Can Stress Affect Your Bones?

Have you ever noticed how common it is for people to express their stress? It’s a phrase we hear frequently from our loved ones, colleagues, and even strangers we encounter.

In today’s fast-paced world, often referred to as the ‘stress era’, it’s no wonder that stress has become an integral part of our daily lives. It can be triggered by various circumstances or events that leave us feeling anxious, uneasy, or frustrated. We all know that stress can take a toll on our well-being.

Let’s explore some key facts that highlight the connection between stress and our overall health:

• A significant portion, up to 70%, of the general population has experienced traumatic events during their lifetime.
• The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is approximately 3.6% each year.
• Severe depression affects around 24% of cancer patients.
• Work-related stress has been linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease and hypertension.
• Prolonged exposure to chronic stress can lead to hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, or cerebral strokes.
• Persistent psychological stress puts individuals at risk for conditions such as heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and obesity.
• High levels of LDL cholesterol (41%), triglycerides (11%), total cholesterol (21%), and low levels of HDL cholesterol (19%) have been associated with work-related stress.

While these facts may seem daunting, did you know that stress can also affect your bones? In this journey, we’ll explore the various types of stress, delve into their relationship with bone and joint health, and even provide some practical tips for reducing stress to support the well-being of our bones and joints.

Let us go through stress, its several types, and how can stress affect bone and joint health. Additionally, there are a few tips for reducing stress for bone and joint health.

Stress and its types

Hans Selye, the founder of stress research, wrote: ‘Stress is the Spice of Life; the absence of stress is death'.

Many people define stress in various ways. Stress is defined in psychological sciences as a state of mental pressure and tension. Stress is a typical psychophysiological response to experiences leading people to feel threatened, depressed, dysphoric, or imbalanced.

You’re probably wondering what kind of stress we’re dealing with. Stress can be characterized based on:

1. Nature of the stressor: Physiological, psychological stress
2. Impact on the individual: Positive eustress, negative distress
3. Duration of stressor: acute or short-term, chronic or long-term stress

One of the most severe reactions to stress that any person can experience is PTSD, which typically develops after experiencing trauma and/or an event with high levels of affective/emotive negative stress. Chronic or sudden stress might lead to anxiety or depressive disorders.

Stress-related risk factors

Our daily behaviors can lead to stress. Some of the common behavioral stress factors include

• Poor eating habits
• Alcohol consumption
• Smoking
• Lack of exercise
• Altered dietary patterns

Let's look into how our behavioral stressors that cause stress affect our bones and overall health. Research has shown that:

• Bone health will be impacted by sustained bad eating habits.
• Smokers' reduced calcium and vitamin D absorption can result in bone loss.
• Osteoporosis is frequently linked to being underweight.
• The root cause of low BMD and psychological stress is physical inactivity.
• Alcohol both directly and indirectly affects bone health.

Can stress affect our bone and joint health?

Stress has an impact on bone health by altering physiological changes in the body. Development of bone disease and pathological response to stress are molecularly linked by

• dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathomedullar (SAM) pathway and
• Inflammatory pathways

Chronic psychological stress is linked to an increase in pro-inflammatory markers (PIC), which is one of the major secondary risk factors for osteoporosis.

HPA is the main hormonal system in stress. In acute and psychological stress, hormones such as glucocorticoids (cortisol) and catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine) are secreted these hormones are called stress hormones and chronic stress can lead to hypercortisolism or glucocorticoid resistance.

The link between stress and bone and joint health. Studies revealed that:

• Depression raises the risk of fracture and lowers the bone mineral density.
• Increased anxiety levels in postmenopausal women are associated with a lower BMD score.
• Increased risk of osteoporosis is associated with PTSD.
• Osteoporosis risk may increase in people suffering from psychological stress.
• Men with moderate to severe reported stress had reduced BMD in the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and whole femur.
• Psychological stress may impair bone health by altering endogenous glucocorticoids.

Ways to unwind and destress

What can be done to minimize stress and prevent bone and joint health problems? Here are some ways to de-stress.

1. Stay physical active

Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and helps keep your musculoskeletal system strong. According to research, exercise may benefit BMD and reduce fracture risk. Swimming can help you de-stress your mind and body, which is good for your bone and joint health. Physical activity is also helpful for stimulating bone formation and maintaining and restoring appropriate BMD.

2. Walk and talk

Discuss your tough circumstance with your loved ones while taking a stroll in the evening. This will help you obtain a new perspective on a situation, and lighten your mood, and brisk walking will also strengthen your bone and joint.

3. Good food, good mood!

In stressful situations, some people tend to overeat junk foods; as a result, bad eating habits can have an impact on bone health. A nutritious diet will help you maintain good bone health by reducing the effects of stress-related factors such as neuroinflammation and oxidative stress Polyphenols and anthocyanins, the most abundant antioxidants in the diet, inhibit the activity of oxidants, help to the prevention of bone loss. 

4. Say NO

Say no to smoking, drinking, and people or situations that bring negativity and stress to your life. Leading a healthy life physically, emotionally, and mentally is essential to fight stress.

5. Take a break

We are so involved in our work life that we strive to work even on weekends. But in reality, we avoid giving ourselves time and consequently at some point get stressed.

To prevent being agitated or irritated with daily routine. Take a break and start incorporating relaxation into your daily routine. Join a laughing club, as laughter helps relieve stress. Spend an evening with family or loved ones by doing some exercise or playing indoor games. This will have positive effects on your general health as well as your bone and joint health.

6. Get a healthy sleep

We are all aware that stress makes it harder to fall asleep. Stress levels might rise as a result of insufficient sleep or excessive stress levels can interfere with the duration and quality of sleep.

Whatever the stressful scenario, try to obtain a decent night’s sleep. Because sufficient slumber reduces cortisol and stress hormones, lowering the risk of further disease.

Conclusion

In our fast-paced modern lives, stress has become a constant companion. However, when stress lingers and intensifies, it can manifest in troubling signs and symptoms that pose a risk to our health, including the health of our bones.

Fortunately, there are avenues to mitigate the impact of chronic psychological stress and its potential link to osteoporosis. By implementing lifestyle changes and incorporating dietary supplements, we can pave the way for a new approach to stress reduction.

Balanced physical exercise, steering clear of substance abuse, and embracing relaxation techniques can all play vital roles in reducing stress levels. When we prioritize our health and well-being, both mentally and physically, we set the stage for stronger bones and overall resilience.

Let us remember that our bones are the very pillars that support us throughout life’s journey. By managing stress effectively, we empower ourselves to maintain optimal bone health.