# Anxiety and muscle tension



## flower2blossom (Apr 12, 2009)

I've been having constant bodily tension in face (especially around jaws), neck, and shoulders. My facial tension affects my speech and it becomes bad when I speak on the phone. I seem to have tension while sleeping and I feel tired when I wake up. I also have difficulty concentrating because of the tension.

How do you deal with physical symptoms? I'm feeling better lately but still bothered by them on a daily basis...


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## Ichigo91 (Feb 21, 2012)

I have exactly what you have I think.. no matter how much I explained my psychiater and some other doctors about this condition they never actually understood what the hell I am talking about..

anyway what's even worst is that not only do I have this tension on my face but the feeling to do a certain move with my face or body or whatever to make it feel "good" again.. I can control it but it just doesn't feel good if I don't do it else it's like trying to keep you're eyes open without closing them..


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## blinds8 (Feb 3, 2011)

I just read a nasty thread about someone calling someone else out..ok... anyway, I get this too it can get really bad to where it contorts my face lmao and then the pain it causes in my jaw and kneck and arm I need opiates but lately it's been G since I started Seroquel so we'll see oh yah and not to mention the headaches


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## Insanityonthego (Jul 5, 2010)

I totally understand. I have the same problem. I find stretching and breathing correctly helps tremendously. Along with regular exercising. Why don´t you give it a try? Also, I´ve begun eating everything organic and put no man made chemicals in my body whatsover (as well as any sort of medication). Lowering caffeine intake, and drinking decaffeinated herbal teas for muscle tension will help a lot. Have you ever consider natural alternatives to healing anxiety and the physical symptoms?


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## flower2blossom (Apr 12, 2009)

Thanks for the replies, guys! I don't really have no one to talk to about the problem because "normal" people including my friends don't really understand what's going on. My tension has actually been alleviated somewhat (I used to have a severe headache every day), but I still have to deal with it constantly 

Today, my neck is really stiff and it discourages me from doing something I'm supposed to.. My problem with the facial tension is that it results in collapsing my speech and it makes me look bad because English is my second language..:um

I've tried exercise and should continue it. Running relaxes me and gives me new energy. I've also eliminated caffeine and alcohol for several years but it didn't improve my conditions much. I guess I'll start running. Hope we'll all get better soon!!


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## LWR (Feb 27, 2012)

Are you drinking enough water? Some, times you get the tension and cramps because your water level is too low
After running try drinking orange juice , or a carb drink , strech and warmup before running, carbs are the source of energy before working out, and if you take it right after working out, it helps with the muscles and tissues recovery , make sure you dont push yourself too hard 
Try the carb/water advice, if its still there, do a blood test and find out what u need


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## Dr Hobo Scratch MD (Jun 24, 2011)

i do about 30 - 40 minutes on a cardio bike every morning. ever since reading this book.

http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-Brain/dp/0316113506






the chapters on stress depression and anxiety are priceless in my opinion.

i learned in the anxiety section of of the many long term and short term side effects of morning cardio is it pre exhausts the adrenal glands and rests the tension in the muscles through out the body disrupting the anxiety feedback loop to the brain. you knock the body out of the equation. meaning the trigger point for feeling stress or anxiety due to physical sensations get raised alot and becomes alot more resiliant over time.


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## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

Are you sure it's not TMJ?

See your dentist. That's what I have, and it's horrible.


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## Cletis (Oct 10, 2011)

Muscle tension is a HUGE problem for me and it's all due to anxiety. I get it in my face, jaw, neck, shoulders, back and legs. It can be a real ***** at times. It wears me out, saps all my energy. 

I take Zoloft which has relaxed me and the tension has been reduced quite a bit. Benzos only give a few hours of mild relief. I guess the only "cure" is to relax. Easier said than done. Exercise helps even though it makes you even more sore and stiff at first. Try hot showers. Practice relaxation exercises. Get as much sleep as you can. If you have one, get your gf or bf to give you a massage.


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## flower2blossom (Apr 12, 2009)

I ran last night and it made me feel better. I should run at least every other day. Cardio bike sounds good and I should try it when I rejoin my gym... I think my muscle tension is caused solely by anxiety. I used to have really tight jaws like TMJ and saw a chiropractor (and dentist), which was, I believe, due to anxiey, but my conditions are not as bad as they used to be. I used to have a terrible headache and neck and shoulder pains and suffered from constant dizziness. I probably should use medications but hesitate to do so after all these years & some improvements.

Muscle tension wears me out and interrupts my job. Hope daily meditation will help me.. I really appreciate this opportunity because even my psychologists didn't understand my problem.


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## loumon (Jul 6, 2012)

flower2blossom said:


> I've been having constant bodily tension in face (especially around jaws), neck, and shoulders. My facial tension affects my speech and it becomes bad when I speak on the phone. I seem to have tension while sleeping and I feel tired when I wake up. I also have difficulty concentrating because of the tension.
> 
> How do you deal with physical symptoms? I'm feeling better lately but still bothered by them on a daily basis...


Your situation is almost identical to mine. Some years back it was extreme torture. It starts in the middle of my back goes to both shoulders up the neck to the jaw up to my head and ends around the eye socket. The thing is that it jumps around,for an example -one day it could be my jaw and shoulder than its the side of my head and back of neck . My physician sent me to physical therapy after an MRI and CTcan came back negative. I was lucky to have found a very good physical therapist that had seen this type thing before, she said that more than likely that I hold my daily life tension around my neck area and that over years those muscle get weak and/or damaged enough that the problem becomes cronic. That set off a lightbulb in my head because when I was in my late 20's early 30's I had lower back surgery and the surgeon told me that there seems to be alot of tension on the muscles around my lower back, mid section and down to my hip and glute muscle area. He said that if I don't resolve that type of tension that in a matter of years I might be back with more problems. So, that was the bulb going off, I had learned not to allow tension to form on my lower body section but didn't realize that it was going somewhere else - to my upper body. I knew my physical therapist knew what she was doing because she would feel around my upper back and neck and she would find trigger points and make some adjustment on my arms or neck and it was almost emediately that my head ache or neck pain would go away. Now I do the exercises that she taught me along with a few that I added and have the condition for the most part under control. When I'm stressed now I am in the habit of mentally checking to see that I'm not building muscle tension. 
Glad to hear that runing has helps you, Cindy...runing helps me as well...it forces the shoulders down to where they belong - relaxed, not up next to the ears lol.


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## Platon (Feb 3, 2013)

I also have facial tension, especially around my mouth. When this started 7 years ago it scared the hell out of me, I was thinking all the time "wtf is this?". I still use a lot of energy to hide it from others. I think it is deffo a symptom of anxiety and self awareness. I think the way to solve it is to find the primary cause of the anxiety and treat it with for example cognitive therapy.


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## guitarmatt (Aug 13, 2009)

Sorry for bumping an old thread but I wanted to say I've been struggling with the same kind of tension for years now. As a response to my general anxiety, it just builds up over time without me noticing it and then gets too bad for me to function. It starts in my shoulders/neck and goes up the back of my head and all around. for like four days now I wake up with it and go to bed with it.. It drains my energy and makes it hard to focus or motivate myself to do anything. I still manage to do a little bit of exercise which only seems to aggrevate the muscles more. 
I agree I think the answer is to find the primary cause of the anxiety to prevent symptoms like this happening. Its hard to stop them when they're in full force


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## Anonymous Loner (Mar 3, 2013)

Also have muscle tension. My shoulders are like rocks now because I've always held them up involuntarily thanks to anxiety. I need a massage so badly.


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