Can Stress Cause Shoulder Pain? My Experience at 71

I always brag that I don’t get stressed out about much of anything. Then my body proved me wrong.

About three weeks ago my wife Kathy had major surgery. We were told to expect about 8 hours. It turned out to be 11. She’s healthy and strong, but that is a long time for anyone to be under, and she is 71.

A Kink in My Neck the Day Before Surgery

The day before her surgery, around midday, I got a kink in my neck out of nowhere. By the morning of the surgery I had sharp pains in both shoulders.

By the time we came home the next day, the pain was grabbing at me. It felt like waking up at night with a charley horse in your calf, except in my shoulders. A few times it was bad enough to make my knee buckle.

I hadn’t lifted anything heavy or slept wrong. The only thing that had changed was what was going on in my head.

Can Stress Really Cause Shoulder Pain?

It can. According to the American Psychological Association, muscle tension is almost a reflex reaction to stress. Your body tightens up to guard against injury. When the stress passes, the muscles let go. When it doesn’t, they can stay tight, and the neck and shoulders are among the most common places it shows up.

That matches what happened to me almost exactly. The pain started before the surgery, peaked while I was worried, and started fading once Kathy was home and doing better.

Stress Is a Longevity Problem, Not Just a Mood

At the DaVinci 50 mastermind last year, one of the first things they told us was that stress is a killer. I nodded along, because I didn’t think it applied to me.

Now I get it. If a few days of worry can do this to someone who rarely feels stressed, imagine what months or years of it does to people dealing with money problems, a sick family member or a job they hate. Long-term stress keeps the body in a constant state of alert, and that wear and tear adds up.

Where Things Stand Now

Kathy is home, doing much better and still recovering. Full recovery takes about two months.

My shoulders are getting better slowly but surely. This morning I even forgot about the pain for a while, but it isn’t completely gone yet.

What I’m Taking Away From This

Stress shows up in the body even when you don’t feel “stressed.”
Sudden neck and shoulder tension during a hard week is worth paying attention to.
The worry fades, and so does the pain, but managing stress deserves a real place in a longevity plan.

Have you ever had stress show up in your body like this? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

You can see everything else I do in my protocols, follow my numbers on my tests and stats page, and check out my fitness routine.

Live long and prosper,
Gary

A note from Gary: I am not a doctor, and I am definitely not your doctor. I’m a 71-year-old running a public experiment on myself, and this is one man’s experience, not a diagnosis. Sudden neck, shoulder or arm pain can also be a sign of a heart problem or another serious condition, so if you have pain like this, especially with chest pressure, shortness of breath or sweating, get checked by a doctor right away.