The body is a unit and the way we engage our emotional and mental health will manifest itself in our physical bodies.  Just look at the words we use to describe emotional pain “heartache” to describe a lost love, “gut wrenching” guilt or feeling “petrified” with anxiety and fear.  You have likely experienced tension in your shoulders, neck, and head at times of increased stress.  Additionally, it is not uncommon for us to notice changes in our bowel movements around times of stress.  These are just a few examples of how our emotions affect the function of our body through by interacting with our brain and nervous system.

Here is a helpful video on understanding chronic pain.

Osteopathic Medicine understands the relationship between our bodies and our emotions.  There are known associations between various types of pain and conditions such as anxiety, depression, and past abuse. So while osteopathic manipulation can help with your musculoskeletal pain, it can also help you become more aware of how your emotions might contribute to your pain.  This will empower you to take steps to address your mental and emotional well-being that can improve many aspects of your health!

Here are some resources for addressing your emotional well being:

• Mindfulness deep breathing 
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Meditation for pain management
• Counseling
• [Video] Am I Too Anxious?
• Emotional Freedom Technique– uses tapping of acupuncture points to help relieve pain and address associated emotions.
• Eye Movement Desensitizing Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
• Neurofeedback

Adults:

Kids: