What Is the Connection Between Stress and Pain?

You might feel it in your lower back after a long day or in your shoulders when deadlines approach. It’s not just in your head: stress causes physical changes in your body that can amplify chronic pain. What can this connection look like?

• Chronic stress triggers constant muscle tensing.
• A heightened nervous system amplifies pain signals.
• Stress disrupts sleep, lowering your pain threshold.
• Certain stress-related symptoms require immediate medical care.

At Pain Control Associates, LLC, we understand that treating pain often requires looking beyond the symptoms to the root causes. Let’s look more closely at how stress and pain can interact.

Can Stress Increase Muscle Tension?

The body’s reaction to stress is instantaneous. When you encounter something that is perceived as a threat, your body enters “fight or flight” mode. As part of this reflex, your muscles may tense up to guard against injury and pain.

While this response is helpful in short bursts, chronic stress keeps your muscles in a nearly constant state of guardedness. They may never get the chance to fully relax. Over time, this persistent tension can lead to tension-type headaches and migraines, chronic stiffness in the neck and shoulders, or flare-ups of lower back pain.

The Problem With Nervous System Sensitivity and Pain Signals

Your nervous system is the control center for processing pain, but stress can influence the signals. When you are stressed, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Elevated levels of these hormones over long periods can lead to a phenomenon often referred to as “central sensitization.” Your central nervous system may become hypersensitive, interpreting even mild sensations as painful. This means that for patients dealing with conditions like fibromyalgia or sciatica, stress does not just cause new pain; it can make existing conditions feel significantly more intense.

The Impact of Stress on Sleep and Recovery

Pain and stress are often partners in crime when it comes to stealing your sleep. Both can make it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. Unfortunately, restorative sleep is exactly what your body needs to heal.

Research suggests that sleep deprivation can lower your pain threshold. When you are exhausted, your brain loses some of its ability to dampen pain signals, making you more vulnerable to discomfort the next day. This creates a difficult cycle where pain causes poor sleep, and poor sleep causes more pain.

When Does Stress-Related Pain Need Medical Support?

While stress management is a vital part of a holistic health plan, some symptoms indicate an underlying issue that requires professional medical intervention. You should seek care if your stress-related pain is accompanied by:

• Numbness or weakness
• Constitutional symptoms (e.g., unexplained weight loss or fevers)
• Loss of function (e.g., difficulty controlling bowels or bladder)

In addition, pay attention to whether your pain persists for more than a few weeks despite rest and self-care. These are all important reasons to reach out to a medical professional for an evaluation of your pain and its source.

Break the Cycle of Pain

Living with chronic pain can feel limiting, especially when it is being fed by what feels like uncontrollable stress. Whether your pain stems from spinal issues, work injuries, or chronic conditions, however, relief is possible.

At Pain Control Associates, LLC, our mission is to improve your quality of life through personalized care. We offer a wide range of non-surgical and surgical options, from epidural steroid injections to physical therapy and behavioral strategies.

Ready to find relief? Contact us today to schedule your consultation with our expert team.