Ask someone to describe anxiety symptoms. You’ll probably hear plenty about sweaty palms, shaky voices, and racing heartbeats. Probably the only aches that stand a chance of being mentioned is a headache. In reality, chronic pain is a common indicator of an anxiety disorder. It can range from unexplained tension and pain to diseases like fibromyalgia or arthritis.
This is a well-documented connection. As many as 6 out of 10 people with chronic pain have also been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. In some cases, the presence of ongoing pain serves to ramp up feelings of anxiety. Knowing more about the connection is the first step toward managing it.
The Anxiety-Pain Cycle
When you’re dealing with long-term pain, it’s not unusual to get stressed about it. What’s causing it? Is it serious? How will I get through my day? Meanwhile:
Chronic pain has the potential to change how your brain processes emotions. In particular, you may find it harder to control feelings of anxiety.
As anxiety increases, your body triggers a stress reaction. The chemical changes this initiates can heighten the sensation of bodily pain.
Unchecked anxiety also contracts blood vessels which leads to more muscle tension.
Worrying about all this pain can inspire folks to become more sedentary. Inactivity only adds to the long-term pain which, as you know, makes you feel more anxious.
4 Chronic Pain Disorders Connected to Anxiety
Arthritis
Actually an umbrella name for over 100 medical conditions, arthritis impacts the musculoskeletal system with symptoms like pain, inflammation, stiffness, and cartilage damage. Anxiety (along with mood disorders like depression) is frequently present in those with any form of arthritis.
Back Pain
Of course, back pain is common across all ages but is most often found in people with anxiety. In terms of what “back” means in this chronic pain disorder, it covers anywhere along the length of the spine (and connected areas).
Fibromyalgia
This chronic medical condition manifests in muscle pain and fatigue anywhere on the body — but as of yet, the causes are not known. It is known that fibromyalgia pain is often triggered by anxiety.
Migraine
This type of pulsing headache can cause anxiety or be a symptom of anxiety. In some cases, the headache changes serotonin levels which is a known cause of increased anxiety.
Getting the Relief You Need and Deserve
You must treat both the anxiety disorder and its physical symptoms to provide relief. In terms of self-help, you can start with and be diligent about the basics:
Healthy Eating Choices: Some people have good results by limiting or avoiding caffeine and alcohol, gluten, and foods that fall into the nightshade family. Talk to a nutritional specialist for more information.
Daily Exercise: It may seem counterintuitive at first but movement is necessary — even when you’re in pain. Consult with your doctor but commit to getting a sweat in every day.
Regular Sleep Patterns: Lack of sleep makes everything worse — including anxiety and chronic pain. Aim to settle into a steady pattern of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.
Also, alternative treatments like acupuncture, massage, and yoga can be quite helpful.
Therapy is a Must
The connection between anxiety and chronic pain requires your full attention and commitment. There are a lot of moving parts in this scenario and thus, you’ll need to work with someone who takes a big-picture approach. Your weekly sessions will be a workshop where ideas are introduced, underlying causes are unearthed, and solutions are discovered. If you are caught up in an anxiety-pain cycle, I urge you to reach out and connect with me soon for anxiety therapy. Click f you’re interested in reading more about Anxiety Treatment.