The Biological Impact of Stress on Pain

The relationship between stress and pain is a unique one. It’s intricately intertwined. Stress causes pain, which perpetuates more stress, which causes even more pain. When you don’t work on one, the other worsens.

Let’s discuss the biological impact of stress on pain in more detail below.

Stress Can Worsen Your Pain and Vice Versa

If you break your ankle and are in unbearable pain, it’s hard to get into a calm state or a positive mental space. The pain is causing you to stress out. The stress seems to make your ankle throb even more. The more your ankle throbs, the higher your stress level.

Simply put, pain and stress go hand in hand. Stress can exacerbate your physical pain. And when you’re in physical pain, your stress levels can go through the roof. If you don’t work to reduce your stress, you can easily get caught up in this never-ending cycle of stress and pain.

Pain and Stress Impact Your Energy Levels

When your body releases too much of the stress hormone cortisol, it can lead to chronic fatigue. Chronic fatigue not only sucks the energy out of you but can also lead to aches and pains in your muscles, joints, and head.

Whether it’s a lack of sleep, an imbalance in your blood sugar, or an inactive lifestyle responsible for increased stress, addressing the source is vital to minimize stress adequately. Simple changes like practicing mindfulness and getting enough sleep can significantly reduce your stress, which helps you feel less fatigued and gives you a lot more energy to conquer your day.

It’s Difficult To Identify the True Source of Your Pain

Stress can make it challenging to identify the true source of your pain. This is because stress symptoms can be similar to those of chronic illnesses. For example, just like stress can cause chest pain, tightness, and discomfort so can heart disease.

Stress symptoms can even mimic those associated with food sensitivity. Chronic fatigue may be exacerbated by sensitivities to certain foods, making you feel physically tired and foggy. The same symptoms can come from stress. So, it’s essential to minimize your stress so that you can discover the real root of your pain and seek appropriate treatment.

Your GI Tract Is Affected

When you swallow food and liquids, they move through your gastrointestinal (GI) Tract. It’s where they go to be digested, absorbed, and disposed of. The functionality of your GI tract is heavily impacted by stress.

Stress can cause the following GI tract symptoms:

• Nausea and vomiting;
• Constipation;
• Heartburn;
• Diarrhea;
• Lower abdominal pain;
• Chronic inflammation.

These symptoms can be painful and affect your ability to eat well, move, and engage in activities that help reduce stress.

You Become Less Able To Handle Pain Due to Illness or Injury

To handle pain, you need to have a strong mind. Unfortunately, stress impacts the strength of your mental state. If you’re constantly stressed out, your mind won’t be in the best place to handle pain.

So, it’ll be hard to deal with the pain whenever you’re injured or ill, let alone stay positive during the healing process.

Stress and Pain Can Alter Your Sleep

When you’re stressed out, it can severely alter your sleep cycle. You can’t get your mind to quiet down, making it harder to fall asleep. Even if you can get to sleep at some point, it’s likely fragmented or fraught with stress dreams. As a result, you never achieve the deep sleep needed to repair bones, muscles, tissue, and any damage to your immune system.

Also, sleeping naturally is nearly impossible when you’re in pain. All you can think about is how much pain you’re in. You can’t get comfortable. And before you know it, it’s time to wake up for the next day.

When you don’t get enough sleep, it prolongs healing from an illness or injury. You also don’t get the time you need to reset mentally.

What About Mental and Emotional Pain?

Mental and emotional pain are just as real as physical pain. Stress can impact them, too. For example, breaking up with someone you love hurts. You’re emotionally distraught and stressed out about how life will be without this person. In addition, that emotional instability and stress can manifest physically as migraines, rapid heart rate, and stomach aches.

Mental and emotional pain can be a huge source of stress that can ultimately lead to painful physical conditions.

Conclusion

The biological impact of stress on pain is apparent. Conversely, the effect of pain on stress is just as noticeable. Therefore, do everything you can to reduce daily stress, and you will likely have more control over your pain.

Take time away from whatever is triggering your stress, whether your career or a relationship. It’s also a good idea to exercise daily, even if it’s a short walk. Eat well and do daily physical activity to fuel your body with the necessary nutrients. Work on your mental health so that you’re more capable of coping with stress and pain healthily.

Published by: International Pain Foundation, iPain Blog, TeamiPain
Writer: Indiana