Are Anxiety and Stress Causing Your Chronic Pain?

If you find yourself dealing with chronic aches and pains that are distracting you from focusing on your daily responsibilities, you’re likely feeling stressed about why you can’t seem to catch a break. But these anxious feelings aren’t doing you any favors. Did you know that anxiety may be the cause of your pain? 

The anxiety-pain cycle can be a tough one to break. Anxiety causes pain, which causes more anxiety, which causes more pain.  

In this post, our Muscular Activation Technique and Emotional Polarity Technique™ experts weigh in on how to recognize if stress is causing your chronic aches. Plus, we share steps you can take to stop the pattern in its tracks. 

 How Does Anxiety Cause Body Pain? 

When you’re worried, afraid, or overwhelmed, the sympathetic nervous system is activated. This response is also referred to as “fight or flight” but may also appear as freezing or even fawning. On a physiological level, the adrenal glands release stress hormones into the bloodstream to prepare the body to deal with a threat.  

The body increases heart rate and respiration to provide the necessary energy and oxygen for a rapid response to danger. Blood is drawn from non-vital organs such as the digestive tract and reproductive organs and is reallocated to the muscles. This primes and tenses your muscles for action – to put up a good fight or to run like crazy. 

The Modern Epidemic of Chronic Stress 

In life-threatening situations, a stress response is vital for our survival. However, most of the stressors of modern society, such as running late to work, trying to hit a deadline, or fighting with a loved one, are not truly life-threatening. 

When stress responses occur infrequently, our bodies and minds have time to recover. However, when we’re faced with chronic stressors, our bodies memorize a state of emergency readiness or hyperstimulation.  

What are the Physical Symptoms of Chronic Stress? 

You’re likely familiar with the emotional symptoms of stress, such as irritability, overwhelm, racing thoughts, loneliness, and feelings of dread. The mind and body are deeply connected. The unchecked thoughts in our minds will ultimately be reflected in the physical body. 

Even once a threat has passed, we may still experience the following symptoms of anxiety:  

• Breathing difficulties 

• Blurred eyesight or sore eyes 

• Sleep challenges 

• Fatigue 

• Muscle aches and headaches 

• Chest pains and high blood pressure 

• Indigestion or heartburn 

• Bowel movement challenges 

• Nausea 

• Dizziness 

• Sudden changes in weight 

• Rashes or itchy skin 

• Sweating 

• Irregular menstrual cycles 

• Worsening of existing physical health problems  

As you can see, chronic stress is not a walk in the park.  

While your mindset plays a massive role in managing chronic anxiety, we certainly wouldn’t describe it as “all in your head.” 

You’ve likely heard the saying “stress kills.” We don’t want to sound morbid, but it’s really important to get these feelings under control. While physical symptoms from an acute event of anxiety may subside within an hour or so, symptoms from persistent stress will likely take a lot more time to return to baseline. Chances are, it will require some work on your part and perhaps some outside help. 

Fortunately, our team at Dynamic Fitness & Rehabilitation takes a holistic approach to help you build a toolkit to balance your mental and physical health. 

How to Get Rid of Body Aches from Anxiety? 

There are many ways to break the stress-pain cycle, and what works for different people slightly varies. However, somatic experiencing exercises such as breathwork, mindfulness, dancing, yoga, and other forms of physical movement can work wonders for regulating the nervous system and using up excess stress hormones.  

Muscle Activation Technique (M.A.T.®) 

Muscle Activation Technique, offered at Dynamic Fitness & Rehabilitation, relieves pain by correcting muscular imbalances and weakness triggered by chronically tense muscles. Chronically tense muscles become fatigued and, therefore, weak.  

When it comes time to exercise, you likely won’t have the stamina. This is why it’s important to restore functionality to these muscles.  

Curious to learn more about how M.A.T. can help you recover from chronic stress? Reach out to our medical fitness experts today. 

Emotional Polarity Technique (EPT™) 

If you continuously face anxiety without a clear cause, you might have unresolved trauma, which has caused your nervous system to memorize a state of fear. Even if nothing is currently bothering you, subconscious trauma may be wreaking hidden havoc.  

Emotional Polarity Technique™ uses the science of forgiveness to overcome adversity in life that can cause illness and chronic pain. Our holistic therapist partner, Paige Cargioli, can help you through the blockages that are preventing you from healing.  

Learn More > Stress & The Skeletomuscular System  

Find Painless Peace with Dynamic Health & Rehabilitation 

The chronic anxiety and muscle pain cycle can be a difficult condition to handle, but it is important to remember that there are effective solutions available. Whether it is through therapy, exercise, or changing lifestyle habits, the key is to identify your triggers and then work towards reducing them.  

It will take time and dedication to make meaningful progress, but the result is worth the effort. Taking care of yourself mentally and physically should always be a priority.  

Schedule your evaluation with our Muscle Activation Technique expert, Maurice Harden, today. Your body and mind will thank you!