Emotional Repression and Muscle Tension: Hidden Causes of Chronic Pain
Table of Contents
Could Your Aches and Pain Be More Emotional Than Physical?
When you think of pain, chances are you imagine something physical—a strained back, a sore shoulder, or an old injury that still flares up. But what if the pain you feel isn’t just coming from your body? What if it’s your mind trying to send you a message?
In his book Change Your Brain, Change Your Pain, Dr. Daniel Amen reveals that chronic pain is often fueled by hidden forces we rarely consider: muscle tension and unresolved emotions. Stress, trauma, and repressed feelings like anger, fear, or grief don’t simply disappear when ignored. Instead, they can lodge themselves in your muscles, creating physical discomfort that lingers for months—or even years.
This means that the ache in your neck, the tightness in your back, or the unrelenting migraines may be less about wear and tear, and more about unexpressed emotions and your brain’s coping mechanisms. The good news? Once you understand how muscle tension and emotional repression feed into chronic pain, you can begin to break the cycle and find real relief.
The physical pain you feel might actually be your brain’s way of diverting your attention away from the emotions you don’t want to face. It’s a coping mechanism—but one that keeps you stuck in suffering.
How Do Emotions Trigger Chronic Pain?
Most of us have experienced emotional overwhelm, chronic stress, or emotional dysregulation—intense mood swings or overreactions to minor events. Some of us are harboring deep emotional trauma that has never been addressed. Science shows us that these issues can lead to a host of mental health issues—and can even rewire your brain.
But when you experience negative emotions like anger, fear, or sadness, those feelings don’t just live in your mind. The effects of these emotions can be physical, too. These chronic pain causes manifest in your body, often as tight muscles and physical discomfort.
Muscle tension is one of the biggest culprits behind chronic pain. When you’re stressed or anxious, your muscles contract.
If this happens occasionally, it’s no big deal. But when it becomes a chronic response to emotional stress, it can lead to persistent pain, especially in areas like your neck, shoulders, and lower back.
If these emotions aren’t expressed or dealt with, they get trapped in your body, creating a breeding ground for chronic pain. When the tension never releases, over time, this constant state of contraction can create a feedback loop in your brain.
Your brain starts to interpret the tension as pain. And, even more surprising, repressed emotions like unconscious anger, grief, or fear can cause your body to hold on to tension. Emotional repression and pain are tightly linked
The pain you feel might actually be your brain’s way of diverting your attention away from the emotions you don’t want to face. It’s a coping mechanism—but one that keeps you stuck in suffering.
How Do Negative Thoughts Reinforce A Pain Loop?
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a critical player in the mind-body connection. The ANS controls involuntary bodily functions, including heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, and muscle tension.
This system has two main components: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS is responsible for the “fight or flight” response, while the PNS promotes relaxation and recovery.
When we encounter a stressful situation or engage in negative thinking, the SNS is activated, which releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones cause various physiological changes, including increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and tightened muscles.
When muscles remain tense for prolonged periods, it can lead to discomfort, stiffness, and pain. Chronic muscle tension can also result in the development of trigger points—localized areas of muscle that are painful when pressed and can refer pain to other parts of the body.
Catastrophic thinking is a significant source of stress. When we engage in thoughts like “I’m not going to kick this,” or “I’m in trouble for the rest of my life,” our bodies respond as if we are under threat. This perpetual state of perceived danger keeps our stress response activated, leading to chronic muscle tension.
Catastrophizing not only increases muscle tension, but it also increases the perception of pain, according to research in the journal Pain. The brain’s pain processing centers become more sensitive (known as central sensitization). Therefore, negative thinking and pain often create a vicious cycle.
When you experience pain, it’s natural to feel distressed. However, if this distress leads to unbridled negative thinking, it can increase muscle tension further and worsen the pain.
This increased pain then leads to more negative thoughts, which further amplify the muscle tension and pain. Breaking this cycle requires addressing both the physical and mental aspects of pain. As Dr. Amen puts it, heal your brain and chronic pain to dissipate.
Related: Catastrophic Thinking: How to Stop Worst-Case Scenario Syndrome
How Do You Break The Cycle Of Pain?
The good news is, once you begin to recognize and express these hidden emotions, the pain often starts to lift. Stress-relieving techniques outlined in Dr. Amen’s book—such as journaling, therapy, or even simply acknowledging what you’re feeling—can help release the tension that’s been trapped in your body.
Change Your Brain, Change Your Pain explains how your pain isn’t just about what’s happening in your body—it’s also about what’s happening in your mind. You’ll learn habits to help release emotional tension, express your feelings, and free yourself from the chronic pain that’s been holding you back.
Amen Clinics
References
- McKay MT, Cannon M, Chambers D, Conroy RM, Coughlan H, Dodd P, Healy C, O’Donnell L, Clarke MC. Childhood trauma and adult mental disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2021 Mar;143(3):189-205. doi: 10.1111/acps.13268. Epub 2021 Jan 18. PMID: 33315268.
- Sullivan MJ, Martel MO, Tripp DA, Savard A, Crombez G. Catastrophic thinking and heightened perception of pain in others. Pain. 2006 Jul;123(1-2):37-44. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2006.02.007. Epub 2006 Mar 24. PMID: 16563630.