No one is immune to stress, regardless of whether you work in banking, IT or any other field. Your job could be hanging on a thread, your workload may be unmanageable, you could be having trouble making ends meet or maybe your stress is caused by things happening in your personal life and this stress can potentially develop into physical pain and lead to a variety of illnesses.
Although your body is well-equipped to cope with short periods of stress, a tough day at work can also bring about pain in the form of a migraine and it’s even more difficult to deal with sustained high levels of stress over a longer period.
Stress comes from the Latin word “stringere”. That means to stretch out; and when the muscles become too tight from tension, we feel pain.
The tense muscles can affect the nerves and cause pain and the tightening is brought about by the stress-induced release of cortisol, adrenaline and other hormones from the brain. These hormones initiate the body’s fight-or-flight response. Aside from heightening muscle tension, they also increase heart rate, blood pressure and respiration as well as sweating.
One of the areas of the body that’s most vulnerable to stress-related pain is the neck. Largely, this is due to the fact that your neck is already supporting the weight of your head. Sometimes neck pain can be caused by bad habits such as holding the phone between your head and shoulders, but increased tension and stress can cause the pain to get more intense as it radiates.
Mental stress increases the risk of developing radiating neck pain, but the pain can be relieved with the help of some exercises. A visit to a physiotherapist may also be helpful.
Here’s one exercise that you can try: Sit or stand straight then gently lower your chin to your chest. You should feel the muscles at the back of your neck being stretched. Hold the position for 15 seconds and then lower your head gently to one side. Hold the position for another 15 seconds and then repeat on the other side.
Of course you’ll feel pain from stress, but you may not realize you could develop more serious issues such as heart disease and clinical depression. Be aware and take action as soon as you realize you’re under stress. Use relaxation techniques, do simple exercises and movements, and consult your physician or physical therapist as you need to.
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