Stress versus Anxiety

Stress and anxiety are both emotional responses: 

Stress: 

Stress is usually caused by something that’s happening outside of your mind or body, like work stress, a long-term illness or a fight with someone you love. Stress can cause mental and physical symptoms including irritability, anger, tiredness, muscle pain, tummy troubles and problems with sleeping. 

Anxiety 

Anxiety is your body’s reaction to stress and can occur even if there is no existing threat. Anxiety is when you experience excessive worries that don't go away. It can seem a lot like stress because it can cause similar symptoms. 

Shared symptoms of stress and anxiety 

Stress and anxiety can both affect you mentally, how you behave and physically. 

Some of the mental and behaviour symptoms can include:  

  • problems with sleeping 
  • not being able to concentrate, being forgetful or indecisive 
  • feeling tired, worried, irritable or uneasy 
  • Avoiding certain places or people 
  • Feeling overwhelmed 

Physical symptoms may include: 

  • tense muscles  
  • headaches  
  • body pain  

Pains Related to Stress and Anxiety

Some of the more common pains you could experience when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, might include:  

Muscle Tension and Aches 

When your body is stressed, your muscles tense up – it’s your body’s reflex reaction to stress and its way of protecting against injury and pain.  When stress carries on for a prolonged time, it can cause your muscles to be in a constant state of tension, which may cause pain or other health issues. 

Headaches 

Stress and muscle tension can lead to tension headaches and/or migraines. Tension headaches can last from 30 minutes to several days. They can cause pain on both sides of your head, face or neck, like something is pressing on your head or is tightening around it. Your head might feel tender or hurt when touched. 

Body Pains 

Although muscle strains are a common cause of back pain, prolonged muscle tension and tension headaches from stress are linked to pain in the back, shoulders and neck. 

Chest Pains 

Anxiety is a possible cause of chest pain.  It can feel like a sharp continuous pain that starts when you are worried or stressed.  Your heartbeat might speed up and you may feel dizzy or sweat. 

Some Ways to Help Ease Anxiety or Stress

Fortunately, if your stress or anxiety is mild, there are things you can do yourself, to cope. You might need to try different things to find out what works for you. Here’s some information about some of the things you can try: 

  • Keeping a pain and emotion diary, where you write down when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, what might be causing it and any pain that you might be experiencing. This could help your or your doctor, understand if your pain is connected to your emotions and what factors might be contributing to your stress or anxiety.  
  • Relaxation techniques and breathing exercises can help to calm you when you’re feeling stressed or anxious and may also reduce muscle tension and headache. Relaxation can also improve your mood and help you to function more easily.  
  • Exercises can help with physical and mental wellbeing. Regular activities such as running, walking, swimming and yoga can help you to relax, clear your thoughts, and help you deal with your problems more calmly.  There are online resources to help you get started with exercise or you could join a sports club or gym. Participating in exercise or activity with others, can help to relieve your stress and relax you. 
  • A healthy, balanced diet, with regular meals containing a variety of nutritious food can help to keep your energy levels stable. Try to avoid drinking too much caffeine such as coffee or soft drinks, cut down on smoking and limit your intake of alcohol. 
  • A healthy sleep routine may help you get enough sleep. 
  • Positive affirmation from friends or family. It’s helpful to maintain a positive social network of people like friends or family that you can talk to, about your feelings and explore positive ways that may help you cope or to see things in a different way. 
  • Take control and challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts.  You may find peer support or online self-help courses, beneficial. A gratitude journal where you write down 3 things that went well or for which you’re grateful for daily, might help you stay positive. 
  • Talking Therapy - talking with a mental health professional may be helpful, if you're finding it difficult to cope or your daily activities are affected by stress or anxiety. 

When to speak to a doctor about anxiety, stress or body pain

Seek medical advice if you feel like stress or anxiety is overwhelming and you’re struggling to cope, things you’re trying are not helping or you’d like a referral. 

Speak to a doctor about muscle or body pain, headaches or chest pain if: 

  • You have frequent or severe headaches, throbbing pain at the front or one side of your head or you feel sick, vomit or find light or noise painful  
  • Things you’ve tried at home including taking painkillers, are not relieving your headaches, back, neck or shoulder pain or neck stiffness 
  • Your pain is severe or getting worse over time  
  • Pain is stopping you from doing your daily activities, or you are worried about the pain or struggling to cope 
  • You have shoulder pain and having difficulty moving your arm or shoulder 
  • You have chest pain that comes and goes or goes away quickly but you’re still worried 

FAQs

How can you ease anxiety related pain? 

You could try massage or physiotherapy.  A painkiller with anti-inflammatory properties such as ibuprofen, may also help to ease pain. 

These strategies can also help with stress or anxiety: 

  • Exercising 
  • Breathing exercises 
  • Talking to loved ones 
  • Talking to a mental health professional, or your GP 
  • Relaxation techniques 

What Does Anxiety Pain Feel Like? 

Anxiety itself is not a type of pain, but rather your body’s reaction to stress. Both stress and anxiety can affect your mind and body.  You may experience tension headaches, and body pains such as chest, neck, shoulder or back pain. 

This article is for general information only and not intended as a substitute for medical advice. All information presented on these web pages is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. In all health-related matters, always consult your healthcare professional. 

Always read the product label. Use only as directed. Incorrect use could be harmful. If symptoms persist consult your healthcare professional. 

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