The Connection Between Trauma and Chronic Pain

How Unresolved Trauma Impacts Pain and the Nervous System

Trauma isn’t just something that happens in the past—it lives in the body. When we experience trauma, especially if it remains unresolved, our nervous system adapts to keep us safe. But sometimes, this adaptation goes too far, keeping us in a heightened state of alert long after the danger is gone. This overactive state can contribute to chronic pain, fatigue, inflammation, and a host of other symptoms.

Our nervous system has two main branches: the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest). Trauma can keep us locked in fight-or-flight mode, where pain signals become amplified, and the body's ability to heal is compromised. If you have chronic pain and a history of trauma, you may not just be experiencing pain in your tissues—you may also be experiencing pain from a nervous system stuck in survival mode.

Big T and Little t Trauma: How All Trauma Affects the Nervous System

Trauma isn’t just one event—it exists on a spectrum. Some experiences are widely recognized as traumatic (Big T Trauma), while others may seem smaller but still have a lasting impact (Little t Trauma).

Big T Trauma refers to life-threatening or deeply distressing events such as abuse, accidents, assault, war, or natural disasters. These are events that overwhelm the nervous system and can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Little t Trauma refers to ongoing stressors or smaller distressing events that don’t seem catastrophic but still overwhelm the nervous system, such as bullying, emotional neglect, chronic illness, or feeling unsafe in childhood. These can accumulate over time and have just as much impact on pain and nervous system regulation.

Both Big T and Little t traumas can contribute to a sensitized nervous system, making pain more persistent. The body doesn’t always distinguish between the two—if an experience was overwhelming and the nervous system couldn’t process it fully, it can still get stored in the body and contribute to chronic pain.

How Childhood Adversity Affects Pain

Early life experiences shape how our nervous system responds to stress and pain. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study found that the more adversity a person experiences in childhood (such as neglect, abuse, or household dysfunction), the greater their risk of developing chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, and other health issues later in life.

Why? Because childhood adversity can train the nervous system to be hypervigilant, always scanning for danger. Over time, this can make pain processing less about physical injury and more about a sensitized nervous system that overreacts to normal stimuli.

How Trauma Shows Up in the Body

Trauma isn’t just in the mind—it leaves its mark on the body. Here’s how:

Muscle tension and chronic pain – Unresolved trauma can cause muscles to remain tense, leading to headaches, back pain, and other chronic pain conditions.
Digestive issues – The gut and brain are deeply connected. Trauma can contribute to conditions like IBS, bloating, and nausea.
Fatigue and exhaustion – Living in a hyper-alert state drains energy, making it difficult to rest and recover.
Sensory sensitivities – Trauma can heighten pain perception, making sounds, lights, and even touch feel overwhelming.

The Overlap Between Pain and Trauma

Pain and trauma share the same neural pathways in the brain. The same brain regions that process physical pain—like the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex—also process emotional pain. This is why trauma can make pain feel more intense and why treating trauma can sometimes reduce physical pain.

In both trauma and chronic pain:

The nervous system becomes hypersensitive to threats (real or perceived).
The body can get stuck in a fight, flight, or freeze response.
The brain starts to interpret neutral sensations as dangerous, leading to more pain.

This is why pain relief isn’t just about treating the body—it’s about helping the nervous system feel safe again.

Seeking Help: The Importance of Therapy

If you suspect unresolved trauma is keeping you in pain, you might want to consider working with a trauma-informed therapist. Much of the work we do is to desensitize the nervous system but there are many other modalities like somatic experiencing, EMDR, and trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy can be powerful tools in releasing stored trauma and reducing pain.

Pain isn’t just about what’s happening in your tissues—it’s about what your nervous system has learned to expect. And just as pain can be learned, it can also be unlearned.

If this resonates with you, consider reaching out to a trauma-informed professional. Healing trauma isn’t about reliving the past—it’s about giving your body and mind the safety they need to move forward.

Observing rather than being immersed in the feelings

As you move through the 16-week Change Pain Academy, you may notice emotions, fear, or anxiety rising as you explore new ways to retrain your nervous system. This is completely normal—your brain and body are processing change. If this happens, try to step back and become the observer rather than the main character in the story.

Imagine you’re reading the story unfold rather than being the main character in the book. This shift in perspective allows you to acknowledge emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them.

Remember, healing isn’t about recounting or reliving trauma—it’s about creating safety in the present moment, so your nervous system can begin to settle. If emotions feel too intense, pause, take a breath, and remind yourself that you are safe here and now. You are not your past—you are the author of what comes next.

Trauma And It’s Impact On Pain

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