The Concept of Stress
A state of affairs that involves a demand on an individual’s mental or physical energy is what stress is typically defined as. An individual’s normal mental and physical health can be disturbed by this circumstance or condition.
Stress is also defined by experts as being a perceived ability to cope with a painful or unpleasant situation. It is in three different forms that stress can basically occur; these include:
Negative – In the form of anxiety, anger or overcommitted lifestyles and anxiety over jobs
Positive – In the context of an experience that is positive, such as a marriage or job promotion
Neutral – Feelings felt in situations that are seemingly neutral, i.e. while engrossed in a job. The physical activity may lead to the same even though you might not actually feel stress
Chronic Pain and Stress
In the perpetuation of chronic pain, one of the most common behavioral factors that interact with physical factors is stress. When an individual is stressed out the reaction is physical as well as behavioral. In fact, the experience of pain is so stressful in itself that every chronic pain patient experiences stress to some degree.
The reaction is both behavioral and physical when a person is stressed out.
Additionally, chronic pain associated in varied ways with different conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, neck pain, low back pain, headache and temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD), interacts with stress.
The immune and nervous system can actually be affected by the persistent stress of chronic pain. Depression can also be caused and all the more pain can be perceived by the brain when you’re coping with chronic pain.
The Cycle that’s vicious
The effect and cause of chronic pain is often how stress is termed.
Two different kinds of factors are what pain is basically made up of, psychological and physical. It is mainly according to the brain’s perception of pain that the psychological factors occur.
Meanwhile, the stimulants associated with the pain and the actual cause of it are included in the physical factors. Research shows that, based on the manner in which the brain perceives it, human pain can be aggravated or reduced.
When chronic pain is affecting an individual, a strong bout of stress takes a hold of her/him. Factors that contribute to the overall stressful situation include social activity, loss of friends and not being able to continue work in a normal fashion. The chronic pain is in turn aggravated by this stressful environment. Eventually, because of this cycle, stress will appear again, and the patients realize the onset of the vicious cycle they are trapped in.
Chronic Pain and Stress Management
To deal with chronic pain, it is extremely crucial to possess stress management skills. As a matter of fact, even individuals who do not feel they are stressed can have their pain controlled with stress management skills.
Some of stress management’s main methods for chronic pain patients have been discussed with you in this section by Southwest Myofascial Release.
Treatment that is non-pharmacologic
In patients of chronic pain, a vast series of non-pharmacologic measures are available in addition to medicines that are recommended for stress management. Since the risk of adverse reactions and side effects are not carried by non-pharmacologic forms of treatment, there’s a major advantage in them over medications.
Non-pharmacologic treatment includes the following main forms:
Myofascial Release Therapy, Pilates, Osteopathy, Acupuncture, Yoga, and certain Massages
Treatment that is pharmacologic
There are a series of medicines available which have a soothing effect on the some patients suffering from chronic pain may find a somewhat soothing effect in a series of medicines that are available. Drugs such as sedatives, tranquilizers and NSAIDs are included in these.
Pain Control that is bio-behavioral
Patients with chronic pain are taught how to have control over their physical and behavioral reactions with the skills of bio-behavioral pain control that has a role to play in their everyday life situations. For the management of chronic pain that is stress-related, these skills are extremely important – as has been shown in research.
Amongst these, the most important are:
Myofascial Release Therapy, Guided mastery of stress/pain-management application, Cognitive therapy for stressful situations, Cue-controlled rapid relaxation, Imagery, Progressive muscle relaxation training, Deep diaphragmatic breathing and Biofeedback for physiological self-regulation of pain
With Myofascial Release Therapy at Southwest Myofascial Release, there’s nothing else you will require. So call TODAY to book your appointment for healing, and have peace in your life.
