Pain and Stress: A domino effect

"The back carries the weight of the world" as a counselling, osteopathic lecturer of mine once said. I would not go quite that far but I do approve with the general principle that what we feel can manifest in our physical body, almost as if the brain does not want to deal with certain emotions and consequently, will create a physical pain. That is not to say the pain is not real, it is but there may be no obvious physical or physiological changes to be seen in painful area.

But to admit that pain is being caused by mental suffering seems to many people to be a massively taboo area, as  if it labels them as shirkers or making it up. This is most certainly not the case and it is imperative for people to realise that mental suffering, stress and so on are very real and that our brains have a host of ways of dealing with them, one being getting rid of and ‘off-loading’ onto the musculoskeletal system. Addressing both parts is a really key component of the treatment but the client must be open to the concept that some of their pain is being created by the brain.

Recent clinical research, as mentioned in Talk Back Magazine, the journal of the charity BackCare suggests that our ability to cope with stressors in life has a direct connection with the amount of pain we experience. Stress can worsen pain and conversely pain can lead to more stress. The symptoms may occur together, they do not necessarily always cause one another, they do though, share a common origin.

The connection in the brain is between the area of the brain that processes emotional responses and the parts of the brain that relate to the glandular, endocrine (hormone) and immune systems. The hormones released into the bloodstream affect every system of the body and for every type of receptor in the brain there is an equivalent in the body. This is the mind/body connection that as a term is regrettably associated with the more esoteric and obscure types of healing therapies but it is a s real as you can get!

One obvious response to pain or stress is the fight or flight response. Like a dark cloud hanging over us, stress or pain can change our biochemistry. Increased production of stress chemicals, such as cortisol are can affect sleep cycles, disturbing the rejuvenating deep sleep that is essential to our well-being. This can lead to decreased energy levels and an increased fatigue. The pain can be enough of a disruption to cause increased irritability, low mood, poor dietary choices and so on. The pain can lead to feelings of depression and relationships can become strained. Brain studies in people with persistent pain shows a rearrangement in those parts of the brain involved in understanding and perception. In other words, long term pain sufferers are inclined to think, feel and act like a long-standing sufferer.

Evidence from studies exploring the link between personality and long-term pain proves that long-term pain is preceded by the creation of predictable behaviours. So how we respond to pain can be understood as a consequence of many aspects including personality, how we manage our feelings and past experiences.

Osteopaths are taught the very basics of psychology and one significant reasons why I have invested a lot of time and energy on my own further development in this area, is to empower me in practice to help people explore the ‘other story’ behind their pain/ suffering. Recognising the factors that may intensify the symptom(s) of pain can really help one cope, deal with and finally and find peace with the issues, past or present.