26 Sep Anxiety & Stress as Causes of Pain

If you are someone who experiences anxiety and/or stress regularly, you aren’t alone. Between the struggle to keep a work-life balance, the mental weight of local and global issues, and all the other pieces that make up our personal lives, it’s no surprise that anxiety and stress are two of the biggest health issues of our time. 

So big, in fact, that studies show that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. (with over 40 million adults affected) and a third of our population feels like they are living daily with extreme stress. 

And it’s likely not just affecting your mental health, either: your body feels it, too. 

Anxiety and Stress on a Physical Level

Being anxious or stressed is completely normal in many situations, but if you feel this way over prolonged periods of time, it can negatively impact your physical health through pain, increased blood pressure, and muscle tension. 

In brief moments, this is described as the “fight or flight” mode, in which our body is instinctively getting ready to defend and protect itself from harm. Your heart rate and metabolism increases within seconds, and can take over an hour to slow back down once the moment has passed. 

When other daily factors like money, family, and relationships put pressure on us regularly, these physical responses can become chronic — leading to symptoms like migraines, nerve pain, or a weakened immune system. 

The Importance of Bodywork

While moving your body regularly through exercise and daily walks can help in reducing tension, it may not completely resolve or prevent your aches and pains. 

Although this may vary from person to person, we usually recommend getting bodywork done regularly to go beyond simply “managing” pain and start a more effective healing process. If you’ve been dealing with intense stress and anxiety for several years, it will likely take some time for your body to heal. 

You may not even know how much pain you’re in until you start to get bodywork done. We all get so used to living with pain (especially over long periods of time) that we don’t even notice it anymore. Once the stress is lifted from the body, you can start to feel lighter and are better able to mentally focus. Most people don’t realize how much pain they were in until their stress and tension are lifted away, and they start to realize what “normal” should actually feel like. 

Massages are a common go-to for many people, but we also recommend other bodywork such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and reiki work to reveal the true cause of pain. Whatever route(s) you take, be sure you’re consistent and follow the recommendations of the professional you see!

Talk to a Chiropractic and Reiki Healer in Colorado

We are all exposed to anxiety and stress in many ways and sometimes we need extra help to release that tension from our bodies. In our experience, chiropractic coupled with energy work like reiki is the best way to accomplish that.

Reach out to us today to see if our in-office chiropractic and reiki sessions are right for you, or learn more about our distance healing package to take the next step in your healing process!