Generalized anxiety disorders (GAS) determine the everyday life of many people. The symptoms are irritability, restlessness, worry . Not only does the disease have a negative impact on the quality of life, it also affects the well-being of those affected – a constant feeling of fatigue, insomnia, tension, headaches and gastrointestinal illnesses.
What are the causes?
Often the causes of anxiety disorders are in the past and have to do with an event and a very connected feeling, which we consciously or unconsciously repressed. Every time this feeling rises in us, we fight against it by trying to suppress it. We do not want to lose control and are slowly but surely building an inner wall between us and this unpleasant feeling.
Over time, other negative feelings, such as hopelessness, resignation or anger, also join. Suddenly we are no longer dealing with a repressed feeling, but with a whole heap of emotions, all coupled to the feeling of the past. At some point, the inner wall no longer holds – it breaks in and you get a panic attack or anxiety attacks that strike you out of nowhere.
Can anxiety cause neck pain?
Through our everyday language it becomes clear that our neck is the weak point of our body. From the vernacular, we know that you “risk your head and neck” or something that can “break your neck”, etc. The complete communication between our brain and our body actually runs along our spine through the cranial nerves. Only if everything is in order, the information exchange between “body and mind” flows undisturbed.
Anxiety might be one of the causes of neck pain and tension. Stress tends to accumulate in the upper back and shoulders and can spread to the neck area causing severe pain. However, there are other causes of neck pain, as well. Neck pain often occurs in a cervical vertebral trauma due to accidents at home, on the road or playing sports. In the neck, blood vessels that are trapped by a wrong movement can no longer optimally supply the brain with nutrients and oxygen. The consequences are perception disorders, difficulty concentrating and tiredness. Also, irritations of the brain nerves can arise in such an accident. A whole series of symptoms occur in such a case. These include:
(1) Numbness in arms or hands;
(2) Headache;
(3) Stuffy nose;
(4) Increased occurrence of dizziness or nausea;
(5) Frequent ingestion;
(6) Shoulder and neck pain;
(7) Sleeping disorders;
(8) The urge to empty the bladder frequently.
When the nerve is irritated by our “Nervus Sympathicus” escape impulses, the symptoms typical of anxiety are: palpitations, fast breathing, high blood pressure, excessive sweating, and heart stumbling.
Which massage is best for anxiety?
Researchers from America treated 47 patients with anxiety in a treatment study evenly over a period of six weeks, twice a week with massage therapies. The massage techniques included slow, rhythmic, continuous stroking, slow, rhythmic kneading of the underlying muscles and “tapotement“ – various forms of percussive touching / knocking.
As assumed before the study started, the tapping massage can help with anxiety and generally have a positive effect on the symptoms. The patients used a scale to indicate the severity of their psychological fears and their physical effects. Based on this data, the scientists were able to show how the well-being of the patients gradually improved.
Massage affects the immune system and the release of stress hormones that differ from those that people with anxiety disorders experience. Nearly half of patients with anxiety disorder use complementary or alternative therapies. Unfortunately, less is known about the effectiveness of these methods. However, it has been proven that with regular use, massage can be considered as an effective alternative, in combination with the usual therapeutic measures.
Have you had any experience with anxiety disorders? Post your comment in the section below.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305663955_Acute_Swedish_Massage_Monotherapy_Successfully_Remediates_Symptoms_of_Generalized_Anxiety_Disorder_A_Proof-of-Concept_Randomized_Controlled_Study
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/panic-attacks-and-panic-disorders.htm
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/anxiety-disorders/#.XYtYqkYzZPY
