Muscle Pain and the Effect of Emotion
Muscle Pain and the Effect of Emotion
Marc Senator | August 31, 2019
Have you ever noticed that you feel different emotions in different parts of your body? For instance, when you’re anxious or scared you might feel “sick to the stomach” or unsettled around your heart. Similarly, grief or heartbreak, as the name of the latter suggests, might sit like a weight on the chest and even affect the throat. It goes without saying that if we are under pressure in our work or personal lives we tense up and we know that this is often held in the neck, shoulders and back.
Chinese Doctors and Acupuncturists look at both the organ associated with the area of pain and the "meridians" or channels that run through the area so they can treat the issue at both the physical and emotional level. They also believe that the joints, ligaments and muscles hold unprocessed emotions or trauma as a safe house so that the rest of the body and the vital organs do not take the brunt of the inflammation and nervous system overwhelm. Many Acupuncturists would go so far as to look at particular muscle bands and connect them with an organ and an associated emotion. Of course physical injuries, spinal misalignment and posture will all play a role but even these are affected and intensified by stress and the emotional state.
Below is an example of 11 different types of muscle tension and their root cause:
SHOULDER TENSION - Burdens and responsibilities. Overwhelmed by the burden of holding others up.
NECK TENSION - Fear and repressed self expression. Fear of life and insecurities as well as overwhelm.
UPPER BACK - Grief, sorrow and sadness, heartbreak and loss. Pain between the shoulder blades can be from anxiety, palpitations and insomnia which are all heart connected in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
MIDDLE BACK - Insecurity and powerlessness leading to being stuck in the past. Can also be unprocessed anger or guilt. Can also be from digestive issues such as overeating.
LOWER BACK - Lack of trust & faith - feeling unsupported. Guilt, shame and unworthiness. Lower back pain can also stem from a lack of self-acceptance, sexual inadequacy and old trauma.
STOMACH/UPPER ABDOMEN - Stiffness or soreness in the abdomen is often connected to not being able to “stomach” or digest something. Obsessive thoughts and an inability to process emotions related to a particular situation.
INNER THIGHS - Fear of vulnerability. Social anxiety and fear towards others.
OUTER THIGHS - Frustration and impatience. Mindlessness in jobs and in personal lives.
UPPER THIGHS - Holding on to childhood trauma and fear of failure.
BUTTOCKS - Anger and rage. A “pain in the bum” is apt here...
HIPS - Issues with making decisions, faith and moving on. Often people who feel "stuck" experience pains in the hips.
Muscle groups can be released using such methods as Acupuncture, massage, acupressure, cupping, yoga and mindfulness. Extreme relaxation will most often be experienced after the associated stress or emotion is unlocked and flow is restored. But occasionally it may come up to be felt. Many of you who have meditated, attended yoga or received healing of some sort may have noticed this - an emotion such as anger or sadness may arise either during or after. Many people are confused by this as they either didn't see it coming or it challenges the expectation they had of feeling relaxation from the process. The thing is, when we become mindful or aligned, we move out of a "fight or flight" state and into a state of "rest and digest" where what we have held onto or survived is given space to move. Think of this as a necessary release where the bubbles rise to the surface to release air that has been trapped for some time.
Marc uses a combination of techniques such as acupuncture, massage, acupressure, cupping and low level laser therapy to reduce muscle tension and pain with the aim to prevent similar recurrence in the future. To book your free 15 minute online consultation to see if he might be able to help, please contact Marc.