By: The Ultimate Back Store Posted on
Connection between trauma and pain

Have you ever felt an ache in your back or hips that just won’t go away, even though nothing seems physically wrong? You’re not alone. It turns out, our bodies often carry the weight of what our minds can’t. Emotional trauma, especially when left unresolved, can show up as real, physical pain—particularly in the lower back and hips.

Let’s talk about why that happens, what science says about it, and what you can actually do to heal—body and mind.

Why Emotional Trauma Hurts—Literally

When we go through something traumatic—whether it’s a sudden loss, chronic stress, abuse, or even emotional neglect—our nervous system can go into overdrive. And if that trauma isn’t fully processed, the body tends to store it.

According to Choi et al. (2021), individuals experiencing high levels of stress are up to 2.8 times more likely to suffer from chronic low back pain. That’s not a coincidence—it’s a biological response. When the body perceives stress, it activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which ramps up cortisol and sensitizes nerves (Löffler et al., 2019). Over time, this leads to a condition known as nociplastic pain. This is pain that doesn’t stem from tissue damage but from nervous system dysfunction (IASP, 2021).

Think of it like this: the brain starts sending out pain signals even when there’s no injury—because it learned that certain emotional triggers equal danger. That means the pain is real. It’s just rooted in your nervous system, not your skeleton.

Why the Back and Hips?

The back and hips, especially the psoas muscle (a deep muscle that runs from the spine to the femur), are common storage areas for emotional stress. These areas help us stabilize and protect ourselves—both physically and emotionally. It makes sense that when we brace ourselves during stress or trauma, these muscles lock up.

In fact, chronic tightness in the hips has been linked to trauma responses. The psoas, in particular, is often referred to as the “muscle of the soul.” That’s not just poetic—when it’s locked in a state of contraction, it can lead to hip pain, back pain, and even anxiety (Verywell Health, 2022).

Eastern medicine has long emphasized the connection between emotional states and physical symptoms. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the hips and lower back are associated with the Kidney and Liver meridians—organs believed to govern fear and suppressed anger, respectively (MacPherson & Kaptchuk, 1999). Emotional stagnation or unresolved trauma is said to disrupt the smooth flow of Qi (life force), which then manifests as tightness, stiffness, or chronic pain in those areas.

Similarly, Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, recognizes that emotions are stored in bodily tissues. According to Ayurvedic theory, unprocessed trauma and stress can accumulate in the pelvic region, disturbing the flow of energy in the Muladhara (root) and Svadhisthana (sacral) chakras. This can result in both emotional instability and physical symptoms such as back and hip discomfort (Lad, 2002).

Modern somatic psychology supports these ideas. Bessel van der Kolk, in his foundational work The Body Keeps the Score (2014), discusses how trauma often settles in the body and influences posture, breath, and muscle tension. The psoas muscle, due to its role in the fight-or-flight response, becomes chronically engaged during traumatic stress and doesn’t easily relax afterward. This not only creates pain but perpetuates a loop of hypervigilance and unease.

So when you’re feeling that familiar tension in your hips or a deep ache in your lower back, it’s worth asking not just what movement might help—but what emotion might still need your attention.. The psoas, in particular, is often referred to as the “muscle of the soul.” That’s not just poetic—when it’s locked in a state of contraction, it can lead to hip pain, back pain, and even anxiety (Verywell Health, 2022).

Here’s What the Experts Say

Dr. Patricia Zheng, a spine specialist, notes that depression and poor sleep habits can increase chronic back pain severity (Zheng, 2025). That might sound surprising, but think about how your body feels after a restless night or a day filled with worry—tense, sluggish, heavy. Now imagine that feeling every day. Chronic emotional distress keeps your nervous system in a reactive state, which can tighten muscles and dull your body’s ability to recover from normal wear and tear.

Researchers like Tesarz et al. (2013) have found that individuals with a history of trauma often show decreased pain thresholds and increased nerve sensitivity. This isn’t just an emotional pattern—it’s measurable. Trauma appears to alter the way our brains and nerves interpret signals, making them more sensitive to pain. Essentially, trauma wires your body to be on high alert.

Harvard Health (2016) explains it further: when pain becomes chronic, it actually changes how the brain processes it. Pain signals stop being handled by the sensory part of the brain and get routed through emotional centers instead. This means that the emotional content of your life—stress, fear, unresolved grief—gets braided into your experience of pain.

When your brain is stuck in this emotional-pain loop, things like catastrophizing (thinking the worst), fear of movement, or constant worry about the pain itself can make everything worse. It’s a cycle: pain leads to stress, which leads to more pain. But here’s the good news—once you recognize this connection, you can start to untangle it.

YouTube Videos That Help Connect Body and Mind

There’s good news: just as trauma can rewire our brains and bodies, we can gently reverse the process through mindful movement, breathwork, and somatic therapy. Here are some guided practices on YouTube that can help:

Try one each day and see how your body responds. Sometimes people report emotional releases like tears or sighing—it’s all part of the process.

Therapies That Heal on Both Levels

Therapies That Heal on Both Levels

1. Somatic Experiencing (SE)

Somatic Experiencing is a body-based approach to healing trauma developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It focuses on helping people become aware of the sensations in their bodies—especially those linked to trauma responses—and gently release the stored tension. Instead of revisiting the trauma through memory alone, SE allows the nervous system to complete the fight-or-flight response that was interrupted during the traumatic event (Kuhfuß et al., 2021). This helps restore a sense of safety and regulation in the body.

2. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

MBSR is an 8-week program created by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn that teaches participants to use mindfulness meditation, gentle movement, and body awareness to reduce stress and manage pain. Through regular practice, individuals learn how to observe their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgment. Studies from Harvard and Penn State found that MBSR significantly improves chronic back pain, enhances emotional well-being, and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression (Harvard Health, 2016).

3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a structured, goal-oriented form of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. When it comes to chronic pain, CBT helps individuals reframe catastrophic thoughts—like “this pain will never end”—that often intensify the experience of pain. CBT also teaches coping strategies and relaxation techniques that reduce emotional distress and increase resilience (IASP, 2021).

4. Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)

PRT is a relatively new therapeutic approach that helps individuals reframe their understanding of chronic pain as a brain-generated experience, rather than a symptom of ongoing physical injury. Using guided exercises, education, and somatic tools, clients learn to interpret pain signals as safe and non-threatening, thereby reducing fear and breaking the chronic pain cycle. Research by Ashar et al. (2022) found that PRT led to substantial and lasting reductions in chronic back pain.

5. Manual Therapy & Somato-Emotional Release

This hands-on approach blends physical bodywork with the release of stored emotional energy. Practitioners use gentle manipulation of the fascia and craniosacral system to detect and resolve areas of tension believed to be linked to unresolved emotional experiences. Somato-Emotional Release (SER), in particular, was developed by Dr. John Upledger and is designed to facilitate emotional expression, release trauma memories stored in the body, and restore physical and emotional harmony (Byrdie.com, 2025).

Putting It All Together: Your Healing Plan

Weeks 1-2: Awareness

Start journaling when pain arises and what emotions you’re feeling. Add 5-10 minutes of breathwork or gentle stretching.

Weeks 3-6: Gentle Movement

Try daily somatic or yoga sessions (pick from the videos above). Incorporate daily walks and deeper journaling.

Weeks 7-9: Structured Therapy

Consider working with a trauma-informed therapist in SE, EMDR, CBT, or PRT. Add myofascial release or bodywork.

Weeks 10-12: Integration

Combine it all. Journal. Move. Reflect. Continue therapy. By now, you should see improvements not just in pain, but in your ability to cope and feel safe in your body.

Final Thoughts

Your pain is not “all in your head.” It’s in your body, your nervous system, your history—and that means it can be healed. By tending to both emotional wounds and physical symptoms, you give yourself the gift of full-body healing.

Healing can feel overwhelming, especially when the pain has been part of your life for so long. But just because it’s complex doesn’t mean it’s impossible. You don’t need to tackle everything at once. Think of this as a slow, gentle unwinding—a return to safety, piece by piece. Start where you are. Maybe it’s with one video. One breath. One realization that you’re not alone.

Even small steps matter. Journaling for five minutes a day. Moving your body with compassion. Saying something kind to yourself. They all add up. These aren’t quick fixes—they’re real ways to reconnect to your body, interrupt pain loops, and reclaim your resilience.

You are not broken. You’re incredibly adaptive. The same nervous system that learned how to brace and survive can also learn how to soften, release, and thrive. The same body that’s held pain can learn how to hold joy, comfort, and peace.

So take a deep breath. Give yourself permission to try. Pick one tool from this post—whether it’s a YouTube practice, a therapy modality, or a simple self-check-in—and start there. You deserve to feel safe in your body again.

It’s not just about eliminating pain. It’s about reclaiming peace, presence, and the ability to feel like yourself again. You’re worth that healing journey.

References

Ashar, Y. K., Gordon, A., Schubiner, H., Uipi, C., & Knight, K. (2022). Effect of pain reprocessing therapy vs placebo and usual care for patients with chronic back pain. JAMA Psychiatry.

Choi, S., et al. (2021). Association between chronic low back pain and stress severity. Scientific Reports.

Harvard Health Publishing. (2016, Apr 25). The psychology of low back pain.

IASP. (2021). Psychology of back pain [Fact sheet].

Kuhfuß, M., Maldei, A., Hetmanek, T., Baumann, N., et al. (2021). Somatic experiencing—effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: A scoping literature review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology.

Löffler, M., et al. (2019). Stress-induced hyperalgesia in chronic musculoskeletal pain. arXiv.

Tesarz, J., et al. (2013). Beyond traumatic events and chronic low back pain: Assessment and treatment implications. Pain, PMC 4369787.

Verywell Health. (2022). Somatic trauma therapy.

Zheng, P. (2025, Jun 15). I’m a spine doctor—beware this surprising cause of back pain… Medical Xpress.