Mountains of projects, finances, family commitments: The everyday life of modern people is characterized by stress factors, pressure and hectic pace. It is therefore hardly surprising that complaints such as muscular tension and pain are on the rise. Unfortunately, this is because psychosomatic symptoms not only restrict our general well-being and quality of life, but can also lead to chronic conditions if they are ignored. In this guide, we show you why such complaints arise in the first place and what self-measures you can take to relieve psychosomatic tension.
Contents
1 What is meant by psychosomatic tension?
2. when back pain is psychosomatic: What stress does to your muscles
3 What are the causes of psychosomatic complaints?
4 Mental tension: Symptoms and effects
5. therapy options for psychosomatic complaints
6. treat psychosomatic complaints yourself
7. relieving psychosomatic tension: the three best exercises
8. how to prevent tension caused by stress
9 Conclusion: Psychosomatic tension does not resolve itself - but it can be treated excellently
What is meant by psychosomatic tension?
You're probably familiar with this situation: After a stressful day, you suddenly feel an unpleasant pulling sensation in your neck or a twinge in your shoulder region - the stress is literally "on your shoulders" or "breathing down your neck". In this case, you could be dealing with so-called psychosomatic tension.
They occur when psychological stresses affect your body and translate into physical symptoms, such as muscle tension. Psychosomatic medicine assumes that thoughts, feelings and behaviors have an influence on the physical state of health and vice versa. Thus, persistent stress, anxiety or trauma trigger physical complaints, the true cause of which is often not recognized until late.
Good to know: The term "psychosomatic" comes from the Greek and is made up of the words "psyche" (soul or spirit) and "soma" (body). Therefore, "psychosomatic" refers to the health connection between your soul and your body.
When back pain is psychosomatic: This is what stress does to your muscles
Neck, shoulder and back pain are at the top of the list of common ailments. They are often the result of a lack of exercise, one-sided posture or physical overload. But they can also be psychosomatic.
Such pains should by no means be dismissed as imaginary - after all, they are just as real as complaints that have their origin in physical dysfunctions. The only difference is that the root of the evil is located in the head: As soon as stress comes into play, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode. The brain sends a kind of alarm that revs up the muscles and enabled our ancestors, for example, to flee to the nearest tree or attack the saber-toothed tiger. Once the "danger" has been averted, the body relaxes again.
If the stress now continues, the alarm state including the muscle tension also remains - and your back, shoulder and neck muscles are in a permanent stress mode, which can lead to the well-known stress-related tensions.
What are the causes of psychosomatic complaints?
If you want to relieve psychosomatic tension, it is important that you know the exact causes of your symptoms. The triggers for psychosomatic muscle tension are as varied and individual as the people themselves: They range from professional or personal stress and anxiety to unresolved conflicts or trauma.
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Tension caused by stress and anxiety
Stress and anxiety put your body into the 'flight or fight mode' mentioned above. Your muscles tense up in order to cope with a potentially dangerous situation. However, with constant stress, your body and muscles have no way of relaxing again. In order to alleviate the pain caused by the tension, a protective posture is often adopted, which in turn causes tension in other areas. A classic vicious circle. -
Tension caused by negative thoughts
Negative thoughts and emotional problems can also trigger psychosomatic tension. Your body and mind are closely connected - so what you think and feel inevitably has an effect on your body. If you are constantly plagued by negative thoughts or emotional stress, your muscles can tense up. -
Trauma and unresolved conflicts
Have you not fully processed an experience from the past or are you struggling with a current conflict? This stress can affect your physical health - for example, by making your muscles hard and stiff. -
Social factors
Your social environment and relationships also influence your physical well-being. Conflicts in the family or at work, isolation or bullying cause stress and pressure, which can result in psychosomatic tension.
Mental tension: Symptoms and effects
Psychosomatic tension is responsible for a range of symptoms and can affect all areas of the body. They are particularly often associated with pain and stiffness in the neckback or shoulder area - complaints that can cause further symptoms such as headaches, sleep disorders, fatigue or a general feeling of tension. Psychosomatic symptoms can also manifest themselves as follows:
- chronic abdominal pain
- Digestive problems such as nausea, diarrhea or constipation
- Circulatory disorders
- Palpitations
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Skin irritations
- Irritability
- Change in eating behavior
Therapy options for psychosomatic complaints
As you now know, there are conditions of pain and illness that are not directly attributable to a physical cause. That's why it's very important not to dwell in uncertainty for too long and to find out the source of the problem - because only then can you release any psychosomatic tension and improve your quality of life.
There are a number of different therapeutic approaches available to you for the treatment of psychosomatic complaints:
Psychotherapy is recommended, for example, if you are suffering from an underlying mental illness such as depression or anxiety disorder. An initial consultation with a therapist can help you decide whether this form of therapy is right for you.
Resuming everyday activities, sport and social contact can also help to relieve psychosomatic tension. Especially if you have withdrawn because of your symptoms, such activities can have a healing effect. Self-help groups are another way of overcoming any fears of symptoms and the associated challenges.
Last but not least, relaxation techniques and alternative methods such as meditation, stretching exercises or acupressure help to reduce inner stress, restore a positive body image and relieve psychosomatic tension.
Self-treatment of psychosomatic complaints
Do you often suffer from stress? Then you're not alone: according to the 2021 study "Relax, Germany!" conducted by Techniker Krankenkasse, around one in four people in Germany feel the same way. Psychosomatic complaints such as tension are not long in coming! But as much as psyche-related pain and co. affect your well-being, you can easily counteract them yourself: For example, by making changes to your daily routine, slowing down and being more mindful of yourself and using a combination of exercise and stress reduction.
Whether it's exercises, meditation or acupressure, we'll tell you which tips and tricks you can use to specifically relieve psychosomatic tension.
Release psychosomatic tension: the three best exercises
If you often feel tense and stiff during stressful times, you don't necessarily need a complex, expensive treatment to relieve your psychosomatic tension.
With light exercises, you can not only relieve your body, but also ease tension by gently stretching and strengthening your muscles. The following three exercises can be done in the comfort of your own home or office.
Exercise 1: Relaxed neck
Neck pain is often associated with psychosomatic tension and, in the worst cases, can cause other ailments such as headaches. This stretching exercise will help improve blood flow to your neck and keep your neck muscles relaxed and supple.
Begin by sitting up straight or standing up straight. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and not hunched. Now lower your chin to your chest. You should feel a gentle stretch along your neck muscles. Hold the position for a few seconds and focus on breathing deeply and relaxed during this time. Let the breath help to further release the psychosomatic tension. Then slowly raise your head back to the neutral position. Repeat this exercise several times to maximize the effect. You'll notice that your neck feels a little more relaxed after each pass.
Good to know: This exercise also relieves the strain on your neck if you have spent a long time in front of the computer or spend a lot of time standing or in a static position.
Exercise 2: Shoulder circles
Your shoulders carry much more weight than you realize - both physically and mentally. Especially during stress or tension, people tend to hunch their shoulders, causing the muscles to tense up. Shoulder circling helps loosen the muscles in this area and relieve psychosomatic tension.
Sit up straight. Your feet should be firmly on the floor so that your spine is in a neutral position. Now raise your shoulders up towards your ears as if you were shrugging your shoulders. Then bring them back and gently squeeze your shoulder blades together. In the next step, pull your shoulders down as far as possible and finally bring them back to their starting position. To make it easier, you can imagine that you are painting big circles in the air with your shoulders. Repeat this movement several times and then try to change direction and "draw" the circles counterclockwise.
Exercise 3: Back stretch
The back stretch is a fantastic exercise to stretch the spine and release psychosomatic tension.
First stand hip-width apart and keep your feet parallel to each other. Now place your hands on your hips and assume an imaginary superhero pose. Your elbows point outward. Slowly and carefully bend backwards by pushing your hips forward and lifting your sternum towards the ceiling.
Try to do this movement mainly from the upper back and only go as far back as your pain threshold allows. Hold this position for a few seconds while breathing deeply and calmly. Focus on releasing a little more tension with each breath. Then slowly return to the upright position and repeat the exercise several times.
Release psychosomatic tension with the help of the acupressure mat
In the case of psychosomatic pain, it is shown to be important to both eliminate the triggers, such as stress and overexertion, and relieve the symptoms.
With your acupressure mat you can achieve both!
It offers you exactly the holistic self-treatment approach you need to relieve and prevent psychosomatic tension.
The principle of the acupressure mat goes back to the millennia-old art of acupressure and helps to improve the flow of energy in the body, remove blockages, reduce stress and restlessness and achieve deep relaxation. It also promotes blood circulation and ensures that muscles are completely relaxed.
You can lie or sit on the mat, depending on which part of the body you want to treat. Start with short sessions of about 10 minutes and gradually increase the duration. For the sessions, it is best to go to a quiet room, listen to soft meditation music and let the mat do its work.
When do psychosomatic symptoms disappear?
As you can imagine, the duration of psychosomatic symptoms varies from person to person. Some people notice improvement after only a few weeks of self-treatment. The important thing is to be patient with yourself and not give up. If the symptoms persist despite self-treatment, it is best to see a medical professional.
How to prevent tension due to stress
Stress management strategies play a crucial role so that you don't have to worry about relieving psychosomatic tension in the first place.
If you learn to deal with stress in a healthy way and specifically reduce stressors in your everyday life, this will have a positive effect on your mood and health.
Important factors of effective stress management are, for example:
- Relaxation techniques such as meditation, autogenic training, acupressure mat or yoga
- regular exercise in the fresh air
- the taking of short breaks
- Balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein
- Sufficient sleep
- Time for hobbies and activities you enjoy
- Be aware of your body and practice regular self-care
Remember: Preventing psychosomatic tension is an ongoing process, not a one-off event. It's about developing and maintaining healthy habits. Experiment and find out which strategies work best for you.
Conclusion: Psychosomatic tensions do not solve themselves - but can be treated excellently by yourself
Psychosomatic tensions are widespread and can significantly affect everyday life. Most often, they are caused by constant stress, which leads to the muscles being in a constant state of tension. Fortunately, you have the ability to effectively treat these ailments yourself and take an active role in your recovery process. Simple measures such as regular physical exercise, relaxation and stretching exercises, and consciously reducing stress can make all the difference. Last but not least, tools such as the acupressure mat can also help to relieve your psychosomatic tension and prevent it in the long term.