Stress and pain in muscles and brain: developing psychophysiological paradigms to examine stress and pain interactions

Stress and pain symptoms are extremely common and can have negative consequences on a personal, social and economic level. The primary objective of this study was to examine the muscle and brain activities associated with stress and pain and to determine how these are influenced by psychological factors. A pain and stress experiment was developed to identify vulnerability factors. The results reveal that traumatic childhood events, the degree of perceived stress and an increased focus on pain all influence pain- and stress-related muscle and brain activities. These results help to foster a better understanding of the complex underlying mechanisms of pain and stress and highlight the importance of taking a biopsychosocial approach. The challenge will be to apply this newly acquired knowledge in practice.