Does Stress Or Anxiety Cause Pain

I love it that some doctors like yourselves answer question on public platforms. When i was a jr in uni for engineering i started getting chest pain and thought it was cardiac related. In this time i had other physical, emotional amd cognitive symptoms related to anxiety. Lightheadness, random pains, derealization, fatigue, burning skin etc. These things are never vocalized as symptoms of anxiety to the public so i thought it was forsure something organic or structural. After becoming a hypochondriac and seeing my gp 100s of times for different complaints, i took his advice and listened to him it was all anxiety induced. Slowly blood went back to my skin fixing the burning skin, my chest muscles relaxed, the dizziness wemt away. Sometimes when get anxious or stressed some symptoms trigger but a whole lot better overall. Thank docs and for others, who suffer terribly, there's hope. Just keep working toward it. God bless

Wow, you guys are amazing- I didn't even get follow up on how I was actually going to cope at home recovering from two broken ankles with no weight bearing -not even any practical help on how to leave the examination room and get back to the waiting room after being casted ( I guess I was expected to levitate but I asked for a wheelchair!) I can't imagine that my psychological health would even be considered. Keep up this good work!

So true that the mind body connection is strong. I've had a lot of depression and it totally effects my body, resulting in more aches and pains, exhaustion, etc. I've found not all family doctors including mine want to talk to you about your depression or anxiety other than just prescribing a pill. It would be nice if primary care had some training in this and was willing to get even just slightly more involved. Also, because it's really tough at least in my experience to find a really good therapist. Doctors are overall better trained and usually more intelligent than therapists. The bar is not too high to become a therapist/counsellor and some of them are really bad. I find that mental and emotional issues for me at least are much much more painful than the physical. Thanks for talking about this. There are so many people suffering from depression and anxiety, etc. and it needs to be talked about more and way more support needs to be given because people in this emotional state have a really hard time even getting it together enough to get help for themselves.

I had panic attacks, anxiety, depression, I even became a agoraphobia because I started having panic attacks daily 4 years ago body aches, headaches, dizziness, etc I was scared to leave my house, I also felt sick and the dizziness didn’t help, it took me two years to “cure myself” without meds. If you feel stress out keep track of the time, what you were doing etc like a log of your day etc

I am a clinical psychologist and a double knee replacement patient. I could not agree more; stress, anxiety, depression may not cause knee/hip problems but they exacerbate these conditions. Cognitive Behavior Therapy from a qualified CBT therapist is very effective for these conditions.

This is so true. I have had 16 cystoscopes,11 lithotripes, 2 knee surg.,2 back surg, a full hysterectomy. I also have fibromyalgia and severe Depression(I have tried over 10 depression meds.) I hurt all over every day. I have told my primary care Dr. that and he said I should go to a psychiatrist. I agree with that, but it's a viscous cycle. The PAIN makes me Depressed and the Depression makes me Hurt more. Thank you for talking about this issue.

This is SO relavant more so today than perhaps when the video was recorded. Coming thru a pandemic it seems that the baseline level of anxiety across the board has increased as as expected are reports of pain. As a Physical Therapist and Mental Health counsellor I am using this as an educational tid bit. !! Thank you

Great tip to find the root cause of your pain. It could be stress or a worry or other area simplifying your issue ....

Found what you shared personally very helpful to comforting others

Clutter that's been piling plus my never ending to do list is making me very anxious these days and not having time to get anything or everything done. I was stressing about this one thing and literally started feeling a sensation in both my arms, started going down to my hands then also my neck and upper back. I was worried it might be something else, but it makes sense that stress anxiety definitely playing a part in this nulling pain. I got a massage and it helped bit, then when I started feeling stress again I felt the sensation slowly creep up again I will declutter my life and I know alot of my stress n anxiety will subside. Stress can do alot to your body without knowing it

The hardest thing it’s to find a doctor who understands that. My therapist was giving me nothing but a pain relief pills even I was telling him that I experience insane stomach pain after stress. Nothing but a pain killers pills that does -ZERO! The only thing that helps me it’s listening a guiding meditation through my earbuds. That’s all I need!

I love this channel. I was married to a physician and after hearing every "maladie" through osmosis, I awarded myself the medal "professional hypochondriac". I do not know how you do your jobs ... I congratulate you. My MD prescribed me Xanax to handle my anxiety PRN. Years later I got addicted and now I am feeling the effects of anxiety and withdrawal from same drug. DANGEROUS!

Another great vid. I, too, am a clinical psychologist. (What is this?!! So many shrinks follow you guys?). I'm not recommending a specific treatment but I am suggesting that some anxiety motivates us to seek solutions to problems. Most important is that those with anxiety/depression/the blues talk with someone. Complaints are good! They help us identify a problem. (Whining .... eh, not so much).

Agree. The way you feel emotionally affects you physically. Everyone should take a day off. I mean OFF. Sleep all day. Get up to drink water, eat something light, and take a shower, go back to sleep. Whatever is there to do will be there to do next day anyway. If you are like me. Do everything the day before, so it is not in your head and you can relax. Exercise everyday at least a little. Sunday's it's a good day.

Absolutely correct. I get stressed because I care for an elderly relative with dementia. When I get super stressed, the pain in my knees goes berserk. The pain in my muscles also goes berserk. You need to understand your pain

Hi Docs! Thank you for the very good and entertaining information.

I suffer from anxiety for all my life honestly i wish it could get better. Affects me from being able to eat and sleep. Talking to someone doesnt help and taking medicine doesnt help. Hopefully some day all of this will make sense :(

does anxiety also cause nerve-like stinging pain in the legs and arms? it all started one day when I was studying for my exam. since then, it hasnt left me and im going crazy. I got blood tests and everything was fine.

Thank you for the information doctor

Thank you so much for your knowledge