When pain shows up in two or three places
Dr Nicola Tik
Your neck aches, your lower back is stiff and now your wrist has started complaining too. When pain appears in more than one place, it can feel overwhelming, and it is easy to wonder whether something bigger is going on. Pain in more than one area is very common, and understanding why can help you make one simple plan rather than three separate ones.
Pain in two or three places is common, especially in people who spend long hours at a desk, have busy lives or are going through a stressful time. There are a few reasons this happens.
Shared habits often play a part. Long spells of sitting, little movement through the day and a set-up that keeps you in one position can affect your neck, shoulders, back and wrists at the same time.
Your nervous system plays a part too. When pain has been around for a while, the nervous system can become more sensitive, a bit like a volume dial that has been turned up. Once it is more sensitive, aches in different areas can all feel louder.
Things that affect the whole body, like poor sleep, stress, low mood and low activity, can turn that volume up further. That is why pain in several places often feels worse after a bad night or a stressful week.
It can also be reassuring to know that pain in several places does not usually mean something serious is wrong. It more often reflects how your whole body is coping with daily demands.
The encouraging part is that if several areas share the same drivers, they can also share the same solutions. You do not need a separate plan for each sore spot. Looking after the whole system tends to help all of them.
A simple plan that works for the whole body might include:
These help every area at once, rather than chasing each one separately.
Breaking up long spells of sitting is one of the most helpful changes. Some ideas:
VIDA’s Pomodoro stretches, in the top right corner, can prompt you to pause and move during focused work. Short walks, ideally every day, help your whole body as well as your mood.
General strength work helps every area cope better with daily life. Something to try two or three times a week:
If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of sit to stands, bridges, shoulder squeezes and back lifts you can use at your own pace.
Because sleep and stress affect how sensitive your whole system feels, looking after them can ease pain in several places at once. A regular wake-up time, a calm wind-down before bed and a few slow breaths during a stressful moment can all help.
If several areas ache after a day at your desk, your set-up may be a shared factor. Raising your screen to eye level, keeping your keyboard and mouse close and supporting your back can all help at the same time.
Your VIDA pain check-in can help you notice patterns across your different areas, like whether they all feel worse after a poor night or a busy week. Seeing that link can make the one-plan approach feel more manageable.