The association with job stress could occur because stress
increases awareness and reporting of pain, either through
effects on the processing of sensory information in the central nervous system, or by changing the way in which physical tasks are performed (e.g. with increased muscle tension
or altered posture) in a manner that makes them more likely
to generate pain. However, it is also possible that pain renders people more prone to perceive and report occupational
stress. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies