck and shoulders.

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The neck stretch is a deep stretch that eases tension in your neck and helps improve your range of motion.

  1. Stand tall with your left arm at your side.
  2. Place your right hand on your head with your fingers pointing to the left side.
  3. Gently pull your head toward the right side until you feel a stretch in the left side of your neck.
  4. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and return to center.
  5. Repeat on left side.
  6. Do 2 to 3 times on each side.

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The neck release is a gentle way to loosen tension in both your shoulders and neck.

  1. Stand tall with both arms at your sides.
  2. Lower your head and bring your chin toward your chest.
  3. Gently tilt your head towards the right side and pause for 30 seconds. You should feel a stretch in the left side of your neck.
  4. Bring your head back to the center and lift to the starting position.
  5. Repeat before changing sides.
  6. Do 3 to 5 times on each side.

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Child’s Pose or Balasana is a well-known yoga pose that can help relieve neck and back pain. It’s also a gentle stretch that helps you relax.

  1. Get on your hands and knees with your palms flat on the floor, wrists under your shoulders, and knees under your hips.
  2. Sit back on your heels, lengthen your spine, and walk your hands in front of you. Make sure to hinge at your hips.
  3. Fold forward and keep your arms extended in front of you.
  4. Hold this position for 60 to 90 seconds. Focus on your breath while you release tension in your neck and shoulders.
  5. Return to the starting position and repeat.
  6. Do 2 to 3 times.

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The Cat-Cow or Chakravakasana is a yoga pose that allows you to stretch your back, torso, and neck, helping to release tension in these areas.

  1. Get on your hands and knees with your palms flat on the floor, wrists under your shoulders, and knees under your hips.
  2. Inhale and move into Cow Pose. Drop your belly towards the mat and lift your chin and chest. Look up at the ceiling. Open your chest and shoulders. Pause for a few seconds.
  3. Exhale and move into Cat Pose. Pull your belly toward your spine and round your back toward the ceiling. You should be looking down at the mat. Pause for a few seconds.
  4. Inhale and come back into Cow Pose and repeat the sequence.
  5. Do 10 to 12 times.

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Thread the needle is a stretch that helps release tension in your back, neck, and shoulders.

  1. Get on your hands and knees with your palms flat on the floor, wrists under your shoulders, and knees under your hips.
  2. Slide your right hand (palm up) on the floor to the left side of your body. Your body will rotate with the movement, and your right shoulder will touch the floor as you look to the left side. Use your left hand to support your weight.
  3. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds and return to the starting position.
  4. Repeat on the left side.
  5. Do 2 to 3 times on each side.

Yoga is an excellent activity to help release stress-related tension in your neck and shoulders. In fact, one study found that 9 weeks of yoga resulted in pain relief and functional improvements in people with neck pain.

There are also some other strategies you can use to help relieve or prevent tension in your neck. For instance you can:

  • Apply a warm compress to the tight area.
  • Spend a few minutes doing a self-massage.
  • Soak in a warm tub, and add a few drops of aromatherapy oil for extra relaxation.
  • Adjust your workstation, so your computer is at eye level to avoid neck strain.
  • Check your posture while you’re at your work desk — keep your hips, shoulders, and ears in a straight line.
  • Get up and move away from your workstation for a few minutes every hour.
  • At night, use a pillow that offers good support for your neck, and is designed to keep your head and neck aligned.

We all experience stress. It’s almost impossible not to feel anxious or stressed at some point or another. But, just as your body has an automatic response to stress, it also has a built-in system to calm you down.

Known as the relaxation response, it helps you recover from the “fight or flight” response. It brings all your systems back to normal and returns your body to a calm, resting state. The relaxation response also helps protect your body from health issues related to the stress response.

There are a variety of skills and strategies you can use to help the relaxation response kick in. Here are some of them:

Stress management skills

  • Exercise and physical activity. Moving your body, even for 20 minutes a day, may help lower your overall stress levels and reduce tension in your muscles. If you can, get outdoors and take a brisk walk in nature.
  • Breathing exercises. Belly breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, is one of the simplest ways to relax. Voluntarily controlling your breathing can signal your entire body to relax. With belly breathing, you breathe in deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to expand, and exhale through your mouth. Once you know how to breathe this way, you can use this skill often to help you relax.
  • Yoga. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, mind and body practices like yoga can help relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and boost your overall well-being. If you’re new to yoga, you may want to begin with a 10-minute restorative yoga session.
  • Meditation. Research has shown that practicing meditation may help reduce the inflammation response caused by stress, and also decrease anxiety. Start with 5 minutes of meditation at a time, and increase by a few minutes each week.
  • Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). According to a 2013 study, PMR can help reduce symptoms of chronic neck pain. To do PMR, simply tense each muscle group in your body one at a time, and hold for 5 seconds. On the exhale, relax the muscles for 10 to 20 seconds before moving to the next muscle group.

Was this helpful?

Keep in mind that as with any new skill, regular practice is the key. These practices may not work for you right away and that’s OK. But, as you use them over time, you’ll likely find that they help return your body to a calmer, more restful state.

Tension and tightness in your neck and shoulders is a common symptom of stress and anxiety. It’s part of your body’s way of gearing up to survive a perceived physical threat. In other words, it’s part of the “fight or flight” stress response.

Fortunately, muscle tension in your neck and shoulders responds well to several different techniques, including targeted stretching, yoga, and other relaxation methods.

However, if the pain in your neck or shoulders is severe, or doesn’t improve with stretches or other self-care techniques, make sure to follow up with your doctor.

Last medically reviewed on February 17, 2021

How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

  • Goyal M, et al. (2014) Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
    pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24395196/
  • Lauche R, et al. (2013). Effectiveness of home-based cupping massage compared to progressive muscle relaxation in patients with chronic neck pain — A randomized controlled trial.
    journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0065378
  • Ma X, et al. (2017). The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults.
    frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874/full
  • Michalsen A, et al. (2012). Yoga for chronic neck pain: A pilot randomized controlled clinical trial.
    pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23117107/
  • Physical activity reduces stress. (n.d.).
    adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/other-related-conditions/stress/physical-activity-reduces-st
  • Stress effects on the body. (2018).
    apa.org/topics/stress-body
  • Yoga: What you need to know. (2019).
    nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga-what-you-need-to-know

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Feb 16, 2023

Edited By

Claire Brocato

Feb 17, 2021

Edited By

Claire Brocato

Medically Reviewed By

Angela M. Bell, MD, FACP

Copy Edited By

Suan Pineda

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Medically reviewed by Angela M. Bell, MD, FACP — By Sara Lindberg — Updated on February 16, 2023

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Psychotherapy – Harmony Clinic

Everyday problems and force majeure situations of local significance not only deprive us of peace of mind, but can also significantly harm our health. Numerous studies show that emotions, such as nervous tension, fear, horror, anxiety, excitement, anger, anger, rage, hatred, increase the production of stress hormones – adrenaline and cortisol in our body.

And if stress takes a chronic form, then an increased amount of these hormones is present in our blood all the time!!! Then literally all the cells of our body live under the pressure of stress hormones! The level of vital energy is decreasing!!! Any disease is born as a problem at the energy level, this problem can exist for many years before manifesting in the form of a physical disease. The general decrease in the vital energy of the body leads to an energy imbalance in its various parts. “All diseases are from nerves!” – in this “non-medical” statement there is a share of “medical” truth.

Our medical books and popular literature as well as television programs are filled with descriptions of the symptoms and causes of various diseases.

1. Osteochondrosis of the spine, back pain, lower back pain, pain between the shoulder blades, headaches, pain in the cervical spine! And how much suffering is brought by “pulling, chewing”, sometimes unbearably sharp pains in the joints! Years of lasting pain in the shoulder or hip joint – and as a result – arthrosis!

What is the reason?

In the body of a person subject to chronic stress, some muscle groups involuntarily tighten, therefore another muscle group manifests itself as functional weakness! This is what causes pain in the tense muscles associated with the joints! And with such a condition for a long time, such a formidable disease as arthrosis of the joints subsequently develops!

2. Headache.

What is the reason?

  • As mentioned above, in a state of stress, in nervous tension, we involuntarily tighten the neck muscles, and this often causes a headache.
  • Excitement provokes in us a violation of the process of breathing, which leads to spasm of the thoraco-abdominal diaphragm and oxygen starvation of the brain!
  • When we are nervous, the body produces less painkillers, the so-called neurotransmitters, and then we feel any pain much stronger than it actually is.

3. Frequent colds.

What is the reason?

– In chronic stress, special proteins begin to be produced, which by their nature are designed to defeat viruses. But if you don’t have any viruses at the moment, then the energy of the molecules of this substance remains unclaimed and goes in a completely different direction: it begins to irritate the nasopharyngeal mucosa. That is why a protracted conflict in the family or at work can turn into symptoms of a severe cold, and over time, bacteria, viruses, and fungi will join the prepared soil – with a long-term condition, chronic broncho-pulmonary diseases or chronic diseases of the nasopharynx develop later.

4. Skin inflammations.

What is the reason?

Our body is designed in such a way that it responds to stress by producing various substances that it does not normally produce. These are neuropeptides that cause skin swelling and itching. But this is precisely what can become a prerequisite for the occurrence of eczema, psoriasis or urticaria, as well as nervous tension entails hormonal changes that lead to seborrhea, the formation of acne and comedones, and baldness (alopecia).

5. Digestive problems.

What is the reason?

The human gastrointestinal tract is not inferior to the spinal cord in terms of the number of nerve endings. That is why this part of the body reacts especially sharply to the attack of stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) and fails. As a result, a strong experience turns into diarrhea or constipation for you.

What to do?
In recent years, new drugs, new methods of treatment have appeared and continue to appear, but unfortunately chronic patients are not decreasing! Sick people sometimes try to find a way out of the current painful situation on their own. tired of walking through numerous offices and medical centers in search of relief from their suffering. And if somewhere it is possible to change the situation for the better by at least 50% -60% – this is already considered happiness! Even though the disease returns after a while!

Any disease begins with a decrease in vital energy!

If this decline in vital energy continues for a long time or occurs rather quickly, then some organ (or organs) of the body will become a target for disease. That’s when back pain, lower back pain, pain between the shoulder blades, headaches, pain in the cervical spine, “pulling, chewing”, sometimes unbearably sharp pains in the joints, osteochondrosis of the spine, arthritis and arthrosis of small and large joints, etc. .d. – feeling unwell, life without joy – and not far from depression!

Any disease starts as a problem on the energy level, this problem can exist for many years before it manifests as a physical disease. The general decrease in the vital energy of the body leads to an energy imbalance in its various parts.

When we see a person full of energy and life walking down the street, or a rather smiling person, we involuntarily turn around and look at him with surprise, as if he were a rare sight! But this is the normal state! It turns out the opposite – to walk lifelessly, hunched over, not to smile, to get sick and to be in the process of treatment for a long time (and not in the process of preventive measures that support health!), to die from chronic degenerative processes, to suffer from pain in the back, in the lower back, from pain between the shoulder blades, headaches, in the cervical spine, sometimes unbearably sharp pains in the shoulder joints, in the hip joints, from pain caused by arthritis or arthrosis, etc. Most men are afraid that sooner or later they will have a heart attack, impotence will occur due to invented fears (or physical or mental overload). And also most of us are afraid of getting cancer or other serious, incurable disease! But if you manage to avoid these terrible diagnoses, then you are still afraid of becoming a victim of arthritis or arthrosis, diabetes, hypertension, blindness or mental illness in old age!

Today, unfortunately, prevention is usually secondary!

Seek medical attention only after a heart attack has already occurred in order to avoid a second one, etc. What to do? How can the disease be more accurately diagnosed? Stress?

How to do primary prevention in order to live without getting sick?

During primary prevention, the problem is already at the energy level, but there are still no pathological changes in the organs – which means that the disease can still be prevented and energy imbalance restored!

What to do if the disease has already manifested itself?

There is a method for diagnosing diseases, stress, all kinds of fears, etc. – these are the methods of Applied Kinesiology – this is both a preventive approach to diseases (when the disease has not yet manifested itself) and a therapeutic approach (an individual approach to each person). There are many causes of diseases, but each person had his own problem, with which the disease began.

How can I identify this problem?

This problem is determined by doctors – specialists who own the methods of Applied Kinesiology – which allows you to diagnose a disease or energy imbalance in time.

Applied Kinesiology postulates the unity of emotional, chemical, structural, energy disorders in any disease.

In each case, these disorders are identified by muscle testing. Relationships of muscles with internal organs, vertebrae, energy meridians (channels) are used. The doctor finds that dysfunction, the elimination of which will lead to the recovery of the whole organism, not the treatment of individual symptoms.

(Muscle testing is the response of the patient’s nervous system to any effect of a doctor or drug, i.e. a feedback tool with the body!).

Accordingly, treatment is prescribed:
Preparations (allopathic or homeopathic remedies), using diagnostics according to the methods of Applied Kinesiology. (Muscle testing).
Treatment with acupuncture (balance of energy imbalance, stress relief, treatment of emotional problems), using diagnostics according to Applied Kinesiology methods. (Muscle testing).
Treatment by manual therapy methods and osteopathic methods with the use of diagnostics according to the methods of Applied Kinesiology. (Muscle testing).

What are the health symptoms?
Maybe people just don’t know or have forgotten what it means to be a healthy person?

How does the disease begin? How to recognize the onset of the disease? What to do so that osteochondrosis of the spine, back pain, lower back pain, pain between the shoulder blades, headaches, pain in the cervical spine, “pulling, chewing”, sometimes unbearably sharp pains in the joints, etc. do not return, but rather would not appear at all!

HEALTH is:

  • Complete freedom from the pain of the body and from the disorder of the mind.
  • The most complete expression of all human faculties acting in harmony.
  • Perfection of the interaction of the body, mental energy and spiritual power.
  • Beauty of the body, purity of thoughts, high vitality, a state of happiness to live, work, study, love, etc.

This is the state when a person lives in harmony with nature, is harmonious and perfect in his nature, body and soul, in his relationship with another person and God! Then we can say that a person lives in a state of HEALTH!

In this state, a simple movement is happiness, pleasure!

A person simply shines from inside and outside, he is pure, firm, strong, cheerful. Charm spills over the face, eyes, iris, whites – radiate happiness and amazing transparency! Pleasure to breathe and see! All former pleasures – drinking, coffee, stimulants, potions, late hours, luxury – become an annoying dream, awakening comes – everything falls into place, becomes whole and brings joy!

Functional muscle relaxation as an indicator of emotional and meridian system dysfunction. As is known (S.Smidt, 1936), dysfunction of the emotional and meridian systems is accompanied by functional relaxation of a certain group of muscles

Stress as the cause of back pain

or emotional factors. This diagnosis means that psychological factors either initiated or contributed to back pain, or both.

It should be emphasized that although psychological factors may be the cause of physical symptoms, the symptoms are not supported by imaging techniques. However, real physical problems (such as back pain) can be triggered by emotional factors.

The History of “Stress Back Pain”

Dr. John Sarno, MD, Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at New York University, recently popularized the idea of ​​”stress back pain”, which he calls “Tension Muscle Syndrome” (TSS) , although such a concept was formulated as early as 1820.

Dr. Edward Shorter’s book From Paralysis to Fatigue details the history of psychosomatic illness. And back in the 1820s, the diagnosis of “irritated spine” was made, and this is essentially equivalent to the modern idea of ​​stress back pain. The diagnosis of “irritated spine” was quite popular and spread all over the world at that time.

Interestingly, Dr. Shorter opined that many doctors and patients of this era began to firmly believe in this diagnosis, although there was no obvious pathology. Dr. Shorter noted that doctors planted this diagnosis in the patient’s head, increasing the fear that there was a serious illness, and recommended bed rest for patients.

The diagnosis of spinal irritation remained fairly common until the early 1900s. Dr. Shorter believes that the diagnosis served “the need to remain competitive with other medical clinics in the” medicalization “of patients with certain subjective complaints. It also catered to the needs of the patients by providing an opportunity to “save face” and have a medical diagnosis, instead of paying attention to possible psychological and emotional factors, since most patients were reluctant to acknowledge the presence of psychological problems.

The history of the diagnosis of spinal irritation is useful for understanding current medical approaches to back pain. Even today, some doctors pay attention primarily to structural “explanations” for back pain, and convince their patient that “diagnostic findings” are the cause of pain, thereby instilling fear in the patient, and then advise “justified” treatment. However, if stress is the true cause of back pain, then active treatment with physical methods may not be effective and cause even more stress for the patient.

And if you go back to Dr. John Sarno’s conceptualization of “stress-related pain”, you can see the similarity with the concept of “spinal irritation”. The most important difference is that Dr. Sarno places the primary causative factors (psychological and emotional) in the foreground in the treatment plan; while some physicians continue to use only “physical” treatments.

In particular, Dr. Sarno’s theory holds that the majority of back pain treated by the medical community using “organic” approaches is actually stress related. It is important to note that this theory and treatment approaches are ambiguously accepted in the medical and psychological community, and do not yet have clear evidence obtained through scientific research.

How does stress cause back pain?

There are many theories about the causes of stress-related back pain. It is important to note that the paramount principle of all these theories is that psychological and emotional factors cause certain physical changes, and as a result, back pain appears.

In most theories of stress back pain, the cyclic pain worsens as it continues, leading the patient to restlessness and problems performing daily activities.

Cyclic pain is characterized by:

  • The patient becomes unnecessarily limited in performing many functions of daily life
  • This decrease in activity is due to the patient’s fear of pain or injury
  • This fear may be exacerbated by the recommendation of a doctor (relatives) to calm down due to the presence of diagnosed small structural changes (which in fact may have nothing to do with back pain)
  • Restrictions in movement and activity lead to impaired physical condition and muscle weakness, which in turn leads to increased back pain

Of course, such a cycle leads to increased pain, increased fear, and more physical maladaptation, along with other reactions such as social isolation, depression and anxiety.

Dr. Sarno’s Theory

Dr. Sarno’s definition of SNM is that back pain is not related to mechanical or physical factors, but is due to the patient’s feelings, personality, and subconscious issues. Key emotions include unconscious anger and rage. In addition, he describes people who can develop muscle tension syndrome as a personality type with characteristics such as:

  • Has strong intrinsic motivation to succeed
  • Has a great sense of responsibility
  • Purposeful and disciplined
  • Self-critical
  • Perfectionist and compulsive

Dr. Sarno’s theory suggests that these personality traits interact with stressful life situations and that this leads to back pain. It is also noted that the source of psychological and emotional stress is not always obvious.

Dr. Sarno’s theory of TMS describes the mechanism by which emotional tension is pushed out of awareness by the mind into the unconscious. This unconscious tension causes changes in the nervous system. These changes lead to narrowing of blood vessels and reduced blood flow to various soft tissues, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, and spinal nerves. This leads to a decrease in oxygen supply, as well as the accumulation of biochemical waste in the muscles. In turn, this leads to muscle tension, spasms and back pain experienced by the patient.

Diagnosis of “stress back pain”

The diagnosis of “stress back pain” is often based on a thorough history and physical examination. But patients should be careful in trying to self-diagnose “stress back pain”, as the pain syndrome may be due to a serious disease (for example, a spinal tumor or infection). A thorough physical examination using imaging techniques will usually rule out more serious structural causes of back pain in most patients.

In situations where back pain is stress related, the history of back pain is often quite variable. Pain may appear after a specific incident or come on suddenly. For example, often the pain begins with an incident of muscle and ligament sprain, but does not disappear due to the influence of emotional factors, although the muscles and ligaments have already recovered from the injury.

In many cases, MRI examination may reveal disc protrusions or osteochondrosis, although stress is actually the cause of back pain. In these cases, the MRI findings are not clinically significant and ultimately these changes are not considered to be the cause of the pain.

General characteristics of stress back pain include symptoms such as:

  • Back pain and/or neck pain
  • Diffuse muscle pain
  • Pain points in the muscles
  • Sleep disturbance and fatigue
  • In many cases of stress back pain, patients complain of pain migration

In general, the symptoms of stress back pain are similar to those seen in fibromyalgia.

According to Dr. Sarno, the diagnosis of SNM is made only when the organic causes of pain are completely ruled out, and at the same time there are characteristic features of SNM.

Treatment of stress-related back pain

Just as there are many theories about how stress and other emotional or psychological factors can cause back pain, there are many treatment approaches. But it is possible to single out the main approach – a comprehensive one.