Signs Of Stress With Back Pain

Stress Symptoms, Signs Of Stress when in pain

We are all different and equally valid in the ways we react emotionally to debilitating pain.

People I know who are under stress have described it as an emotional roller coaster, a see-saw experience, frustrating, depressing, challenging, debilitating, frightening, isolating, stressful and confusing.

Also, people have said who are coping with the demands of back pain and realising they are learning to cope and using their emotional strength to get through and do each day, was a profound experience changing the way they behaved towards life. 

Appreciating what they can do, physically more dependent, mentally more independent, being kinder, amazed at the community of support among back pain sufferers, found something within themselves an emotional and mental strength they didn't know was there...

So we all react in different ways, at different times...equally true, equally valid.

I certainly recognize myself in some of these statements. The ways I felt and feel about what I went through...

Be gentle with yourself and be loving to yourself at all times.

You should never feel embarrassed, guilty, ashamed or less than you were if you are experiencing back or any other pain. You are you, a person dealing with stress and with back pain not the back pain only in itself. You are coping with a lot and doing the best that you can.

Try to get to a stage where you are in control and a proactive partner in your care and treatment.

You are unique and special and have every right to be happy.

Signs Of Stress

The link between stress, tension and pain.

If you have health issues like back or sciatic pain or any other condition and you are feeling stressed you may find as I do that the pain increases. I always wondered why this was until I started learning more about it.

 My understanding from what I have read is that stress causes muscles to tighten and tense and that increases pain and then pain increases the tension and stress you are feeling as you hold your body against the pain and so on.

In addition if you have an injury or a condition where there is nerve compression and nerves are already constricted it may not take too much more muscle tension or constriction to cause or increase the pain.

So if your pain is aggravated by tense muscles caused by stress it is important if you can to interrupt this vicious cycle.

Even now that I feel I have my back condition under control I know if I am experiencing too much stress I get a familiar sciatic pain, only slight but I know it is there and it is time to take action. 

When I had constant severe sciatica I found when I used the physical solution for me in Lose The Back Pain System  along with some of the relaxation techniques here I made faster progress.

I also sometimes just take off to the park and feed the ducks and the fish and relaxation finds me...

If you have been coping with pain, stress, depression and emotional issues sometimes you need someone to listen

If you ever feel worried, anxious, suicidal or depressed or just plain fed up with coping with it all do not sit there feeling you have to go through it alone.

There are helplines to listen and advise you. I cannot include the ones for every area so please check the ones for your country.

Stress, Anxiety and Depression Support lines 

For when you need support dealing with stress, anxiety or depression.

• UK Supportline
  SupportLine provides a confidential telephone helpline offering emotional support to any individual on any issue. The Helpline is primarily a preventative service and aims to support people before they reach the point of crisis. 

• The Stress Confidential Helpline
  The Stress Confidential Helpline Home Page states; "The Stress, Anxiety, Depression Confidential Helpline site is dedicated to the 340 million brave men, women and children in homes throughout the globe who courageously struggle each day with depression.

• The Samaritans UK
  Information taken from the Samaritans website. Samaritans provides confidential emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which may lead to suicide. 

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Lose The Back Pain System
Lose the Back Pain, is a system of self assessments to determine what physical imbalances you may have that may be causing your pain, then specific and targeted exercises to follow to address the imbalances, along with pain reduction strategies. 

For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.

Follow Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Reducing Stress, Developing A Can Do Attitude.

Quite often we think of back pain as a physical problem, and it is,  but there are also many emotional and mental effects of being in pain and having your body hurting. 

It is incredibly difficult to take action when in the throes of feeling down so small steps and be kind to yourself. 

I have looked into how to reduce stress through stress relief music and CDs, complementary therapies, and other techniques to help. Some will work for you, some won't, we are all different in our responses and what we need.  We have a focus on stress and back pain but these techniques may be helpful to you if you are under any kind of stress.


Being stressed and feeling down can take its toll on so many areas of your life. I know it, I have been there and its awful. I hope that you find something in this series helpful to you.

Gentle hugs :)

Develop A "Can Do" Attitude To Life

When you are dealing with back pain or any pain, it is stressful and debilitating physically and emotionally so it is important to focus on What You Can Do.

Of course, you may be told about and thinking about all the things you cannot do. You may even be told there are some things you will never do again. I was and it upset me greatly and turned out not to be entirely the case, so one day at a time. The point is you never know how things may turn out and many tasks can be adapted. 

There will be many things you Can Do and it's great to focus on those things, do them, and don't beat yourself up about the rest. 

I suggest as a good friend told me recently, that you are kind to yourself. 

Sometimes, especially if you are dealing with health issues like back pain, which can cause stress and you live in a family, it helps to re-evaluate the tasks in the family. Duties may be reassigned depending on what people are good at and what they can do.

As part of a couple, when I had severe back pain and bilateral sciatica I often felt guilty that my hubby was doing far too much and so we eventually found it useful to make a list of all the jobs that needed doing. Then I could pick the things I felt I could do and the rest to be done by him and anyone else who could help or we could ask. Some tasks just did not get done or at least not on schedule and we learned to live with that.  

If you live alone see if anyone you know can help you with any of the tasks you find difficult. I know this is not always easy to do and people may not always be willing to come forward without being asked, but others may surprise you as well. You are likely doing so much more already than you realise you are. If you need help ask for it.  

Do A Success List

If you are feeling like you can't do anything and feel a downward spiral starting this can be a useful technique. Make yourself a list every day of all the things you are going to do. Make everything on the list achievable. 

It can include things like washing your face, holding a toothbrush, getting out of bed, talking, listening to someone, kissing your spouse, pruning flowers, raising awareness of an issue you are passionate about, taking part in a birdwatching survey, drawing up plans for the garden/kitchen etc, making something beautiful with a craft like crochet, doing the accounts, writing an article, helping someone else on a forum, washing the pots, reading your kids a bedtime story....whatever you know you will achieve.

Then at the end of that day tick off all you have done.

Why is this good to do?

It convinces your mind YOU are Successful! Many people with pain that limits them suffer low self-esteem. I know through the two major illnesses I have had my self-esteem and confidence suffered. We can feel we are not good enough. It is vital to reverse that trend and know that you are valuable, resourceful and contribute a lot more than you might think. Small steps leading to bigger ones. 

These small techniques will not of course take away what you are dealing with physically but may help somewhat with your emotional well-being. 

Never give up looking for your solution. 

Looking For A Solution To Back Pain And Sciatica? - Try Lose The Back Pain System.

If you are interested in researching one of the possible physical solutions to back pain and sciatic pain especially if caused by muscle imbalances please follow the link.

If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions.



For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful. Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.