Stress, a factor often implicated in back pain

 We are all exposed to stress, whether in our work or in our daily lives. Reaching goals, running out of time or having to make difficult decisions are enough to cause tension, overwork and stress. This state of anxiety then leads to muscle contractures and consequently back pain. It is essential to identify these sources of stress in order to better protect oneself from them...

How does stress express itself through our body?

Stress is very often the source of muscular tension due to the tightening of muscles: by tightening, the muscles lock up and weaken the back.

Stress leads to bad posture... which in turn leads to back pain.

An anxious person will tend to prefer the so-called "asymmetrical" postures: crossed legs, raised shoulders or a hunched back. These bad postures cause pain in the lumbar and cervical areas. Indeed, the neck, head and shoulders are particularly receptive to tension.

These back pains act as a memory card of our emotions.

The back is an extremely sensitive part to shocks and nervous tension. It memorizes your emotions and retains physical and psychological trauma often related to stress. It is therefore important to learn not only to identify the cause of stress, but also to cope with it by avoiding tension.

A bad postural habit of "reflexing" in the face of stress will only further damage your back. Properly adapting your posture also means learning how to tame your stress, but also how to cope with it. It is therefore essential to promote muscular relaxation through various exercises.

How can you control stress to protect your back?

Learning to manage stress also helps protect your back. Since back pain and stress are very often linked, it is important to know how to deal with them. There are several solutions for this:

Breathing

Breathing well allows you to relax and loosen your muscles to avoid painful contractures. 

Practicing physical activity

Muscle slackening makes it more difficult to maintain our back, which can lead to back pain. It is therefore essential to strengthen your back to reinforce the power of your muscles and thus maintain your spine.

Yoga or Pilates for example can be beneficial. These two disciplines link relaxation and breathing to bring the body back into optimal alignment through gentle stretching, ideal during periods of great stress. These two sports will allow you to strengthen your back, which is essential to arm yourself against back pain.

In addition, physical activities should be favoured in order to avoid prolonged static positions.

Walking is also a good alternative to stress. Walking for about ten minutes is enough to draw your attention elsewhere and release the anxiety that is present. This activity, which is accessible to everyone, helps to gently build back strength at the same time. 

Massage

It allows you to take a break with gentleness and serenity. Relaxing muscular contractures and releasing tension is beneficial in combating stress. Taking a few minutes for oneself daily is essential.

However, it is possible that despite these many tips, stress may invade you and trigger painful muscle contractions, in which case a muscle relaxant is recommended. It will help to relax the muscles and thus reduce the pain.