Reduce Stress and Reduce Pain

[1], when the body is stressed, it causes muscles to tighten. This is the natural “fight or flight” response and the muscle tension goes away when the stress leaves. However, when the stress occurs over longer periods of time, the muscles tend to remain in a “more or less constant state of guardedness” (APA). This can trigger other reactions in the body, including tension-type headaches, migraine headaches, and back and shoulder pain.According to psychologists at the Help Guide.org, (2) , when you repeatedly experience the fight or flight stress response in your daily life, it can, among other things, cause pain, digestive problems, sleep problems,depressionand a host of mental and emotional problems. Stress can also manifest itself in an otherwise-healthy person in symptoms such as general restlessness, lack of energy, fatigue, teeth grinding, difficulty concentrating, feeling overworked, irritation, feeling overwhelmed, and apathy.

Many healthy people experience neck and back pain while sitting at the computer at some time.Generally when we sit too long, our posture gets poorer and more slouched and, as a result, we feel muscle fatigue and sometimes even pain.

Trips to the chiropractor and massage therapist often resolve the pain for a period of time but unresolved factors frequently bring the pain back quickly. Most companies spend a lot of money and attention making sure their employees are as comfortable as possible. They purchase good furniture and equipment to offer the right Ergonomic setup. But employee’s fears in this climate are pushing them to not pay attention to their bodies or their workstation setup, and to work themselves harder and longer to compensate for people missing from their organization. No one wants to bring attention to themselves, but ignoring pain now can lead to Repetitive Strain issues down the road. Repetitive Strain Injuries are most frequently caused from long term use of muscles and joints in awkward, static postures, where minor tears of the muscle fibres lead to larger issues.

If you are feeling stressed and/or in pain, it is particularly important at this time to pay attention to your body. There are some specific things that can help you to release tension and reduce soreness:

1. Ensure your workstation is set up “ergonomically” – most important: get your feet grounded on the floor or a footrest and set up your chair properly!
2. Take a Stretch Break – stretching pulls apart the muscle fibres and allows nutrients to get to the tired muscles. This can help keep them healthy and less fatigued.
3. Move more – stand up, walk around, take a lunch break, change your chair and desk position.
4. Reduce your stress – everyone has different ways of doing that. Some people meditate or do deep breathing, others do yoga, others spend time socializing with friends. Find what works for you and make sure you take time for yourself.

Shona Anderson, CCPE, recently contributed to the Canadian Living article “8 Ways to stay healthy at the office”.