Stress And Spine Pain
Financial pressures, long work weeks, and medical problems typify common anxieties and everyday stress
. Prolonged stress can become chronic, resulting in muscle tension sometimes felt as a stiff, achy neck or back. Sometimes stress causes spine pain.
5-Point Tune-up to Knock Out Stress
These tips can help you get a grip on managing stress to relieve neck or back pain.
1. Check Those Vital Signs
Get a checkup
Talk to your health-care provider about stress. Sometimes, side effects from medication (prescription or over-the-counter), herbal products, or other supplements can cause restlessness, insomnia, anxiety, and stressful feelings.
If neck or back pain lasts longer that a few days, your health-care provider may suggest chiropractic care. Chiropractic combines pain-relieving noninvasive spinal adjustments along with therapeutic exercise, posture correction, and preventive body mechanics. Chiropractic treatment removes stress from your body.
2. Get Moving!
Some yoga positions and relaxation movements help reduce stress and stretch muscles. Some forms of yoga blend breathing and movement together to quiet body and mind. Talk to your doctor about yoga or other stretching movements to ease stress and back pain because some forms can be harmful is your spine is not in its proper alignment, not done correctly or under improper guidance.
Swimming combined with a sauna or steam bathing can help relieve stress-induced pain.
Take frequent stretch breaks to loosen up tight neck or back muscles.
Go for a short walk at break or lunch time to rev up your circulation to reduce stress.
3. Learn to Relax
Kick back for 5 minutes and put your feet up, close your eyes and relax.
Cold and hot compresses can help ease stress-related minor neck and back pain. Wrap an ice pack and hot pack (or hot water bottle) individually in towels. Apply the ice pack for 10 minutes and then the hot pack for 5 minutes. Alternate several times.
Massage and aromatherapy are stress-relieving spa treatments you can do at home. Ask a friend or partner to massage sore neck and back muscles gently.
Try meditation or visualization to ease stress. Some meditation practices focus on breathing and calm a busy mind. Visualization techniques to reduce stress sometimes combine imagery with breathing exercises.
4. Control the Little Things in Life
Break up problems into smaller manageable units and work on resolving the easier aspects first.
Learn your limits and say "no" to burdensome commitments.
5. Eat and Drink for Life
Make meal times less stressful. Choose nourishing foods, eat slowly, and savor each bite. Be aware of how much you eat and drink.
Coffee, cola, and other sugary or artificially sweetened drinks do little to reduce stress or promote restful sleep. A good night's sleep or afternoon catnap can help relieve stress.
Remember
You may not be able to control life's stressors, but don't let everyday demands interfere with being relatively stress-free and healthy. Start with a visit to your health-care practitioner, be physically active, learn how to relax, know your limits, and nourish your body. Tame stress to help prevent neck or back pain.
by: Mason Publishing Group
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