Hello evandtwins,
YES! Stress is a major contributor to neuropathic pain. I have always said if I had an endless supply of money and could afford to de-stress and not have to work and worry I would be much better off with this horrible disease.
The best thing you can do is try to determine what your triggers are for stress and try to avoid them. Some will not be avoidable, so those you will have to endure until you can attempt some type of relaxtion technique.
You can try self hypnosis, exercise, water therapy, yoga, etc.
I posted a link to a WebMD app "PainCoach" that tracks your pain levels and triggers etc.
It is great to use and most everyone is tied to their phone nowadays so it makes input easy and it has reminders built in.
I am sorry you are suffering and hope this helps you.
N1
Quote:
Originally Posted by evandtwins
I would really appreciate some feedback on whether stress could play such a material role in the profound worsening of my PN over the past 18 months.
In August 2012 I accepted a new job in a new industry (real estate development). Although my feet had started to bother me with standing (such that I saw a podiatrist 2x thinking it might be plantar fascitis [sp?]) prior to that, about three weeks before I took the job, my pain really flared up bad. Fasciculations worse, etc.
I knew by then I was going to get the job most likely, and I was nervous about whether I could do it. Foolishly I took the job anyway rather than listening to my body and accepting my limitations.
So here I am a year and a half later and suffering immensely every day.
My question is: Could the stress of the new job account for a such a dramatic increase in symtoms (given that I had been stable more or less for 18 years)? If so, is it likely that the pain pathway has been "conditioned" such that finding a new, lower stress job would not result in a reduction of pain?
I really need some feedback. The physical and emotional suffering is hard to adequately express with mere words.
Thanks,
Jason
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