Can stress cause pain in your neck and shoulders?

Question

I am getting pains right now in my neck, shoulders, arms, wrists and hands. I am not sure if it is stress from stress or carpal tunnel. I think it is carpal tunnel from the computer. Have not used the PC for a week since I been sick and now in front of it again and pains starting again. But then again, I just open a inbox of 400 emails is enough to get pains!

Answer 1

You can absolutely have physical ailments secondary to stress. Most typical of these pains are back and neck pains as well as headaches. Although the origin is still from stress, some of the pain might be coming from a physiological reason - you are tense. Try to stop what you are doing for a moment at your desk and try to be self-aware of your positioning, posture, and mood. Most likely you are extremely tense and sitting up straight with all the muscles up your back, neck and backs of your arms are very tense.

Your thoughts about carpal tunnel are also valid, but should only be affecting your lower arms, so I don't think this is your only issue.

My suggestion is to take more breaks throughout the day, taking time to stretch and move your neck and arms especially. Make fists and release several times... anything to work all the kinks out of the muscles that are being effected. Then try to change your posture at your desk (and I'm horrible about this too) but try to get a chair or a pad where you can sit back and yet be upright and comfortable to do your work.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

when i was 17 i was in a car accident and had whiplash i now get pain in my neck arms back and shoulders and sometimes even in my legs.

I'm 25 now and i find that when im worried about something or stressed and sometimes even tired the pains in my neck etc get worse. so in answer to your question yes stress can cause pain.

Answer 4

Yes. In the neck. Slowly twist your neck and if it sounds like it's crunchy, its tightness in the neck. Relax.
And if you spend just one minute per E-mail to open,
and read that's 5 hours of Reading. I can't imagine
who would send you 400, unless it's a business.
Take a break every hour.

You say the pain started again after not using the
computer for a week suggests you may have to adjust the way you sit, or the height of the keyboard.

Answer 5

Yes stress can cause the pain you describe. Carpel tunnel pain is mostly in the wrists and hands going up the arms. If you are having numbness in your hands when they are at rest then you have carpel tunnel. Go see your doctor he can help you with the carpel tunnel. You don't tell us your age but you should be aware that some heart problems are signaled by pain in the neck and shoulder radiating down the arms, so go get checked out.

Answer 6

The same muscles are involved for headache... Muscles get knots called trigger points. These make the muscles tight causing them to press on nerves and other thing. Pain can be referred from places other than the head. #1 The first thing is to take a couple swigs of molasses or eat a couple of bananas. They contain magnisium and potassium both of which muscles need. #2 WATER she should be drinking 1/2 gallon minimum. The head of neurology at UCDavis likens a body running low on water to a car running low on oil (the engine can seize). Get a good (deep tissue) massage (to loosen the trigger points) on the back, shoulders and neck. Make sure to press up at the base of the skull where it meets the spine. You rub or lightly scratch everywhere on your head. You will hit spots that are tender these are trigger points. The idea is to rub across them 6-12 times per session up to six times per day until they go away. For more information on trigger points read The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies.

Answer 7

Stress do cause pain in neck and shoulders..... go get relaxed and get good massage.

Answer 8

You're probably having bad posture problems.
Get a comfortable chair to sit in behind your pc
and take hourly breaks from sitting behind the pc