The first thing we do with every patient who has back pain is determine its root cause. Treatment options for stress-related back pain We work closely with ergonomics-certified physical therapists to help you achieve and maintain healthy posture and movement habits at work and at home. Patients with back pain are treated at UT Southwestern’s Spine Center by a multidisciplinary team that includes a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, a pain management expert, a neurosurgeon, and an orthopedic spine surgeon. However, we believe that all aspects of a patient’s health should be considered as parts of a whole rather than individual ailments. Related reading: Back in action: Updated treatment recommendations for lower-back painĪlong with stress, common causes of spine pain include obesity, poor workstation ergonomics, and lack of exercise. For example, sitting at your desk for several hours a day when you’re swamped at work can strain the spine and low-back muscles. Many people become more sedentary during periods of stress, which means they stretch and exercise less. These muscles affect flexibility and posture. Low-back pain includes the tailbone and lower half of the back muscles. Your shoulders hunch up and cause pain throughout the upper and middle back. When you’re stressed, your breathing patterns change and cause strain and tension in the mid-back. Mid-back pain includes muscles that are affected by breathing, including the chest and shoulder muscles. Over time, both affect your posture and the way you walk, which can lead to pain in the hips, knees, and feet.

We typically talk about back pain as mid-back and low-back pain. Chronic neck pain also can cause fatigue, depression, and irritability.Īlso, when your posture is poor, such as straining to look at a computer or mobile device or hunching over your desk, undue strain occurs in the neck muscles. Given its proximity to the head, tension in the neck due to stress can cause muscle pain and headaches.

Chest pain after adrenaline rush