The Stress Is Real: Three Ways Stress May Be Causing Your Back Pain

At best, back pain is annoying. If it gets any worse than that, it can impact your life to the point where you wonder if severe intervention like surgery is needed. While there are some types of back problems where surgery is necessary, it's now more common to go through therapy and other modes of treatment. It helps if you work with specialists, of course -- you need a back specialist to diagnose what's going on, and therapists can help you with exercise or other issues that could alleviate the pain. Looking at the stress in your life is essential as sometimes it turns out that your back pain is not due to a physical injury.

Physical Stress: Time to Change Your Mattress

It is possible that physical stress is making your back go bonkers -- not the "lifting wrong" type of stress but the type that happens when your back goes unsupported during sleep. Your mattress may need to be changed or flipped, your work chair may need to be switched out for one that is more ergonomic, or your car seat may need an added back support cushion. There are other potential causes, of course. Your therapist and doctor may be able to help you pinpoint just what needs to be changed.

Mental Stress: Your Body Is Sending Signals

Your body often takes mental and emotional stress and turns it into physical pain. This is not news to most people, but you may not have thought about what in your life could be causing you so much stress that you end up in pain. It doesn't always take professional counseling to figure it out; many medical doctors and therapists can spot pain due to stress a mile away. Speak with the specialists at the center you go to about whether your pain could be a physical manifestation of something like job stress or family problems.

Medical Stress: It's a Vicious Cycle

Perhaps the most frustrating cause is stress due to your medical situation. If you have a lot of back pain, you're going to be upset and tense -- and that only adds to the problem. Your muscles tense up, contributing to stiffness and pain, making you more stressed as the pain increases, and so on. Therapy can help you stop that cycle.

While it seems like you should be able to self-diagnose stress as you know best what's happening in your life, it's not always as easy as it sounds. Working with specialists at a back pain management facility can help you find out what's really going on.

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