To replace the label chronic unexplained pain, in the 1980’s the concept of central sensitization was proposed, then the 2010’s the term nociplastic pain became more popular and in the 2020’s we have the terms pain system hypersensitivity and recently neuroinflammation is also emerging. What all these labels have in common is that they attempt to describe a dysfunction of endogenous pain control system resulting in pathological pain sensitivity.
However the term that I would like to discuss here is Stress-induced Chronic Pain (SICP) which is also attributed to an endogenous opioid dysfunction.
Acute stress is often good as it helps us grow, but if you deal with a lot of continuous stress everyday for months or years, then the stress can become just too much and lead to both emotional and physical health issues.
I want to take a few minutes to explain in simple terms how chronic stress can contribute to maintaining physical pain and most importantly what we can do about it. I want to specifically focus on the endogenous opioids system, which is a term I assume most non-medical people aren’t yet familiar with.
In this short VIDEO I will explain how people who experience chronic stress, in time may develop a tolerance to endogenous opioids such a endorphins, where they literally experience opioid withdrawal symptoms which includes a host of ongoing physical and emotional pains.
Basically unrelenting stress leads to having a constant opioid demand and eventually becoming opioids dependent without ever having taken a single opioid drug.
I’d love any feedback you may have on the video.
The video is also available on
https://www.thepaintruth.org/stress/