No one wants to experience pain, but few people know that pain (whether acute or chronic) not only makes the body uncomfortable but also has a significant impact on blood pressure. Acute pain can temporarily increase blood pressure by activating the body’s stress response. On the other hand, chronic pain can contribute to high blood pressure through a variety of mechanisms, including autonomic nervous system impairment, inflammation, and accompanying psychological effects.
In fact, many people experience rapid heartbeats and high blood pressure immediately after an injury or prolonged pain.
How does pain affect blood pressure?
1. Pain
Pain is a biological signal that warns the body of the risk of injury. When pain is felt, the brain and nervous system immediately activate a series of protective reactions. These reactions not only cause discomfort but are also accompanied by obvious physiological changes, including changes in blood pressure.
A seemingly simple pain can make you jump and feel your heart beat faster, your blood pressure increases. This is the body’s way of preparing to “fight or flight” a threat. But if the pain is repeated, or lasts for a long time, then blood pressure is no longer just a temporary increase but can become a serious health problem.
2. Sudden pain affects blood pressure
Acute pain often occurs right after an injury, surgery or sudden severe pain has the ability to strongly activate the sympathetic nervous system. The body immediately releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.
These two hormones cause the heart to beat faster, constrict blood vessels, and lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure.
For example:
- Touching ice water: The cold sensation causes peripheral blood vessels to constrict, causing blood pressure to increase.
- Having a severe toothache or earache: Blood pressure can spike during the peak of pain.
- Sudden trauma: Falling off a bike, a strong impact, or a sharp pain sensation can cause blood pressure to spike as a survival reflex.
However, it should be noted that high blood pressure due to acute pain is usually short-term. When the pain subsides or is controlled with medication, blood pressure will gradually return to normal.
3. Chronic pain affects blood pressure
Unlike acute pain, chronic pain is a type of pain that lasts for a long time, from several months to many years. Conditions such as arthritis, back pain, nerve pain, and fibromyalgia are typical examples that cause patients to live with pain every day.
The impact of chronic pain on blood pressure is not as sudden as acute pain, but it is much more insidious and dangerous.
Here are the main mechanisms that explain why:
a. Autonomic nervous system disorders
The autonomic nervous system (which controls blood pressure) can be affected by prolonged stimulation from pain signals. This imbalance leads to increased sympathetic nerve activity, causing blood pressure to rise continuously even when there is no immediate danger.
b. Increased systemic inflammation
Prolonged pain is often accompanied by a smoldering inflammatory response. Chronic inflammation damages blood vessels, reduces the elasticity of the vascular wall, and increases the risk of long-term hypertension.
c. Psychological effects
Chronic pain not only affects physical health but also erodes mental health. Patients often fall into a state of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and depression, all of which are factors that indirectly but strongly contribute to high blood pressure.
Strategies for pain control and blood pressure protection
Effective pain control not only improves quality of life but also helps stabilize blood pressure in both healthy people and those with a history of hypertension.
Here are some effective strategies:
1. Treat the root cause of pain
With acute pain, it is important not to let the condition persist. Early intervention (such as using prescribed pain relievers, proper rest, and appropriate cold or hot compresses) not only relieves discomfort but also helps the sympathetic nervous system reduce stress responses, thereby limiting temporary spikes in blood pressure.
In cases of prolonged pain (chronic pain), a more comprehensive approach is needed. Combining physical therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs, chiropractic therapy, or treatment of underlying conditions such as arthritis, degenerative spine disease, sciatica, etc. will help relieve pain from the root, preventing blood pressure from silently increasing with each recurrence of pain.
2. Calm the nervous system by controlling stress
When pain persists, negative emotions and anxiety often accompany it. This creates a vicious cycle between pain and stress, causing blood pressure to rise even higher. Learning how to calm the mind is an indispensable part of the journey to controlling blood pressure.
Techniques such as meditation, gentle yoga, deep breathing, listening to relaxing music, or simply spending time talking to a mental health professional can help calm the nervous system. This can help control pain, and give blood pressure a chance to return to a stable level.
3. Ensure quality sleep and moderate exercise
Poor sleep is often a consequence of pain, but lack of sleep can increase the feeling of pain and cause blood pressure to rise. Deep, adequate sleep helps the brain and nervous system recover, while soothing the stimuli that transmit pain.
At the same time, gentle exercise such as slow walking, swimming, restorative yoga or tai chi can help the body secrete the body’s natural pain-relieving hormones (endorphins). These activities do not put additional pressure on joints or injured areas, but are clearly effective in controlling blood pressure and improving cardiovascular health.
4. Monitor blood pressure as part of pain care
People with chronic pain should learn to monitor their blood pressure regularly at home (especially before or after significant pain attacks), which helps doctors understand the level of blood pressure fluctuations, thereby adjusting medications or treatment strategies accordingly.
