How to Break the Cycle of Stress from Chronic Shoulder Pain
Shoulder, back and neck pain are common symptoms in working people. If left untreated or the pain is too much, it can become chronic pain. Many people notice that when they are faced with stress. Whether from work or other things, the pain tends to get worse. Sometimes they can’t even wake up to go to work or have to stop working. And when they stop working. They become even more stressed and anxious, causing the แทงบอล UFABET ราคาดีที่สุด ไม่มีขั้นต่ำ pain to multiply. When they tell anyone about it, no one usually understands them. Which can build up and make them very stressed, or they think they are just imagining it. Eventually, they can develop depression without realizing it.
These symptoms can actually be found and have clear medical explanations. Ranging from initial, non-specific symptoms to severe symptoms. That can be diagnosed as a disease.
How is pain related to stress?
The word ‘pain’ has a definition summarized by the International Association of Pain (IASP) in 1976. As an uncomfortable sensation or an emotional experience related to an injury or risk of injury to tissue or related events. From this definition, it can be seen that the sensation of pain in the body is inseparably related to emotions.
To explain in more detail, when the human body is injured. Such as being cut by a knife, the sensory nerves in the finger will immediately respond by stimulating the body to release pain-causing and inflammatory substances to the wound area. It also sends nerve impulses through the spinal cord to the brain to interpret as pain. At the same time, it sends nerve impulses to the nerves that control movement to make us immediately withdraw our finger from the knife. These processes can occur in a split second. Having read this far, many people may think that they still do not see any connection to emotions at all.
But in parallel, when nerve impulses from injuries are transmitted through the spinal cord to the brain. There are nerve impulses that stimulate another nerve fiber path to send signals to release 2-3 types of neurotransmitters to control the pain to a level appropriate for the severity of the actual injury. So that the body does not feel too much pain (for example, when a knife cuts a finger slightly. The pain should not be as severe as the pain of a serious wound that is so severe that it feels like death).
The important neurotransmitters in this process are the natural opioids in the body (Endogenous Opioid is a substance similar to opium that is secreted in the body), serotonin, norepinephrine, and others. Many people may know that this group of neurotransmitters is also named in the neurotransmitters related to stress and depression.
Serotonin and norepinephrine are the neurotransmitters that are most commonly mentioned in the process of causing depression. When humans are stressed. The levels of these two neurotransmitters, especially serotonin, will decrease, causing a lack of freshness and sadness. If this cannot be resolved, it will lead to depression.
Now that we have this information, we can see the relationship between pain and stress more clearly. That is, when the body has a reduced level of serotonin and norepinephrine for a period of time, the body will not be able to control the level of pain. It can also cause more stress or depression. However, at present, there is no clear evidence that pain or stress is the starting point of symptoms in patients who have pain along with stress or depression. Many times, these two symptoms may occur together without them realizing it. However, the symptoms that cause people to see a doctor are mostly chronic pain because it causes suffering and interferes with their lives, without them noticing that they are also experiencing anxiety leading to stress and depression.
Can we manage and treat stress-related pain?
If you start to notice that you have physical pain along with stress, you can cope by managing the pain, whether it be by getting a massage, taking home painkillers, etc., or exercising to stimulate the release of endorphins, which are natural substances that help reduce pain and stress. Many times, when the pain improves, the stress will also decrease at the same time. However, if you cannot manage the symptoms for a period of time, you should see a specialist for diagnosis and treatment.
Because if we can manage and treat the cause of the pain quickly. We will be able to cut off the cycle of neurotransmitter abnormalities in time before it becomes chronic pain. Which has a clearer emotional state and is more difficult to treat. In addition, when the pain is reduced quickly. The body and mind will have enough strength to manage stress or pain in real life to the fullest extent of their ability.
When seeing a doctor, the doctor will consider the diagnosis and provide treatment based on the cause of the pain as soon as possible. Whether it be wound treatment, pain medication, physical therapy, etc. However, if it is assessed that the pain is chronic and symptoms of stress or mood are beginning, such as insomnia, not feeling refreshed in the morning, easily depressed, etc., then antidepressants may be considered to be started, which manage the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine if necessary. However, taking this type of medication should be closely monitored by a doctor only, as there may be side effects if the medication is used incorrectly. When the symptoms improve, the medication can be stopped at the appropriate time. It is not necessary to take it for life.
What are the long-term effects of stress-related pain if left untreated?
If the pain is not treated along with stress and the symptoms persist for a long time. The body will have low levels of neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine for a long time. Resulting in chronic pain. Many patients in this group will show symptoms of pain along with underlying stress or depression and will be sensitive to external (e.g. mood swings, certain foods, pollution, etc.) and internal (e.g. lack of rest, heavy exercise, anger, etc.) environments.
If a history is collected and a physical examination is performed. It will be found that patients often have physical symptoms that are not specific to the disease. Such as tight muscles with Trigger Points but the cause is unclear, joints or muscles are swollen without prior accidents, etc. These symptoms are caused by the pain center in the central nervous system malfunctioning. The pain may be so severe that it interferes with life and work, causing mental health to deteriorate rapidly.
Even if treated according to the plan mentioned above or stress reduction by resigning, the symptoms will not improve much. This group of patients with symptoms will fit into the Fibromyalgia syndrome. Diagnosis will be made by a doctor who specializes in pain. Other physical diseases must be assessed and excluded before a diagnosis can be made. The treatment must combine medication, physical therapy, and psychotherapy, and will take a longer time to treat.
Therefore, if anyone has had pain in their body for a long time, has tried to treat it. But it doesn’t go away. And the pain starts to cause problems in daily life, both physical, mental, and emotional potential. They should see a doctor for an evaluation to plan treatment before the symptoms get worse and require a longer treatment period. However, chronic pain with emotional involvement and Fibromyalgia are not life-threatening. If they receive close care from a doctor. They can be treated to get better until they can return to having a bright life again for sure.