Can thinking about leg pain bring it on.

[mwone13]

Hi

I keep getting a strange achy pain / cramps in my leg and one foot. It's strange because if I think hard enough about it I can seemingly bring on the pain myself. Now I'm not a magician but I feel this is either some weird disease or anxiety or I'm special. :ohmy:

But my question is can you not feel anxious, but by thinking hard enough about pain in a part of the body eg leg/foot actually bring it on.

When I'm asleep i have no problems or if my mind is off it like at work I get tired muscles but not the pain and cramps.

Many Thanks

[Andromeda]

Yes.

It's as simple as that :hugs:

[mwone13]

WOW! now thats what I call a definative reply...:D

[Andromeda]

If you would have preferred something a little more in depth, i can provide that too?

When you're spending all your time thinking about symptoms, that can put so much stress on your nervous system/body in general.

Even when you don't feel anxious in your head, your body is tense and alert to any slight abnormality - your brain immediately pounces on anything you deem to be 'abnormal' and if you concentrate on it enough, you magnify the feeling and your brain starts to convince itself that something is seriously wrong.

i.e. you probably have leg cramp - normal, everyday leg cramp that everyone gets and doesn't die from. Now because this is different to what you normally feel, your brain focuses on that one symptom and intensifies the feeling - purely because you're concentrating on it so hard.

Distract your brain - it'll go away :flowers:

[mwone13]

Great answer !!! Cheers for that.

I watched a programme a while ago that was talking about your brain being able to send pain signals to areas of your body.... some scentific hormones, not sure of the detail.
But was very interesting to see that your brain controls the pain reaction and sends cells etc to an area where there is actually nothing wrong... I'd make a great scientist would'nt I..? NOT!!!!!!:blush:

[Andromeda]

Ah yes, the pain receptors are located in the nerve endings in tissue and send a signal to the brain once activated, the brain then processes the information and responds usually by releasing endorphins to help with the pain.

But this process isn't always as straight forward, as you have experienced.
The mind is very suggestive and can easily pick up the wrong signals.

Oh the complexity of life!

[mwone13]

Hey !! get you... are you a secret doctor..:) Seriously though thanks for such a well informed post. Very much appreciated my end.

Actually better put than any doc in my surgery, so if your not one career change..:D

[Andromeda]

It's a combination of the curse of health anxiety, spending too much time around consultants and reading a lot of books about stuff. Not a secret doctor though, unfortunately.

But you're very welcome. It's what I'm here for!

Just remember, if you stand on a plug or something along those lines, that most certainly isn't your brain tricking you - don't ignore those pain receptors! :cool:

[kellylou89]

If you would have preferred something a little more in depth, i can provide that too?

When you're spending all your time thinking about symptoms, that can put so much stress on your nervous system/body in general.

Even when you don't feel anxious in your head, your body is tense and alert to any slight abnormality - your brain immediately pounces on anything you deem to be 'abnormal' and if you concentrate on it enough, you magnify the feeling and your brain starts to convince itself that something is seriously wrong.

i.e. you probably have leg cramp - normal, everyday leg cramp that everyone gets and doesn't die from. Now because this is different to what you normally feel, your brain focuses on that one symptom and intensifies the feeling - purely because you're concentrating on it so hard.

Distract your brain - it'll go away :flowers:


Thanks for sharing that .. helped me too :hugs: