“One way to break up any kind of tension is good deep breathing.”
Byron Nelson
If Pain had a gender it would definitely be masculine. Just because…
And why not? All of us have felt Him, this stingy, cracking life’s side-effect that just has enough Ego to be a part of your existence, whether it be after an intense workout, a performance, or even an exam.
He comes uninvited,
He comes and goes. Whenever He wishes!
Seems no one can stop Him…
Except!… You know one His weakness…
His weakness is simple, the one He’d be nothing without, –
Her name is Anxiety.
Whatever that means…
But do be aware – She’s all for what Pain exists.
Here’s a little rhyme that came too naturally not to share. With this, a huge article joined along, all in honour of Him – the Mr. Pain. And of course, His sister…
Life is tense! That’s why Buddhists and Tibetan monks have their practices to end the suffering and get rid of all illusions in our world, including Pain.
Unless you are a Tibetan monk, physical Pain, while in company of his great “sister” Anxiety must have visited you at least once before a big test, performance, or a public speaking.
However, some people experience it more than others. Based on global statistics it is estimated that 264 million adults around the globe experience Anxiety in their life. It is thought to be a psychological disorder, but it involves many systems of the body. Anxiety is a true chameleon and is called a “somatic” condition: meaning it is typically brought on and made worse not by any external source (for example a virus), but by our internal psychological and physiological functioning.
One way or another, along with Her almost always comes Mr. Pain. Therefore conversations about chronic painful problems routinely turn into conversations about Anxiety and it often ends up at the chicken-and-egg question: does Anxiety cause the Pain, or is the Pain causing the Anxiety?
Hint: it’s both.
Chronic Pain is extremely common and can be both a cause and consequence of Anxiety — sometimes equally, sometimes slanted much more one way than the other, but each always influencing the other to some degree. For many people with both Anxiety and Pain, solving the Pain is the best possible treatment for the Anxiety. Others must solve both at once. And a few will find that Pain is just one of many ways meaning that they are haunted by Anxiety demons.
How works the Anxiety = Pain Phenomenon?
The Anxiety causes our natural stress response to be constantly activated, and that our muscles contract as part of our stress response. When we experience Anxiety, our neuromuscular system never gets a chance to recover or return to normal. Our heart rate remains elevated and our muscles retain a higher than normal level of tension.
So when our muscles are constantly contracted, our cells are forced to create energy for our muscles through the process of anaerobic metabolism. In this process, glucose is synthesized into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) without the help of oxygen, and lactic acid is produced as waste.
Lactic acid is often blamed for muscle soreness, but our body quickly breaks down lactic acid into lactate and hydrogen ions. A build-up of hydrogen ions, which activate our pain receptors, is likely the cause of the dull ache and burning sensation we feel in our muscles during strenuous exercise.
And a build – up of lactate is linked to Anxiety. Not surprisingly, studies show that people with Anxiety have higher levels of muscle tension, react to stress with stronger muscle contractions, and return to their normal level of tension slower.
Both Anxiety and chronic muscle tension are conditions of the nervous system in which our reactions have become habituated to the level that they are not under our conscious, voluntary control—that’s why they feel so uncontrollable and unchangeable. Unbalanced levels of hormones and neurotransmitters make Anxiety all – the – more challenging to overcome.
Conscious intervention, retraining of the nervous system, and commitment to healthy lifestyle habits are all necessary to truly eliminate both anxiety and muscle tension.
Here we share some effective ways to eliminate the phenomena:
TRY MASSAGE THERAPY
Massage therapy is one of the best-known alternative remedies for relieving muscle tension. It addresses the muscle tissue directly and can assist the muscle in releasing its contraction, thus easing the tension. Massage might be useful in the treatment of stiff and sore muscles. There are many types of massage to choose from:
Swedish massage is a gentle touch massage that is good for lighter forms of tension, while deep-tissue massage is effective in addressing deeper muscle tension. Either of these forms will be helpful and a great way to relieve muscle tension, tension headaches, and neck stiffness.
PRACTICE YOGA
Yoga is perhaps the oldest form of alternative muscle tension management. Some people claim the practice of yoga to be over 5,000 years old! Yoga uses techniques to lengthen, stretch and relax your muscles while simultaneously working with your breath. Yoga addresses both the physical side of muscle tension and the stress aspect as well.
TAKE HOT BATHS!
Hot water allows muscle fibers to loosen and relax, in turn relieving muscle tension. Hot baths can also be soothing to your nervous system. Healing substances can be added to the bath, such as essential oils and sea salts. Essential oils can also be added to a warm bath to assist in relaxation and release of muscle tension. But remember, – don’t stay in a warm bath too long. Be aware of the dizziness, which sometimes appear after being in a hot water for longer time.
TRY BALMS/GELS/HERBAL MEDICINE:
Try all sorts of remedies that could be applied to your body. This includes
- cooling gels,
- calming balms,
- all sorts of mixtures with essential oils,
- balms that include CBD
The last, but not least of the remedies mentioned above is “balms that include CBD’’. That something worth another article or even a book, but we’ll try to make it as clear and short as possible.
First, painkillers are not the best option to treat Pain and muscle spasms. They function via the central nervous system (CNS) by “deceiving” the mind into thinking there is no pain, while in – reality, there is. CBD really works a bit differently.
But in order to CBD to work as a muscle relaxant, cannabinoid receptors must be present at the site of muscular synapses. This is where the endocannabinoid system comes in:
If you haven’t heard of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), you need to inform yourself now. In short, it is an innate network of cannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors that occur 100% naturally in the human body. Everyone has the receptors, whether you are someone who has no idea about it, or you are herbal medicine PhD student. Another thing is also clear:
Cannabis does function well as both a neurological “painkiller” and a neuromuscular blocking agent. Not to mention, it does not have side effects as painkillers usually do; nevertheless, it isn’t addictive in any way (while this is also one of the features of some effective painkillers).
Alleviating muscle spasms at the molecular level is one of the many great uses of CBD. Thousands of people have switched over to it from prescription medications due to its high costs and dangerous side effects later.
One of the great products that we have in our stock, which you could always try in order to feel physically better and lower any discomfort and tension, e.g. muscle spasms, is CBD Cooling Gel:
Exclusive extracts come together and provide relief to overworked muscles and joints. All ingredients create a cooling synthesis to help relieve muscle soreness. The symbiosis of menthol, eucalyptus and glycerine (accompanied by the full spectrum of CBD) creates a treatment for your muscles and joints, to relief soreness and calm the body
*If interested (or you know who might be), please, check it out on our website, in the product section.
Depending on the type and severity of the muscle tension, trying each of these strategies could prove helpful in relieving muscle tension. Even though the tension is caused by Anxiety, which is a mental effect, the physical body is affected, including muscles. And while there are various approaches to soothing some of that muscle tension, it is also important to address the underlying cause, and learn to manage it.
We hope this article was helpful for you, so next time we can all unite and with ease conquer and control the one and only, Mr. Pain.
And His sister Anxiety.