If you’ve ever suffered from a tension headache, neck discomfort, or lower back pain, you know how much of an effect stress can have on the body. When we become stressed, our adrenaline rises, making us more likely to be on guard against what the body perceives as danger. When this stress happens, our muscles tense up as a reflex reaction. While the body does this as a way of protecting us against injury and pain, chronic tension in reaction to stress has the opposite effect.
Chronic stress causes the body to be in a frequent state of alertness, which in turn causes our muscles to be tense and taut for extended periods of time. This can trigger other reactions in the body and may even lead to disorders or disease. These reactions may include tension headaches and migraines, a tight and tender jaw, cramps in the stomach and back, and digestive issues, among others. If not treated, the muscle tension leading to aches causes us more stress and perpetuates the cycle.
When paired together Vitamins C and D calm down ache-creating muscle inflammation throughout our bodies and is essential in repairing stressed and hurt muscles.
VITAMIN C
It reduces both the psychological, plus the physical effects that daily stress creates.
Vitamin C allows the body to quickly clear out cortisol, a hormone our bodies release when we’re stressed out. Cortisol increases sugars in the bloodstream which causes our blood pressure to rise and starts causing muscles in our neck and shoulders to tense.
Since most people don’t get anywhere nearly enough Vitamin C on a daily basis, most of us have high levels of stress hormones floating round in our bodies all the time. When our bodies do have enough, it can prevent stress hormones like cortisol from spiking in the first place when we find ourselves in daily or irregularly stressful situations.
VITAMIN D
It’s an incredible anti-inflammatory that helps release tension throughout our bodies.
When we get stressed or “fight or flight” response causes our blood pressure to rise, swelling our muscles, causing them to tense up. When we remain in a stressed state and our muscles in our neck, shoulders, legs, and hands don’t relax, they become sore.
Vitamin D comes into play with stress-caused aching muscles since it’s a major factor in reducing inflammation in our bodies, and when it does that it’s also there to jumpstart the repair process. When our muscles are inflamed and become sore, they actually need time and the right nutrients to heal. Vitamin D helps kickstart that healing so aching muscles can go away.
