Back ache? Blame the stress

Deccan Chroni

You must be blaming the heavy handbag, the office chair or the mattress for giving you the back pain. But did you know that stress is linked to chronic back pain? According to medical experts there is a strong connection between stress and back ache. Stress usually causes a release of certain stress hormones.

These hormones increase the perception of pain and cause the muscles to tighten. Due to this, the muscles tense up so much they go into painful spasms. Back and neck muscles are particularly sensitive to the effects of stress, spine care specialist at Dr S. Vijay says.

Biologically, muscle tension reduces blood flow to the tissues which essentially means that there is reduced oxygen and nutrients to our tissues. This in turn delays healing. Adequate circulation is necessary to flush acidic waste products (byproducts of muscular activity) from the tissues. When there is a build-up of acidic waste products in the tissues, fatigue and pain ensue.

Since stress in itself can cause back pain, a person with a ‘bad back’ or a person who has scar tissue from an old injury or even has degenerative changes in the spine due to ageing, will notice the effects of stress.

The slightest muscle tension can trigger a painful reaction. For instance, if spinal nerves are already restricted by scar tissue or calcium deposits. Tense back muscles increase back pain. Alternatively, pain increases tensing of muscles A vicious cycle of stress and back pain that continues to become chronic.

Since the human back is less capable of tolerating even mild abuse (lifting something slightly heavy, poor posture, a sudden twist, sitting too long, etc), when a person is anxious, the tight muscles leave the individual vulnerable to injury. So, taking time out to relax can be helpful. There are also various exercises that help an individual deal with a back ache in the right manner.