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Stress and Back Pain

Table of Contents


Overview

Stress is your body's response to a hard situation. Your body can have a physical, emotional, or mental response. Some stress is normal and even useful. Stress can help if you need to work hard or react quickly. But if stress happens too often or lasts too long, it can cause health problems.

What is the connection between stress and back pain?

We all "hold" stress in different ways. Some people hold stress in their minds. They may worry so much about a problem that they can't think clearly.

If you hold stress in your body, it can affect your back. You may start to tense your back muscles, which can lead to back pain or make it worse.

Stress and back pain can create a vicious circle. You have back pain, and you start to worry about it. This causes stress, and your back muscles begin to tense. Tense muscles make your back pain worse, and you worry more … which makes your back worse … and so on.

How can you reduce stress?

Stress is a part of life. But it doesn't have to control your life. Even if sometimes you can't avoid stress, you can build skills to respond to it in a healthy way. Here are a few ideas.


Credits for Stress and Back Pain

Current as of: June 24, 2023

Author: Healthwise Staff (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
Clinical Review Board (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.


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