From the August 2004 issue of Runner's World
Too Good to Be True?
Hard evidence for TMS might be slim, but the interplay between mind and body is indisputable. Scores of studies have linked feelings of stress, tension, and anger with the increased risk of various ailments, from migraines to heart disease. And it works both ways: Having a positive outlook has been shown to bolster the immune system and speed healing and recovery.
David Rakel, M.D., director of the University of Wisconsin Integrative Medicine and assistant professor of family medicine, believes the mind and body are so intertwined that saying there is a "connection" between the two is misleading. "That implies that they are two separate things, but they aren't," he says. "The mind is in your body and your body is in your mind." Dr. Rakel takes a holistic approach in treating all his patients. He considers if there could be an emotional root to the problem. If not, he focuses on conventional treatments. "When a muscle cries out in pain, it's assumed its cause is physical," he says. "It's an oversight to not appreciate the mind's influence on the physical."
Mind Power
Emotional turmoil-be it dissatisfaction with your job or running performance-can cause the autonomic nervous system to reduce blood flow to nerves. This can result in mild oxygen deprivation, which can cause achiness in muscles, Dr. Rakel says. "A massage won't resolve it," he says. "You need to explore what's going on in your life that's causing your body to react this way."
Dr. Schechter says he has seen cases of plantar fasciitis, iliotibial band syndrome, and patellar tendinitis-all common running ailments-that were triggered by the brain. "The first time a runner comes to me with a problem," he says, "I ask, 'Did you recently change your training? Are your shoes worn out?' If there is no problem, then I start considering psychological causes."
Dr. Schechter says that some runners can experience pain by obsessing over "a problem area," a spot where they have a predisposition to tenderness or discomfort. "There could be a slight physical pain, but the stress and anxiety they feel over it amplifies it," he says. Runners coming back from an injury are especially prone to this, says sports psychologist John Heil, author of Psychology of Sports Injury. Pain from an injury can linger even after the body has healed because of "hypervigilance," says Heil. "When you experience pain over time, there can be a resetting of the pain threshold," he says. "It may take less stimulation to send pain signals to the brain." So what you perceive as an ongoing injury could be ordinary muscle soreness. If your doctor has assured you that your injury has healed, and you've done the proper rehab, ignoring the pain should make it go away, he says.
Even the stress of racing can provoke pain. If you come into a race feeling anxious, your mind can trigger certain body processes that result in pain, says Heil. "Fear can set off a fight-or-flight system. Your muscles tighten and you burn up resources like adrenaline and energy reserves. This can lead to premature fatigue and inefficient running, resulting in muscle pain."
Being open to the possibility that pain could be rooted in emotion isn't easy. But if it can bring peace to your mind and your muscles, it's worth the effort. At least it was for me. Now I'm running to my heart's-and my back's-content.
