Common pain conditions linked to high blood pressure

Close to a quarter of all adults live with chronic pain. By the time we hit 65, those numbers jump to 36%.

From hips and knees that ache to a stiff neck or back pain that makes you feel miserable, chronic pain can have a significant impact on daily life.

What you may not know, though, is that pain also significantly influences other areas of your health — especially when it comes to your heart.

Research is revealing that living with chronic pain opens the gateway to the cardiovascular condition known as ‘the silent killer’ — high blood pressure.

Long-term pain equals rising blood pressure

The research, reported in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal, evaluated the health information from more than 200,000 adults, comparing blood pressure risks to self-reported pain levels over more than 13 years.

And the results were clear…

People who experience chronic pain throughout their bodies have a higher chance of developing high blood pressure compared to those reporting no pain, short-term discomfort or pain limited to one region.

“The more widespread their pain, the higher their risk of developing high blood pressure,” said lead study author Jill Pell, M.D.

The results showed that:

• Suffering from chronic widespread pain increases the risk of high blood pressure by 75%
• Short-term pain has a lesser effect on blood pressure, raising the risk by just 10%
• Chronic pain in a single location was tied to a 20% higher risk

Researchers were also able to nail down blood pressure risks by location of pain. The team determined that:

• Chronic abdominal pain was linked to a 43% higher risk
• Chronic headaches raised blood pressure risk by 22%
• Suffering from chronic neck/shoulder pain led to a 19% higher risk
• Long-term hip pain was associated with a 17% increased risk
• Living with chronic back pain came with a 16% higher risk

Clearly, chronic pain and high blood pressure walk hand-in-hand.

The dual link between pain and hypertension

But why does pain have such an effect on hypertension risk? Is it just the fact that when you’re in pain, you tend to tense up?

The researchers say there’s more to the story…

“Part of the explanation for this finding was that having chronic pain made people more likely to have depression, and then having depression made people more likely to develop high blood pressure. This suggests that early detection and treatment of depression, among people with pain, may help to reduce their risk of developing high blood pressure.”

The scientists also point to the inflammation associated with chronic pain as a driving force behind high blood pressure.

This makes sense when you consider that sustained low levels of inflammation don’t just irritate your joints. It inflames your blood vessels, promotes plaque development and may even trigger blood clots.

Beat back pain to balance blood pressure

Resistant blood pressure is high blood pressure that’s resistant to treatment. It’s been chalked up to lifestyle factors and some underlying conditions, and pain looks to be one of those.

All of this means that if you want to keep your blood pressure in the green zone, it’s essential to manage pain.

In addition to seeing a specialist, put these practices to work…

#1 — Get plenty of sleep

When you don’t sleep, you feel more aches and pains and may even suffer from a new-onset chronic pain. This makes getting your shuteye vital to defeating the chronic pain loop.

#2 — Stay active

When you’re in pain, it’s easy to want to stay in bed or on the couch. However, exercise is one of the best ways to increase your body’s own ‘feel-good chemicals’, known as endorphins. Try gentle exercise like yoga and tai chi to start, and when you feel ready, increase to activities like walking.

#3 — Ramp up your intake of essential omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids, found principally in fatty fish, fish oil, and krill oil, have been shown to confer several core health benefits, including reducing and preventing inflammation and pain and lowering blood pressure. Here are the details…

Omega-3s block pain signals: Research found that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), one of the three primary omega-3 fatty acids, blocks the chemical transmission of pain signals and reduces pain perception. According to Professor Takaaki Miyaji of Okayama University, “Compared with other drugs, EPA demonstrated a higher analgesic effect and fewer side effects.”

Cannabis-like relief: Omega-3s trigger the release of natural cannabinoids in your body. Known as endocannabinoids, they have similar benefits to the cannabinoids found in marijuana. They fight inflammation, relieve pain and even bolster your body’s immune system.

Optimal dosing of omega-3s lowers blood pressure: Researchers analyzed 71 clinical trials published from 1987 to 2020 to find the optimal daily omega-3 dosage to help lower blood pressure. They found that taking 2-3 grams daily produced an average reduction of 2 mm Hg in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, compared with those who took none. At 3 grams per day, systolic blood pressure decreased by an average of 4.5 mm Hg in people with hypertension.

Sources:

Chronic pain may dramatically raise your blood pressure – ScienceDaily

Chronic Pain and High-impact Chronic Pain in U.S. Adults, 2023 – CDC

11 Tips for Living With Chronic Pain – WebMD

Sleep is key to curing chronic pain – ScienceDaily