I Woke Up And My Back Hurts!
It’s not uncommon for a Pilates student to walk into class and say to the Instructor, “I woke up this morning and my back just hurts and I have no idea why”.
What does it mean if your back hurts out of nowhere?
How can we experience different types of back pain when nothing is physically “wrong?” The answer lies in what we now know about the science of pain. The source of pain may not be something physical, like a muscle strain or a ligament sprain. How pain is “felt” is influenced by our past experiences, memories, and even our fears.
What emotion causes lower back pain?
If a person is worried or anxious, hormones that impact the function of our organs, like our kidneys and adrenal glands, growth, and our readiness for “fight or flight,” – are triggered. These chemicals can contribute to an elevated state of inflammation or irritation in our bodies. The nerves that carry information about sensations such as pressure, vibration, pain, heat, and cold also can become hyper-sensitive. When nerves are sensitized, a person may feel the sensation of pain when there is seemingly no physical source or reason.
Pain often leads to a change in how much and the manner in which we move. Immobility can compound the sensation of pain by limiting normal circulation, joint and tissue nutrition that happens as we move. So that leads to the question, can stress cause back pain? Stress is a normal part of everyday life. When our nervous system is in a heightened state of “central sensitization,” emotional stress can cause an abrupt onset of low back or neck pain. Chronic stress and anxiety can lead to signals to tense muscles causing spasms, and the resulting pain can shift and move to different areas.
How do you relieve back pain caused by stress?
The obvious answer is to reduce stress, but sometimes that is easier said than done. Using strategies to reduce unexplained back pain can prevent lingering and chronic issues.
Keep moving. Circulation brings oxygen and nutrition to all of our tissues. Movement also keeps tissues flexible and strong.
Address the stress. Don’t avoid it, face it head-on.
Try meditation and deep breathing. Even 5 minutes of deep breathing, exhaling for twice the time of inhaling, can reduce blood pressure and the release of “stress” hormones.
Visualize yourself moving and doing everything you like to do - it is important to avoid being fearful of moving normally.
Sleep deeply. Our cells repair during deep sleep and sleep helps reset the inflammatory process.
The mind and body work together to keep us healthy and feeling great. Oftentimes, when searching for pain relief, we need to look at psychological factors just as much as we look at physical symptoms themselves. By recognizing how our worries, fears, and anxiety impact our physical well-being, we can prevent stress-related pain and keep living and moving at our best.