Whole-Body Pain: Stress

Everyone experiences stress sometimes. Stress is the feeling we get when the body goes into its “fight or flight” response. It may be triggered by an argument with a loved one, getting stuck in traffic, or anything else that your body perceives as a threat.

When your body reacts to a threat, several changes take place. One is that your heart starts beating faster. Another is that your muscles get tense—ready to fight or run. That's great if the threat is a physical one like a dangerous animal. But in modern life most of our stressors are not like this. In fact some of our stressors last months or even years, which can lead to chronic stress. If you're chronically stressed out, those tense muscles can leave your body aching all over.

If you recognize yourself in that scenario, you need to find a way to reduce your stress in order to feel good again. Different forms of relief work better for different people. Some find that intense exercise helps them relax. For others yoga or tai chi may work better. Meditation, deep breathing, massage, and other therapies work better for others. Finding the right way to destress can help ease the overall body pains you may be experiencing.