The Link Between Occupational Stress and Musculoskeletal Pain
Table of Contents
The stress–pain vicious cycle
Occupational stress is not merely a matter of "mood" — it has a direct effect on the body. Chronic mental tension activates the sympathetic nervous system, which raises muscle tension and lowers the pain threshold. In other words, you feel the same stimulus as more painful. The pain then heightens stress further, creating a vicious cycle.
Korean medicine pattern — liver-qi stagnation (gan-ul-gi-che)
In Korean medicine, the liver (gan) is the organ that governs the smooth flow of qi. When occupational stress persists, liver qi (gan-gi) becomes stagnant and the flow of qi is blocked. This is called liver-qi stagnation (gan-ul-gi-che, 肝鬱氣滯), and presents with the following symptoms:
- Physical: Worsening shoulder, neck, and back tension; headache; tightness in the hypochondriac region (sides of the chest)
- Emotional: Irritability, sighing, depressed mood, sleep disturbance
- Digestive: Appetite fluctuation, abdominal bloating, irritable bowel symptoms
Mind-body simultaneous treatment strategy
Treating only the musculoskeletal pain while leaving stress unaddressed leads to high recurrence. Simultaneous mind-body treatment is essential.
Herbal medicine — soothing the liver and resolving stagnation (sogan-haeul):
Siho-sogan-san (Chaihu Shugan San) is the leading prescription. Siho (Bupleurum) frees liver qi, Hyangbuja (Cyperus) resolves qi stagnation, and Jakyak (Paeonia) nourishes liver blood. When muscle tension is severe, we combine it with Jakyak-gamcho-tang (Shaoyao Gancao Tang) to enhance the muscle-relaxing effect.
Acupuncture treatment:
- Taichong (LR3): Source point of the liver meridian, the leading point for releasing liver-qi stagnation
- Hegu (LI4): Combined with Taichong forms the "Four Gates" (sagwan-hyeol) — promotes systemic qi-blood circulation
- Baihui (GV20): Clears the mind and relieves stress
- Jianjing (GB21): Directly relaxes trapezius tension
Workplace stress management in parallel
Alongside treatment, we teach breathing techniques (abdominal breathing) and meridian stretches. Just 5 minutes of abdominal breathing 3 times a day can meaningfully reduce sympathetic overactivation. We also identify workplace stressors and recommend environmental improvements from an occupational-health perspective.