Written by One of the main causes of back pain is emotional stress and that back pain may be a signal that you are not coping well with stress. It’s common knowledge that people under stress are tense and that tension can settle in your back. Even if you are experiencing constant stress, your muscles may be tightening up so often that you become used to it. But those taut, tight muscles can send a strong pain signal to your brain. The discomfort may make you wary of normal activities and, as you limit your movement and activity, your muscles become weaker and gradually de-conditioned, and more painful. This vicious cycle continues and may end up as chronic back pain. While you can relieve chronic pain with TENS machine therapy or buy a home TENS unit, there are several things that you can do to ease stress induced back pain and break this cycle.
Reducing Stress
Once you recognize the stress in your life and the effects it has, there may be some ways to deal with it.
- Try to identify people and situations that bother you. How can you deal with them? Some you might be able to avoid altogether.
- Say you hate driving home in rush hour traffic and become tied in knots. Can you adjust your work hours and leave a bit earlier or later? Could you go to the gym or library for an hour after work?
- If you hate standing in line at the grocery, consider shopping during off hours when the store is less crowded.
- Financial pressures, long work weeks, medical problems add to stress and can not always be changed. You have to recognize the stress these problems and situations create and attempt to develop ways to deal with it.
- Try to breakup your problems into small units that are not so overwhelming. Deal with one at a time, taking the easiest or most pressing first.
- Learn your limitations and don’t take on more than you can handle. Manage your time and learn to say ‘No’ to burdensome commitments.
Reducing stress and using TENS therapy units, will help improve your quality of life. Do it today!
