By Friday afternoon, your shoulders feel as though they have been carrying the entire week. A familiar ache in your lower back is suddenly harder to ignore, even though you have not lifted anything heavy or changed your routine. Could stress be making it worse? Stress can influence muscle tension, sleep and the nervous system’s response to discomfort, changing how strongly pain is experienced. That does not make the pain imaginary, and it does not mean stress is the only possible cause. On this page Why Stress and Pain Are Connected When Muscles Stay on Alert The Sleep–Pain–Stress Cycle Why Familiar Pain Can Feel Louder What May Help Break the Cycle When Pain Needs Medical Assessment When to Seek Urgent Help Why Stress and Pain Are Connected Pain is not simply a message travelling from an injured body part to the brain...