Stress (Shoulder Tightness and Pain Part 2)

Stress.

This a long blog but don’t stress, it’s an easy read.

We all suffer from stress in one way or another. Some people know when they’re stressed and acknowledge that their bodies feel tight and uncomfortable whenever they get stressed. Other people, like myself, don’t notice when they are stressed but their bodies start telling them about it in the most uncomfortable of ways.

The most common place for stress tension to resonate is the upper shoulders and neck. This can also manifest headaches in the unlucky ones.

So why does stress cause tension in your upper shoulders and neck?

One theory, that makes a lot of sense to me, is that stress induces what are called “flexion postures”. Think of “flexion” as being forward bending or closing in on yourself and “extension” as backward bending or opening your body up and outwards.

Consider two people in two very different situations.

Someone who is depressed and riddled with anxiety. What does their posture look like? They’re slouched. Slumped. Shoulders rolled inward and slightly elevated up toward their ears. They take up as little space within a room as possible. They’re hiding into themselves.

Now think of someone who has just won a running race. What do they do as the cross the line? They raise their arms to the sky in triumph. They puff their chest outward, look up and smile ear to ear.

This is a serotonin (brain chemical) mediated process. Evolutionarily speaking, the stressed out, defeated person feels the need to cover up and protect their internal organs from potential predators. The confident person who has just finished demonstrating their physical prowess in the race is not scared on becoming prey. They boldly open their posture to the world and expose the most sensitive parts of themselves.

These are two extreme examples but they apply in day-to-day life to you.

When you’re feeling stressed your shoulders will migrate toward your ears slightly, your posture will slouch and along with a general feeling of tension within your system, you’ll physically manifest tension in your upper shoulders and neck. Think tight deadline, unreasonable manager, trapped at your desk for long periods.

So what is to be done of this?

At risk of sounding like another preachy do-gooder boasting about their transformative experience with meditation…it can really help. Taking breaks from your work or your stressful situation, whatever it may be, to take some slow deep breaths and tune the outside madness out can quieten your nervous system and relax your musculoskeletal system.

There are many fantastic apps you can download which provide guided meditations of all of lengths, for all experience levels and even specific meditations to help you address particular aspects of your life. My experience has been with Headspace (of which I maintain an ongoing paid subscription) and Smiling Mind (which is a free, Australian based app of very high quality).

Another positive activity you can try to relieve stress and musculoskeletal tension and pain is Yoga. My advice with yoga is to give it try and see if you like it. Research a yoga studio that is near to your home or work to make it easy and convenient. The most important thing is that you enjoy it, because the routine and consistency of practice is where you will find the most benefit. There is no point going to one class every 3 weeks.

Yoga combines moving your body through a variety of movements and positions that you might not otherwise experience throughout a regular day. This is actually really important for your musculoskeletal system. Think of it as oiling your joints. It also combines a stretching with a control of the breath. Utilising the breath allows you to sink deeper into a stretch on an exhalation (out breath) whilst also provides a calmness to your nervous system.

There are plenty of other ways to manage your stress levels such as addressing tasks on your to-do list that may be causing you anxiety, taking a moment to take 3 deep breaths then returning to the task at hand, going for a slow walk outdoors with no music or calm music playing, cleaning up your living or working space (humans have an innate desire for order and tidiness), drinking a calmative tea (such as camomile or lavender), doing something that you enjoy, exercising or spending time with loved ones.

The list goes on and on. It’s best to just find what works for you. Pay attention to your body and notice when you feel tense and when you feel at ease. Notice when you’re worrying about real or perceived threats in the future and when you’re living in the moment and enjoying yourself.

Many other things in our lives apply “a stress” on our bodies. These are termed stressors. A metaphor which helps to explain the phenomenon of stressors building up and tipping you over the edge and into an episode of acute, sharp pain is the cup of water metaphor.

Think of your body as an empty cup. Everything that applies stress to your body adds water to the cup. The cup can only hold so much water before it overflows and makes a mess. Things that add water to your cup can be existential such as work stress, issues with family or other personal relationships, financial strain and so on. Other less obvious stressors include drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, eating refined carbohydrates and sugars, not drinking enough water, not getting adequate sleep, eating dairy or gluten when you know your body doesn’t like dairy or gluten, not exercising and too much screen time.

All of the above factors add water to your cup, so if you’re ever feeling overwhelmed, remember there are a lot of things you can cut out, or add in that will reduce the water in your cup, calm your nervous system and decrease tension in your musculoskeletal system.

Your Osteopath is also your best friend in stressful situations. Not only can they provide you with relief from this muscular tension and pain. They can offer you advice and management strategies just as I have detailed above. Osteopaths care about more than just whats tight and whats sore. We listen to what you’re telling us about your life as a whole and we do our best to help you manage these things causing you stress.

To make an appointment with us at Osteopathic Movement:

Call: 0402 377 209

or

Book Online: www.osteopathicmovement.com