Chronic pain
Aches and pains are a common complaint that can be caused by increased levels of stress. Some studies have shown that chronic pain may be linked with higher levels of stress as well as increased levels of cortisol, which is the body’s major stress hormone.
For instance, one very small study compared people with severe back pain to a control group. It found that those with chronic pain had higher levels of cortisol.
Another study discovered that people with chronic pain had higher levels of cortisol in their hair, which the study described as a novel indicator of prolonged stress.
Besides stress, there are many other factors that can cause chronic pain, such as:
- aging
- injuries
- chronic poor posture
- nerve damage