When Pain Has a Story to Tell

Understanding the Story Behind Pain

Traditional models of pain emphasize mechanical causes—strained muscles, inflamed joints, structural abnormalities—but contemporary research in pain science suggests a more nuanced reality. Pain often emerges as a protective response from the nervous system, not necessarily linked to tissue damage¹. It can signal unresolved emotional or psychological experiences, marking an internal part of us that still feels threatened or unseen².

This reframing isn't just philosophical—it's neurological. Our brain and nervous system retain imprints of past threats, trauma, or significant emotional events, encoding them in neural pathways that can later manifest as physical pain³.

Pain as a Personal Story: Lessons from a Public Figure

Consider the story of Lady Gaga, who openly shares her struggles with chronic pain and fibromyalgia. Gaga connects her symptoms not just to physical demands of performing but also to emotional stressors and past traumas. Her experiences underscore that chronic pain can be intricately tied to psychological factors, highlighting the importance of emotional safety and self-awareness in pain management⁴.

Integrating Psychological Insight in Physical Therapy

In clinical practice, patients often discover that their chronic pain symptoms improve significantly when therapy sessions incorporate psychological strategies such as mindfulness, emotional expression, and somatic awareness. Research supports this integrative approach, showing that addressing emotional and psychological components can profoundly impact pain perception and quality of life⁵⁻⁶.

Action Steps to Decode Your Pain

1. Pause before pathologizing.
Pain does not always mean something is physically broken. Instead, ask yourself: What could this pain be protecting or signaling⁷?

2. Track your patterns.
Notice when your pain intensifies. Is it during stress, conflict, or specific emotional states? Tracking helps identify the triggers that your nervous system perceives as threats².

3. Map the memory.
Consider if the pain echoes a particular life phase or emotional experience. Emotional memories can become deeply embedded in our physiology, influencing the way we experience pain years later³.

4. Bring safety into your system.
Employ practices like gentle breathwork, mindful movement, or somatic exploration, which signal safety to your nervous system and can reduce the intensity of chronic pain⁶.

5. Speak to the part, not just the problem.
Engaging compassionately with the emotional aspect of your pain—rather than merely focusing on the physical symptoms—can facilitate healing by acknowledging underlying psychological and emotional needs⁵.

Ever uncovered something deeper beneath physical pain? Share your experience—I’d love to hear your story.

References

¹ Moseley, G. L., & Butler, D. S. (2015). Explain Pain Supercharged. NOI Group.
² Lumley, M. A., Cohen, J. L., Borszcz, G. S., Cano, A., Radcliffe, A. M., Porter, L. S., & Keefe, F. J. (2011). Pain and emotion: A biopsychosocial review of recent research. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67(9), 942-968.
³ van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books.
⁴ Lady Gaga Interview by Oprah Winfrey. (2020). Oprah’s 2020 Vision Tour. Available at: Oprah.com
⁵ Lumley, M. A., Schubiner, H., Lockhart, N. A., Kidwell, K. M., Harte, S. E., Clauw, D. J., & Williams, D. A. (2017). Emotional awareness and expression therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and education for fibromyalgia: A cluster-randomized controlled trial. Pain, 158(12), 2354-2363.
⁶ Schubiner, H., & Betzold, M. (2019). Unlearn Your Pain. Mind Body Publishing.
⁷ Moseley, G. L., & Vlaeyen, J. W. S. (2015). Beyond nociception: the imprecision hypothesis of chronic pain. Pain, 156(1), 35-38.