Chronic Muscular Pain-A Life Stress Syndrome?

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship between emotional factors, muscle activity, psychological stress and the occurrence of myofascial pain and fibromyalgia. Findings: Pain may be associated with anxious arousal or with muscle tension but psychological evidence does not relate anxiety to the amount of muscle tension. Psychological illness is common in cases of severe chronic pain but is often only temporary and does not explain persistent pain. Psychological changes commonly follow chronic pain from physical illness. Patients with fibromyalgia often are free from psychological illness, although they show more than patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A close relationship between stress and muscle pain has not been shown. Conclusions: Chronic muscular pain is not a life stress syndrome and has to be understood in terms of organic disorders made worse by psychological factors. psychological change which occurs in consequence of muscle pain needs appropriate psychiatric treatment.