Today I want to talk about the connection between chronic pain and the nervous system.
This is a very important piece to understand, because many people focus only on the physical body, but the nervous system plays a major role in whether the body can actually heal.
The nervous system is made up of two main parts: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
The sympathetic nervous system is your fight or flight response. This is your survival system.
The parasympathetic nervous system is rest, digest, recuperate, and regenerate. This is the state where your body rebuilds and restores itself.
This distinction is very important.
Because if your body is not spending enough time in the parasympathetic state, it does not have the opportunity to heal properly.
In the previous video, I talked about deeper root causes—things like stress, unresolved emotions, and internal patterns that we may be carrying.
For example:
•Feeling unhappy in life situations
•Suppressed emotions or unspoken truth
•Past experiences where we felt unsafe, unworthy, or not good enough
When these experiences are not processed, the nervous system tries to protect us.
It disconnects us from uncomfortable feelings.
It creates anxiety to help us avoid situations that feel overwhelming.
In this way, the system is trying to help keep us safe.
Over time, this protection can become a problem.
Think of a bad dream.
When you wake up, your body feels the stress as if it was real—even though it was not actually happening.
Your nervous system responds the same way to internal stress.
If your mind is constantly worrying, replaying thoughts, or anticipating problems, your body responds as if there is a real threat.
This keeps your system in a heightened state of alertness.
You may become:
•Hypervigilant
•Disconnected from your body
•Focused on potential danger
•Uncomfortable being present
And this constant state of tension sends a message to your system:
Something is not safe.
When you are not fully present in your body—when you are distracted, thinking, avoiding, or disconnected—it signals to the subconscious that there is danger.
Over time, this keeps you in a mild but ongoing state of fight or flight.
Now consider how the body functions.
Your body is constantly:
•Regulating digestion
•Supporting the immune system
•Repairing tissues
•Balancing internal systems
•Healing cuts and injuries
All of these systems require energy.
When you are in fight or flight, a large amount of your energy is used for survival.
If this continues for long periods of time, the body becomes depleted.
When the body does not have enough energy:
•Systems begin to lose balance
•Recovery slows down
•Tension builds in muscles
•Fatigue increases
•Healing becomes limited
The body starts to prioritize survival over repair.
At a certain point, the system becomes overwhelmed.
Even though the original stress may be coming from thoughts, emotions, or perceptions, the body begins to experience real physical strain.
This is where chronic pain can begin to develop.
The important thing to understand is this:
The body heals in the parasympathetic state.
If you are not spending enough time in rest, recovery, and regeneration, your body does not have the opportunity to restore itself.
When stress is constant:
•The nervous system stays activated
•Energy is drained
•The body cannot rebuild properly
•Pain patterns can continue
And over time, the internal state itself becomes the source of stress.
This creates a cycle:
•Stress increases
•Energy decreases
•The body becomes more strained
•The nervous system becomes more reactive
•The system stays stuck
This is why the nervous system plays such a significant role in chronic pain.
It is not just about what is happening physically.
It is about whether the body feels safe enough to heal.
Explore the full chronic pain series for a deeper understanding of how these patterns develop and how to begin working with them step by step:
http://hypnotherapyvictoria.com/overcoming-chronic-pain/
In the next video, we will go deeper into feelings and emotions, and how our relationship with them can either increase stress or begin to shift this pattern.
FREE Self-Help Mindfulness Series
http://hypnotherapyvictoria.com/free-self-help-mindfulness-series/
If you are experiencing chronic pain, learning how to work with your internal state can make a significant difference.
This mindfulness-based series can help you:
•Become more aware of internal stress patterns
•Learn how to settle the nervous system
•Reconnect with your body safely
•Reduce mental and emotional tension
•Support your body’s natural healing processes
Counselling Hypnotherapy
If you would like deeper support with chronic pain, emotional patterns, or nervous system regulation, you can learn more here:
Counselling Victoria
http://hypnotherapyvictoria.com/counselling-victoria/
Hypnotherapy Victoria
http://hypnotherapyvictoria.com/hypnotherapy-victoria/
This work focuses on addressing the underlying patterns that keep the nervous system activated, so the body can begin to move toward healing.
Understanding your nervous system is a powerful step.
Because once you see how it works, you can begin to change your relationship with stress, your body, and your healing process.
Arne Pedersen
