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Understanding the Connection Between Stress and Back Pain

It may at first seem surprising that there is a correlation between stress and back pain. Back and/or neck pain are considered to be purely physical ailments, while stress is often categorized as an emotional state. However, it’s important to note that stress has many physical manifestations that can result in psychosomatic conditions like spine pain. Stress can exacerbate an existing spine condition, or it can be a result of a spine condition, meaning that spinal discomfort can cause mental anxiety and vice versa.

What Are the Physiological Effects of Stress?

Every individual will experience stress in their lives at some point and at varying degrees of severity. Stress can come in many different forms, from needing to make a presentation at work to dealing with a loved one’s death. Stress has very real effects on the body, including:

• Stress changes the body’s hormone levels, which can alter the way the body interprets pain signals. If the discomfort of a herniated disc is, in normal circumstances, negligible, stress may cause the pain to feel severe or unmanageable.
• Stress can cause muscles to become extremely tense. Muscle spasms may even occur, which can cause or exacerbate nerve-related pain in the back or neck.
• Reduced circulation often accompanies stress. Tenseness and decreased levels of activity can contribute to this. Reduced blood flow to the spine inhibits the healing process of conditions like herniated discs and bulging discs. Since the blood delivers nutrients to the spine, the vertebrae and the intervertebral discs can become weaker when circulation is reduced.

Treating Stress-Related Spine Pain

If you feel that stress is causing or exacerbating your spine pain, talk to your doctor about ways to reduce your stress levels. He or she may suggest slight alterations in your lifestyle, such as incorporating exercise, stretching, deep breathing, or rest into your daily schedule. If discomfort in your back or neck is in fact triggering your stress, treatments like pain medication, hot/cold therapy, massage, or behavior modification may prove helpful.

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