Alice,
When I worry/stress out, I find the muscles on one side of my neck (usually
the right side) begin to tighten up to the point of acute pain. On occasion,
the pain reaches from the back of my ear, down my neck (the most painful
point), through my shoulder, down the arm, and in extreme cases to the tips
of my fingers. Two questions:
1. How do I stop this?
2. How do I relieve the pain when it occurs?
I'm currently suffering from one of these neck aches, and can't turn
my head, so I'd really appreciate your response.
Thanks from,
A Pain in the Neck
Dear A Pain in the Neck,
Stressors, worry, and anxiety all produce muscle tension in everybody.
It's part of the natural fight-or-flight response, and is one of the ways
that our bodies respond to threats and demands -- whether those challenges
are actually happening, or if they're just in our heads. Some people are
more prone to feel this stress response in their muscles, while others may
be dogged by fatigue, indigestion, moodiness, etc. Stress can also trigger
and exacerbate existing conditions, like asthma, arthritis, sciatica, and
prior muscle injuries. Alice recommends that you see your health care provider,
who will examine you for such ailments.
In the meantime, here are a few stress- and muscle tension-reduction
suggestions:
- Sharpen your awareness of your stress level. Muscle pain is
often the end result of a stress response, so if you notice the
beginning of a tension-producer, you can break from it, preventing strain
from turning into aches and paralysis. For example, lots of people develop
headaches and tired, teary eyes after long days and nights in front of
the computer screen. If they took a couple of minutes every half-hour to
stop and rest their eyes, they'd likely ward off greater discomfort later
on.
- Massage yourself. No, you don't need to strip in the middle
of the street; but, when you start to feel tightness or pain in your neck,
use your hands to gently stretch and massage that area. Muscle tension
builds when there is poor blood and energy flow. Self-massage helps to
loosen pain-producing log-jams.
- Exercise. You've heard it before, but here it is again: aerobic
activity is probably the best overall stress-reducer. Whether your stressors
come from work, school, family, or friends, exercise helps relieve constant
stress. Aerobic activities (i.e., jogging, cycling, blading, swimming,
etc.) also produce pain-killing hormones that may make your pain-in-the-neck
a little less troublesome.
Feel better,
- Alice
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Pain in the neck
