Can stress cause this?

[Corye20]

I have terrible neck, shoulder and upper back pain - and I have enlarged glands in my neck. Would poking and proding the glands make them larger, I just can't stop. I'm worried sick and feel so run down. Help!

[lauren6]

You can stop poking them...why are you doing that? To see if they are changing? if you're run down, your glands will swell, very common. See a dr. if you're concerned.

As far as the neck and shoulder, sure, that's where we feel our stress. Look up "progressive relaxation exercises". They may even have them on youtube. Consciously tighten the muscles as hard as you can, then relax. It makes you be aware of how tense you are holding them without even realizing it. If you do this often enough, you unlearn the habit and it will really help in the long run. Our whole spine can give us back trouble from tension so do what you can now to learn. Feel your shoulders right now, I bet they are in a tense position. Exhale and let them totally relax. Keep doing this, people are surprised at how they are so tight all the time.

[choliver]

poke or prod anything and it will get bigger.obviously the more you do this more you will notice it.same with your various pains stop obsessing about them and they will be nowhere near as noticeable easier said than done.stress can cause all manor of symptoms the difficulty we face is accepting that there is not an underlying health issue that is making us feel this way and that it is down to stress/anxiety.once you have accepted that there is no health problem you will be able to come to terms with your pains.it is a case of mind over matter.good luck choliver.

[LisaLisa]

You know there is a very big differencce between enlarged glands and feelable glands. My doc told me the glands i obssess over are 'shotty nodes' which apparently means they have remained slightly larger followinig an old virus or infection and will be permanatly bigger but they are smaller than a certain size and not sore and they move. In truth I have no idea how long they have been there because only looked for them two years ago and wenrt mental with panic but six doctors were unmoved by them.

Stress casues your adrenals to go mental releasing adrenaline. Its like having a work out without even standing up. Think about having a workout for as long as you have been worrying about your health? No wonder you have sore muscles!!

Try and relax and have some fun intentionally to cheer yourself up and I bet it will improve if you truly cheeryourself up!

Lisa
xxxx