Chronic back pain is a common problem that affects a lot of individuals, sometimes resulting in physical, emotional and social changes. Well many people see back pain as a physical ailment issue caused by Injury, shock or trauma. But there can be hidden factors including stress, over exhaustion, tiredness, poor posture etc. well anxiety can be an off topic relating to back pain for many people, but there is scientific evidence where anxiety has shown impacts not only on mental well being but also on physical sphere. Understanding and analyzing how the emotional and stress can influence back pain, then only you can treat your chronic back pain.
Chronic back pain is a Constant feeling of discomfort and pain that lasts for more than 3 months. It can severely impact an individual’s life can be deep, affecting physical abilities, emotional well being, social engagements, and work productivity. People experience severe pain in their back due to long sitting hours, bad posture, and too much pressure on the back. Many people feel reduced productivity due to chronic back pain, and it leads to increased stress and anxiety, even depression. Some people also feel cornered because of their pain, they can not participate in any fun activities, they can’t seem to enjoy being with people etc. This can also lead to anxiety and stress being not able to fit in with the society, Professionally anxiety can also impact people from being too much absent due to pain, decreased productivity etc. Overall chronic pain can really be frustrating and can impact an individual mentally and physically.
Causes of Chronic back pain:
1. Degenerative Disc Disease: people as they age, their discs in the spine also lose their elasticity and hydration, which can also result in pain.
2. Arthritis: Other health conditions like Osteoarthritis can affect the lower back, leading to infection, stiffness and chronic back pain.
3. Skeletal Irregularities: also scoliosis or kyphosis can hinder spinal alignment, resulting in discomfort and pain over time.
4. Injuries: If you had any injury in the past that can also be the reason for your chronic pain, if you do not treat it immediately.
5. Sedentary Lifestyle: Regular exercise is a must for people suffering from chronic back pain, it helps gaining flexibility and motion in your back making it strong.
6. Obesity: If you go to the gym and literally do weight training over your own weight, then it can be a major concern and lead to pain in the back for a longer period of time.
7. Psychological Factors: Other psychological factors like stress, anxiety, and depression can also contribute to severe chronic pain.
8. Medical Conditions: Other certain conditions like fibromyalgia, infection or cancer can also lead to chronic back pain.
How does stress and anxiety develop chronic back pain?
Anxiety and stress can directly contribute to chronic pain, let us see how?
1. Muscle Tension: When an individual suffers from stress or anxiety, the body also responds the same way. The stress in muscles and anxiety can lead to discomfort and pain for a longer period of time.
2. Pain Perception: Anxiety can also impact a person’s perception of pain. Individuals suffering from anxiety can become more sensitive to the pain and discomfort, disturbing them to perform daily functions.
3. Inflammatory Response: Chronic stress can also trigger Inflammatory response in the body, which can make your pain even severe, increased level of stress is not just bad for the mind but also for the body.
4. Avoidance Behaviors: People who are suffering from long lasting pain that is just not going, might worsen the situation. If you feel the pain has followed for more than 1 month, get it checked, it might be not a normal pain.
5. Sleep Disruption: Anxiety and stress often interfere with sleep quality. Sleep is important for the body and mind to function properly, and if you can’t sleep the body’s ability to heal and recover will be difficult.
6. Cognitive Patterns: Negative thoughts associated with anxiety or depression can make you weak from your mind, it weakens the will power of a person to heal.
The Direct Connection Between Stress, Anxiety, and Chronic Back Pain
There is a clear and direct relationship between stress, anxiety and chronic back pain. When stress and anxiety can hamper the body to work effectively. These both conditions can directly influence the body’s ability to perform tasks. When people feel stressed and anxious it is evident the body also shows some response like sweating, breathing problems, increase in pain in affected areas etc. This factor also creates tension and reduces the ability of the body to fight pain effects.
Moreover, anxiety can Influence the thinking of the individuals about the pain. Individuals suffering from anxiety are more sensitive to unusual movements, information, etc. This heightened sense of stress and anxiety can be the reason for chronic back pain.
Additionally, chronic stress can result in infection in the body, maybe the pain will travel from the back to the spine causing more damage, The combination of psychological and physical factors both of them contribute the same in developing chronic back pain. There are various ways by which you can treat back pain including exercise, yoga, stretching exercises etc. apart from physical activities one should also focus on their mental stability and immunity, in order to get treated positively and be healthy in the long run.
Conclusion
The relationship between stress, anxiety and chronic pain is quite interesting and important to focus on, this might be one of the reasons why your back pain is not healing. Because just adding some medicines and exercise can not treat chronic back pain alone, it needs determination, professional help, and also a healthy mind. If you have the willpower to treat yourself, the body listens to your mind. Well both anxiety and stress can be overwhelming but understanding the root cause for your anxiety can be a great path to solve your mystery. Stress can contribute heavily in developing pain, but anxiety can be treated with the help of therapy sessions. If you feel uncomfortable while sleeping, walking or bending, there might be a sign you have back pain, do not start any medicine without talking to your doctor. Positive guidance helps in getting positive results.
Also Read: What is Radicular Pain? Know Causes and Treatment Options