It’s fairly widely understood that neck pain and stress are interconnected, making it hard for even an experienced medical professional to diagnose which is causing which. Although it may be tempting to use pain relieving medication to treat neck pain and stress, this is usually not the best option as learning how to relax can effectively reduce or eliminate the symptoms of both conditions. When neck pain is causing stress, treating the source of the stress may help reduce discomfort in the short term but fail to address what might be a treatable physical problem.
Many people who experience discomfort in their neck find that experience stressful unto itself, especially when the discomfort is very painful or long-lasting. Therefore with many people the discomfort that they feel in their neck is directly causing the stress that they feel.
But on the other hand, neck discomfort can be brought on due to a number of physical reasons, including cramps in the muscles, physical tension, poor sleeping patterns, anxiety, or even bad overall health brought on by depression.
Regardless of which factor is the principle underlying cause of your stress and neck discomfort, there are a number of excellent treatment options available, including:
If the pain in your neck and stress become unbearable and you decide to seek medical treatment, be aware that you may be confronted with some difficult questions and thorough examinations. Your doctor visit may include:
Unfortunately for sufferers of stress and neck discomfort, doctors know that there is a vicious cycle involved.
Physical pain leads to disability and impairment of daily functions, which leads to stress, which leads to more physical pain, in an endless cycle unless you treat the underlying problems.
Treatment Options for When the Pain is Physical in Nature
Even if your doctor diagnoses that your neck discomfort is being caused by a physical problem, there is help available, including: