Stress & Neck Pain – Are They Connected?
Lacey Stress & Neck Pain – Are They Connected?
Stress and anxiety have long been connected to neck pain, and when tension and stress build in your neck, you might feel achy or tight. Neck pain can also be accompanied by shoulder pain or migraines, so knowing how to relieve neck pain can save you from a rough day.
How Does Stress Affect my Neck?
Stress doesn’t cause neck pain, it only exaggerates the symptoms of underlying neck pain. Being stressed causes you to tense up the muscles and nerves running through and around your spine, which can cause damage even if temporary. Basically, the more stressed you are the more likely you’ll have worsening neck pain.
How can I Relieve Neck Pain Caused by Stress?
Relieving neck pain caused by stress is a bit different than relieving pain elsewhere in the body. You basically just need to take care of yourself and try not to let yourself get overwhelmed. Here are a few tips on how to reduce stress.
1. Healthy Habits
By developing healthy habits can greatly reduce your stress. Eating healthier is always beneficial for your body. While some people may be sensitive to caffeine, avoiding coffee or soda can help you get better sleep. Keeping away from smoking can also increase your blood supply to the muscles in your neck making the recovery process go much faster.
2. Get a Massage
Massages are amazing and can easily relieve stress because it gets the blood flowing. Massages can help get the body back into proper alignment for improving your posture can be one of the most beneficial and relaxing aspects of massage therapy. Massage also promotes circulation to the affected or injured muscles, which increases nutrients and oxygen to the damaged tissues. By adding some heat or cold you can even relieve tension and pain.
3. Stretches and Exercise
I feel like I say exercise is always the solution, but it really is! Doing some neck stretches can loosen those tight muscles and relieve the tension and stress built up in your neck. Exercising, in general, is great as well because it releases endorphins which dulls pain and gives you a feeling of happiness or well-being.
4. Don’t Push Yourself
With stress being the main reason you get neck pain, you might want to focus more on reducing your stress than on your neck pain. Try getting help from friends or family by letting them carry some of your load. You could also seek therapy or a support group to talk about your stress and get out of your concerns. Finally, try not to overload yourself, you’re not a superhero, so let go of small inconsequential things if they’re really bothering you.