Stress seems to be almost unavoidable in our busy lives. It’s easy for people to suggest that you might feel better if you’re less stressed, but if you’re already stressed, that’s just going to stress you out even more! 

Additionally, stress can cause many unwanted symptoms in your body, including pain. In some cases, stress causes pain to develop, like headaches. In others, it makes existing pain worse. 

Think about it; if you’re tensing your body up and putting stress quite literally onto your muscles, you are going to feel the effects of that in a sore back, shoulders, and head. If you suffer from chronic pain anyway, stress can exacerbate it. 

At one point or another, most of us have to deal with a certain amount of stress. Without it, some of us just wouldn’t get anything done! But when the stress builds up, that can start to cause issues in your body and make you hurt. 

One study found that 33 percent of adults said they were dealing with high levels of perceived stress – you’re not alone if one of them is you. Stress affects more than just your mind – if you hold on to too much tension, it will most likely lead to muscle stiffness and pain. Elevated stress levels are linked to headaches, fatigue, digestive problems, and insomnia; one study of people who suffered from chronic headaches found that 45 percent said they’d been through a stressful event before they started to get the headaches. 

Other aches and pains can also be blamed on stress – it’s thought that the stress hormone cortisol could cause chronic pain. A study compared 16 people with chronic back pain to a control group and found that the people with chronic pain had higher cortisol levels. 

It pays not to let the stress build-up, and one good way to physically disperse stress before it causes too much trouble is a good massage. 

Massage is the perfect way to relax and improve your mood. 

Whatever effect stress has on your body and mood, treating yourself to a massage is one of the most relaxing ways to deal with a build-up of toxic stress or anxiety. Almost every symptom of stress listed by the American Psychological Association can benefit from massage therapy. 

Research shows that massage therapy can:

1. Lower your heart rate and blood pressure, which are raised by stress.

2. Ease stress-related pain by relaxing your muscles.

3. Increase the production of endorphins, which are your body’s natural feel-good chemicals. 

4. Boost your body’s production of serotonin and dopamine. When elevated, these feel-good chemicals help you experience a feeling of well-being that calms your mind and gives you the physical and mental break your body needs from all the stressful things that make you hunch your shoulders. 

The next time you feel the stress begins to build up, don’t wait until you get the telltale headache or tight shoulders. Schedule an appointment and get it out of your system.

If you’re looking for ways to address your pain in a healthy way, check out the Pain Relief Guide.