Michael Allen Smith has an interesting post on his back pain
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was taking part in "Dry January". I didn't make a big song and dance about it, but I decided to go for a calendar month or so with no alcohol. A few people have asked me about my experience, so here are a few points. Why take a break from drinking? Alcohol is an interesting topic. As a drug it is widely accepted in society, central to so much of our socialising and leisure. There seem to be lots of health benefits - so we are told - yet there are also a lot of problems in terms of health, relationships and lifestyle that come from drinking. Over a few years I'd begun to become aware and then concerned that I was drinking too much and too regularly. I am in a busy and stressful job and sometimes a glass of wine after work to relax is really helpful. But over time, one glass became two. Two glasses became ....I might as well finish the bottle. A habit got established....and was starting to get too e...
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I get back pain when running a lot and my posture could be better. In addition to that I've always had allergies. But I'm not sure I buy the reasoning that stress is what causes my allergy. I had the allergies when I was only a few years old.
I suspect cortisol (causing fight-and-flight response which increases muscle tension) could be the issue here. Chronic psychological issues can definitely cause chronicly elevated cortisol, but I suspect so can allergies and food intolerances. Maybe for some the sum of both the psychologically mediated cortisol and gut problem mediated cortisol is necessary before symptoms show and dealing with the psychological issues is enough for the symptoms to go away.
This is just guessing from my part, but it's a theory at least. I've ordered a cortisol test to try my theory. Then I will try something like the GAPS diet to get rid of my allergies and heal the gut and then I'll see if that had any effect on cortisol and back pain.