Joint pain can be caused by genetics, harmful habits, passive or overly active lifestyle, improper nutrition, excess weight, hormonal disorders, injuries. However, another important cause has recently been identified – the psychosomatics of joints.
Psychosomatics of Joints
Chronic stress leads to joint pain. Prolonged tension increases the level of corticosteroid hormones in the blood, causing the following changes in the body:
- Hypertension;
- Blood circulation disorders;
- Reduced capillary permeability;
- Disrupted synthesis of immune cells;
- Altered water-salt balance;
- Decreased levels of hyaluronic acid (mostly constituting joint fluid).
As a result, cartilage thins, cracks, and wears out, leading to arthritis. An imbalance in the water-salt balance affects muscle activity, causing spasms and dryness.
Can joints hurt on a nervous basis? Yes. People with negative thinking and an excess of negative emotions are at risk of psychosomatic joint issues. This may be caused by difficult life situations, acute and chronic stress, temperament, or character traits.
Other causes of joint diseases include:
- Resentment;
- Irritation;
- Anger;
- Habit of suppressing emotions;
- External pressure;
- Feeling of losing life’s support;
- Dependence on support from loved ones;
- Inability to cope with difficult life situations.
Workaholics form a separate risk group. They often experience psychophysiological exhaustion and do not know how to enjoy life, rest, or relax. In such cases, the joints literally wear out. Workaholics and careerists often suffer from hip problems. Hip arthrosis indicates constant competition with others, striving to be the best.
Intercostal Neuralgia
According to psychosomatics, intercostal neuralgia arises from feelings of guilt and a desire to draw attention to oneself. People with increased anxiety, fears, conscience torments, past memories, apathy, restlessness, and a ban on positive emotions are at risk. Muscle spasms in the chest area can also indicate unpleasant feelings during interactions with someone. Sometimes intercostal neuralgia occurs after a relationship breakup, showing helplessness to earn care.
Interesting! Disease exacerbation can happen after a conflict at work or in the family, as well as due to self-criticism and rigidity, strong emotions.
Gout
Psychosomatics of gout:
- Intolerance;
- Need for dominance;
- Suppression, restraint of anger and aggression;
- Avoidance of disputes and conflicts due to fear;
- Dependence on public opinion;
- Self-deception;
- Martyrdom;
- Desire to please others.
To get rid of gout, one should learn to enjoy what is in their life. See the good in people and life. Learn not to give up, seek help. Aim for the best but do not neglect rest. Learn to release negative emotions.
Knees
Knee joints have a complex structure and are the largest joints in the body. They symbolize life support and confidence in the future, one’s strengths. Knee pain indicates a loss of support, support from loved ones. Distinguish between pain in the right and left knee:
- Right knee pain arises from the desire to increase one’s importance through manipulation of people;
- The left knee hurts due to excessive control by the person over themselves and others, indecision.
Joint Diseases on a Nervous Basis
Why do joints hurt on a nervous basis: fear of life changes, reluctance to change principles and beliefs, adapt to new life conditions. To relieve joint pain, it’s necessary to accept new life situations, get rid of fears and insecurity, and boldly step into a new life.
Psychosomatics of Arthritis:
- Severe short-term stress (job loss, divorce, serious illness, or death);
- Worries and fears about the future;
- Negative thinking;
- Pessimistic worldview;
- Increased anxiety for other people (caring and looking after them is the meaning of life, a way to feel important and alive).
Sometimes, muscle clamps (having other psychosomatic reasons) can be a precursor to arthritis. Hypertrophied muscles compress blood vessels and nerve endings, depriving the joints of nutrients. The production of joint fluid decreases. Dryness leads to cracks and inflammation.
Why do joints hurt with osteoarthritis:
- Overall internal tension (deformation of the hip joint);
- The need to prove one’s worth in life (pain in the left hip joint);
- Obsession with career, competition (pain in the right hip joint);
- Authoritarianism, need for control and suppression (pain in the right knee);
- Insecurity (pain in the left knee);
- Taking responsibility for oneself and others (shoulder joint diseases);
- Overwhelming duties (pain in the right shoulder joint);
- Burden in domestic and family life (pain in the left shoulder joint);
- Desire to seize as much material wealth as possible (elbow joint diseases).
Important! All arthritis and osteoarthritis patients have increased muscle tone. Diagnostics should consider not only the psychosomatic meaning of joint diseases but also the psychosomatics of clamps.
Lise Bourbeau
Lise Bourbeau asserts that one should pay attention to the part of the body where nerve pain occurs. This will indicate in which area to look for the problem. The pain itself is related to the past. If a person continually relives the pain of the past in the present, suffering from guilt, negative emotions, and fear, physical pain is inevitable. Through physical pain, the person tries to rid themselves of mental suffering and anxiety.
What to do: realize that hiding moral pain behind physical pain only intensifies the former. Stop pitying yourself, wallowing in the bitterness of the past, and feeling helpless. Instead, think about how to rectify the situation, solve the problem, and let go of the past. Forgive yourself and those you blame. Accept this experience and understand that today you are a different person, now everything depends only on you.
Sinelnikov
People with hyperresponsibility and high conscientiousness suffer from neuralgia. They often blame themselves for something. Neuralgia is a way of self-punishment for sins, often exaggerated.
What to do: realize the futility of worries and self-punishment. Think about whether it makes sense for a student to keep worrying about a failing grade? Or is it better to prepare and retake the exam? Learn the life lesson, draw conclusions, and move forward.
Sometimes neuralgia is caused by being in an unpleasant situation or interacting with an unpleasant person. In such cases, find out what exactly irritates you. Think about how to solve this problem. Perhaps you are dissatisfied with your job or love relationships have run their course.
Louise Hay
According to Louise Hay’s theory, neuralgia is a punishment for sins. Also, nerve diseases symbolize communication difficulties. Affirmation for healing: “I forgive myself. I love and approve of myself. Communication brings joy.”
V. Zhikarentsev
Psychosomatic cause: punishment for guilt, torment, and pain during communication. Affirmation for healing: “I forgive myself. I love and approve of myself. I communicate with love.”
Torsunov
According to Oleg Torsunov’s theory, the state of the joints is connected with such character traits as hope, politeness, the ability to forgive, kindness, diligence. What leads to joint pathologies:
- Despair;
- Disappointment;
- Resentment;
- Anger;
- Assertiveness;
- Categorism;
- Indecision.
Despair leads to pain, disappointment, and anger – to destructive changes, resentment – to inflammation. Indecision worsens joint mobility, while assertiveness and categorism lead to an excess of salts. Politeness normalizes metabolism, kindness normalizes immunity in joints. Positive thinking strengthens joint tissue. Passivity and workaholism destabilize the joint. Adequate activity, a balance of work and rest, positively affect joint function.
Psychologist’s Work in Correcting the Situation
Working with a psychologist will help the client to rethink their attitude towards life, reassess the past. It’s important to let go of old traumas, accept past experiences, and release the situation. Personality correction depends on the initial problem. The focus of psychocorrection should be on:
- Increasing self-esteem, developing self-confidence;
- Getting rid of resentment, anger, irritation;
- Uncovering personal potential, realizing internal opportunities for overcoming difficulties;
- Adopting positive thinking;
- Developing new strategies for coping with stress.
What is important for treating and preventing neuralgia:
- Get rid of excessive self-criticism;
- Find a hobby;
- Don’t take on too many responsibilities;
- Don’t force yourself;
- Learn to say “no”;
- Don’t try to earn recognition and trust (love and praise yourself);
- Rest;
- Recognize the value and benefit of mutual aid;
- Review lifestyle, daily routine, beliefs (joint immobility is the body’s protest against doing what you don’t like or want to do);
- Avoid disappointment and despair, and for this, cultivate self-confidence.
One of the causes of arthritis is the fear of failure. Allow yourself to make mistakes. It’s normal. Learn from them and move on, adjusting your path to the goal. For this, develop psychological flexibility, systematic thinking. Love and appreciate yourself.
Important! Treating neuralgia requires a comprehensive approach: consultations with a rheumatologist, orthopedist, and psychotherapist. Medication, correcting the patient’s thinking, and muscle warm-up exercises are necessary.
