10 Hidden Causes of Pain

iVillage: 10 Hidden Causes of Pain

You probably never thought that your beloved morning cup of coffee, your cushy pillow or your squishy flip-flops could do anything but improve your life. But you might be surprised to learn that these feel-good accoutrements may be causing you pain. While achiness is common with age (and some people suffer from a chronic pain condition called fibromyalgia), pain can also be triggered by habits and lifestyle choices—even seemingly healthy ones. Here’s a head-to-toe guide to some surprising triggers of pain.

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10 Hidden Causes...

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Caffeine

Where does it hurt? Your head

Why? If you’re a regular drinker of tea or coffee, you’re at risk of withdrawal headaches if you skip; or even delay; your morning cup of joe or jasmine. Some people also get headaches if they drink too much coffee, but the caffeine threshold varies from person to person.

How to avoid it? Imbibe your brew of choice on a regular schedule, and don’t drink more than you’re used to.

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Weekends

Where does it hurt? Your head

Why? You wake up on Saturday morning with a pounding headache. Cruel! A couple of things can cause weekend headaches. One is sleeping late. If you’re a first-thing-in-the-morning coffee drinker and you sleep in, you delay that caffeine fix and invite a withdrawal headache. Or it may be that you’ve thrown off your body rhythm. People who are prone to migraines are especially sensitive to changes in body rhythms, so getting too much sleep may be a migraine trigger for them.

How to avoid it? Caffeine withdrawal headaches can be avoided by simply sticking with the same morning routine on weekends as weekdays. If you’re a migraine sufferer, try to go to sleep and wake up around the same time seven days a week.

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Pain Relievers

Where does it hurt? Your head

Why? Taking ibuprofen, acetaminophen or other pain reliever for headaches more than two days a week for a few weeks to months in a row can put you at risk for rebound headaches, says Brian Grosberg, M.D., of the Montefiore Headache Center in New York City. You may notice that your headache comes back more intensely and frequently as the medication wears off. All over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers can cause rebound headaches, though they’re more common with products containing butalbital or opiates.

How to avoid it? Since treatment—going cold turkey, with most pain meds—is no party, it’s best to prevent rebound headaches in the first place. Monitor how often you take pain relievers, making sure you don’t surpass the twice-a-week limit, and speak to your doctor if you have frequent headaches.

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Receding Gums

Where does it hurt? Your teeth

Why? Tooth pain isn’t always caused by a cavity or dying roots. It’s often the result of receding gums. Teeth are made of dentin, which contains microscopic canals that act as conduits to nerves, and are protected by enamel (the part of the tooth you can see) and cementum (a substance under the enamel). When the protective tooth enamel and cementum wear down or the gums recede, the dentin is exposed, and anything that enters the mouth (food, beverages) has direct access to nerves via the canals in the exposed dentin. Ouch!

How to avoid it? To prevent receding gums and to protect tooth enamel, use a soft-bristled toothbrush and don’t scrub. Ask your dentist for a quick lesson on how to brush correctly. Also, a desensitizing toothpaste can help block transmission of sensations from the tooth surface to the nerve.

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A Pillow That's ...

Where does it hurt? Your neck

Why? There’s not much research on pillows, but keeping your head and neck in a neutral position (aligned with your spine) while sleeping should help you keep from straining your neck. So, for example, if you sleep on your back and use more than one pillow, you’re probably tilting your neck forward.

How to avoid it? Experiment with different pillows (or quantities of pillows) to find one (or a combo) that keeps your head and spine as aligned as possible. You can also try a cervical pillow, which has a dip in the middle for your head to rest in and a raised side to support your neck, says Donald Murphy, D.C., a chiropractor and clinical director of the Rhode Island Spine Center.

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Texting

Where does it hurt? Neck and shoulders

Why? When we do fine-motor work such as texting, we tend to tighten our muscles and hold our breath or breathe shallowly. The resulting muscle tension can lead to pain—not only in the hands, but also all the way up to the neck and shoulders.

How to avoid it? Erik Peper, Ph.D., a professor of holistic health studies at San Francisco State University, recommends taking microbreaks (momentarily shifting position or relaxing tight muscles) when doing fine-motor work such as texting, typing or using a mouse. Place your hands in your lap and relax them, roll your shoulders backwards or simply lift your shoulders and drop them. Then go back to work.

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Allergies

Where does it hurt? Your throat or sinuses

Why? Allergies can contribute to a sore throat, sinus pain or headaches, and that includes low-grade allergies that don’t cause sneezing attacks or itchy eyes.

How to avoid it? If you have sinus pain, a headache or sore throat that lasts more than two months, doesn’t respond to antibiotics or other treatment, or recurs every two to three months, or if you’re starting to develop asthma symptoms (cough, chest tightness), ask your doctor to screen you for allergies.

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Acid Reflux

Where does it hurt? Your throat

Why? Having acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) exposes your throat to irritating stomach acid. If you experience acid reflux during the night, it may explain a morning sore throat.

How to avoid it? To prevent acid reflux, cut back on fatty foods, coffee, tea, chocolate, peppermint, carbonated drinks and alcohol; eat more frequent, smaller meals; don’t eat two to three hours before bedtime; if you smoke, quit; and, if possible, elevate the head of your bed four to six inches so that you’re slightly upright during sleep.

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Sitting for Long...

Where does it hurt? Your lower back

Why? The worst thing for your lower back is to be sedentary, says chiropractor Donald Murphy. Sitting puts extra pressure on the disks in your spine. And when you sit for extended periods of time, the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the back (and other areas, such as the thighs) get short and tight. Over time, the muscles can become weak and disk pressure can increase.

How to avoid it? Move it! “I recommend getting up at least once or twice per hour when you’re in a situation that requires prolonged sitting,” says Dr. Murphy. Walk around for a minute or so, and gently stretch your back by standing with your hands on your lower back and leaning backwards. If you can, lie facedown on the floor, place your hands beside your shoulders and press your upper body up by straightening your arms. This will take pressure off your disks.

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