The Mind and Body System: Yoga for Chronic Pain

Image Source

“It could all be in your mind” – this is a phrase connected with chronic pain, which could be frustrating to a person experiencing one. With this, chronic pain has been well-researched for decades – with scientists and researchers looking for pain sources within muscle injuries, infections, and spinal discs.

Not only this, but recent research explores the biology of emotions, memories, and expectations of chronic pain. Furthermore, although chronic pain has roots in physical illnesses, it can also be sustained with emotional trauma changes to the mind. So, learn about such a system below:

Understanding Chronic Pain

Pain consists of your body’s protective pain response which activates whenever your body encounters a physical threat. Once your body experiences an injury, your body sends signals to the brain and forms pain sensations. Afterward, emotions will kick in your brain, triggering different reaction levels, such as fear and anger. This process consists of the overall protective pain response.

When you experience chronic pain, your body is more sensitive to minor or non-existent threats. Additionally, your brain could interpret it as threatening and the sensations too painful. This, in turn, produces out-of-proportion responses. With this, acute emergencies may have explosive pain responses since your mind-body’s response is becoming overprotective.

On the other hand, you could also experience acute pain if it’s only quick bouts of pain in your body. This type of pain differs from chronic pain in that it happens and goes away quickly. If you’re unsure whether you have acute or chronic pain, it’s best to visit your doctor and ask for professional advice.

Your doctor will prescribe medication to help with the pain – which could range from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory to anti-seizure drugs. Furthermore, you can try coupons or ask for clinically equivalent prescriptions if the initial medication is costly. If you Save on Tramadol HCL with BuzzRx, you’ll have more money reserved for other necessities. Nonetheless, one way to relieve chronic pain is through professional advice.

Causes for Chronic Pain

Pain signals are continuously sent to your brain, so your nervous system works day and night to alert your body of an issue. Although there is no definite cause for chronic pain, some issues can prolong your body’s protective pain response. With this, here are three causes of chronic pain:

Poor Posture

Looking down on your cell phone may seem like a minor issue, but it can cause chronic pain in your neck and back. It could even lead to serious health concerns like heartburn and digestive issues.

According to Orlando Health physician Dr. Lushantha Gunasekera, being slightly misaligned puts strain on the body, which in turn causes chronic pain in the long run. In line with this, a 2018 study highlighted reduced spinal pain in patients that had postural improvements.

Mental and Emotional Stress

Pain and stress are two sides of one coin, overlapping and influencing each other. Stress can significantly alter the body’s homeostasis (a regulating process to achieve internal stability).

Furthermore, the persistence of the stress could lead to compromised well-being. Stress and chronic pain could also lead to physical symptoms such as tingling, weakness in the arms or hands, numbness, fevers or chills, or spasms.

Sedentary Lifestyle

A sedentary lifestyle can also cause chronic pain. In a 2017 study, physical activity was crucial for chronic pain patients. Since exercise promotes the creation of dopamine (the neurotransmitter involved in reinforcing rewards within the body), one would also be motivated to increase their food intake and promote their metabolism.

Yoga And Chronic Pain

Unlearning chronic pain is challenging but not impossible. You could try healthy approaches such as yoga since it connects your body and mind. You may think that yoga exercises are only posing, but this activity helps in reducing your protective pain response to go overboard.

Moreover, it also puts your mind at ease, reduces stress, and puts your mind at ease. Yoga helps your body turn off the stress response and direct your energy to repair immune function and growth. 

The Science Behind It

In 2019, a meta-analysis of 686 participants found that yoga helps relieve neck pain. Not only this, but it also improves their range of motion, boosts their mood, and helps with pain-related disabilities.

The same goes for a 2019 study involving 72 participants with rheumatic arthritis. After eight weeks of yoga, the researchers noticed a significant decrease in the severity of the pain – as marked by inflammatory markers.

Yoga helps the body in all aspects: spiritual, emotional, mental, and intellectual. Moreover, it removes any negative muscle tension, creates a steady breathing pattern, and removes any distress in the body. Your protective pain response will stop, and a relaxation response will begin as your body harmonizes to create homeostasis.

Final Thoughts

Chronic pain is multidimensional. Not only does it affect you physically, but it also impacts your overall lifestyle. With it, you’d have to experience pain within your body, bouts of stress and fatigue, and even spasms.

However, this doesn’t have to be true if you try yoga. Doing so will give your life a sense of relaxation and diminish stress and fatigue. You could even try simple exercises and poses on your first try. Overall, yoga allows you to strengthen your body without the intensity of one.

Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.