Stress is a complex, natural response to a perceived dangerous threat. When we feel stress, our bodies release extra adrenaline and cortisol, giving us the temporary ability to move faster, to think more quickly, and to react instinctively. When the threat goes away, our bodies return to a neutral state. This response is healthy and … Read more
The flurry of getting ready for school—buying school supplies, new clothes, and managing fears related to new teachers or new schools—is exciting but stressful. Managing back-to-school stress is important for living with chronic pain, whether you are the one living with pain or your child. Thankfully, it is possible to make returning to school less … Read more
The stress of modern life can wreak havoc on both the body and the mind. People may encounter work stress, money troubles, health issues, relationship problems, and any number of other situations that must be managed. Long-term, chronic stress takes a toll on inner peace, frequently leading to anxiety and depression. Many of the issues leading … Read more
Stress and pain are an unwelcome but inseparable pair. When you’re in pain, it stresses you out. When you’re under stress, it can cause or further aggravate pain. And around and around the cycle goes. So it makes sense then that taking steps toward helping one also helps the other. But what can you do … Read more
For people suffering from chronic pain, the accompanying stress might seem undefeatable, like a non-negotiable fact of life. But managing it not only improves quality of life from a relaxation standpoint, it can also reduce pain. Worse, the holiday season can make it even worse. Unfortunately, pain and stress do not mix well. Here’s some of … Read more
Everybody experiences stress—it’s a natural physical reaction and can sometimes be beneficial—but long-term, chronic stress significantly impacts a person’s health and can lead to serious health consequences. Can stress cause headaches then? Absolutely. How can stress cause headaches? Stress is a fight-or-flight reaction triggered by situations the mind considers threatening or beyond its control. Instinctually, … Read more
From stress to depression and beyond, some type of mental health issue affects millions of people in the U.S. Even those without a clinical disorder often face occasional anxiety or bouts of sadness they may not know how to handle. For people living with chronic pain, treating the mind is just as important as treating … Read more
Cuddle therapy, anyone? It may not be the most conventional treatment for depression, anxiety, or similar mental health conditions, but many people swear by the benefits of this therapy and other, similarly out-of-the box treatments. Although traditional therapy, exercise, and meditation steal all the attention when it comes to finding peace and happiness, there are … Read more
There’s a bright spot of news amid frightening statistics that illustrate the harsh environment stress creates in the body, and that’s all the people who are embracing mindful practices like meditation, yoga, and tai chi to relax and melt tension. Research suggests that while stress is unhealthy, a big part of managing that tension is … Read more
The link between stress and health problems is becoming increasingly well-known, but the idea is not new. In 1967, two researchers named Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe conducted a landmark study to measure the effects of stress on health. The result, the Holmes Rahe Stress Scale, is today widely used to forecast how likely a … Read more