For two and a half years, I lived with unrelenting chronic back pain, from my neck all the way down to my tailbone. I tried everything to relieve it—changing my diet, thinking it was inflammation, visiting chiropractors, doing spinal exercises, stretching daily, sleeping on heating pads, using ice packs, taking long baths and saunas, and even sitting under infrared lights. The list of remedies seemed endless, but nothing brought me lasting relief.
It's kind of ironic, really. I'm a somatic practitioner—someone who teaches others to listen to their body's signals as a pathway to healing (to learn more about somatic healing therapies, click here). Yet, during those years of pain, I was ultimately out of touch with my own body's feedback. I didn't realize how out of control my anxiety symptoms had become or how much it was contributing to my physical discomfort.
It wasn't until my Apple Watch started alerting me that my heart rate was consistently high that I began to noticesomething deeper. My heart would race whenever I was under stress—whether I was getting the kids ready for school, managing household tasks, working, or even paying bills. And I started to see a pattern.
That's when I had a breakthrough—my pain wasn't just physical; it was tied to my anxiety. Beneath the surface of my day-to-day stress were old, deep-rooted patterns of striving for perfection, fear of failure, and trying to prove my worth. The anxiety I carried was manifesting in my body as chronic pain. And this realization changed everything for me.
The Anxiety-Pain Connection
Chronic pain and anxiety symptoms often go hand in hand, feeding into each other in a seemingly endless cycle. When we're stressed, our bodies go into fight-or-flight mode, and this prolonged state of heightened tension can cause muscles to contract and tighten, leading to persistent physical discomfort. Over time, if left unchecked, this can create chronic pain conditions, especially in areas like the back, neck, and shoulders, where we tend to carry stress.
How Do You Know If You're Experiencing Anxiety-Related Pain?
Let's take a moment to check-in. Have you noticed physical pain or discomfort that seems to flare up when you're stressed or overwhelmed? Here are some common anxiety and chronoic pain symptoms. See if any of these resonate with you:
Anxiety Symptoms:
Racing heart: Your heart feels like it's pounding or beating too fast.
Tightness in the chest: You may feel like there's a weight on your chest, or it's difficult to breathe.
Restlessness: You're unable to sit still, and your mind constantly races.
Fatigue: Despite feeling on edge, you're exhausted or worn out.
Irritability: You're snapping at others or feel easily frustrated.
Difficulty concentrating: It's hard to focus, or your mind frequently wanders.
Sleep problems: You struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up feeling unrested.
Chronic Pain Symptoms:
Tension in the neck, back, or shoulders: These areas feel tight, sore, or constantly in knots.
Headaches or migraines: You experience frequent tension headaches that seem out of nowhere.
Jaw clenching or teeth grinding: Your jaw feels sore or tight, especially in the morning or during stressful times.
Chest Pain: Anxiety can cause tightness in the chest, leading to sharp or dull chest pain, often mistaken for heart issues. This is usually related to tension in the chest muscles or shallow breathing.
Stomach and Abdominal Pain: Stress and anxiety can lead to gastrointestinal issues such as stomachaches, cramps, and bloating, as well as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
If these symptoms sound familiar, your anxiety and chronic pain may be connected. The good news is that by recognizing this, you're already on your way to breaking the cycle.
How Somatic Therapy Helped Me Break the Cycle
The turning point in my healing came when I embraced somatic therapies. Somatic therapies focus on the body's innate ability to heal by reconnecting the mind, body, and spirit. It's about becoming aware of how emotions, past experiences, and anxiety are stored in the body and then using tools like breathwork, cognitive reframing, and body awareness to release that tension.
I started by focusing on my breath. Each time my heart rate would spike, I consciously slowed down, took deep, intentional breaths, and paid attention to what my body was trying to tell me. I would feel the tightness in my back, my shoulders rising, my chest constricting. In those moments, I began to understand the connection between my emotions and my physical pain.
Practical Somatic Exercises for Holistic Healing: Addressing the Mental, Emotional, Physical, and Spiritual Aspects
True healing requires addressing all parts of ourselves: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Somatic therapies provide a pathway to holistic wellness by reconnecting these aspects and helping us understand the deeper causes of our distress. Here's how you can begin to integrate somatic exercises into your life by working through these four essential aspects of self:
Physical Aspect: Calming the Nervous System with Breathwork
Somatic healing emphasizes the importance of slowing down the breath to help the body shift from the fight-or-flight response into the rest-and-digest mode. By increasing oxygen flow to the body, we signal to the nervous system that it's safe to relax.
Here's a simple breathwork exercise you can practice:
Somatic Breathwork: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Begin by taking a slow, deep breath through your nose, allowing your belly to expand fully. Hold your breath for a few seconds, and then slowly exhale through your mouth. As you exhale, imagine the tension melting away from your muscles. Repeat this cycle of deep breathing for several minutes, allowing your body to relax and return to a state of calm.
Mental Aspect: Rewiring Thought Patterns
One of the most critical steps in healing anxiety and chronic pain is recognizing the mental patterns that trigger and perpetuate our distress.
Here's a practice you can try:
Mindful Cognitive Awareness: The next time you notice tension or pain in your body, pause and ask yourself what thoughts preceded it. Were you feeling overwhelmed, inadequate, or worried? Once you identify the thought, practice cognitive reframing by consciously shifting to a more compassionate and affirming belief, such as, "I am worthy of rest" or "I am enough just as I am." This process helps break the cycle of anxiety-driven thoughts that manifest as physical tension.
Emotional Aspect: Understanding the Root of Anxiety
Behind every anxious thought is an emotional layer—a deeper feeling that drives the mental pattern.
It's essential to allow yourself to feel and process these emotions rather than suppress them. This emotional exploration can be challenging, but it's necessary for healing. For many, these emotions stem from past experiences or unmet needs that have shaped our self-perception.
Here's how to begin:
Emotional Release Practice: When you notice anxiety or tension in your body, take a few deep breaths and ask yourself, "What am I truly feeling right now?" It may be fear, anger, sadness, or guilt. Observe where you feel it in your body and allow yourself to feel the emotion without judgment. Offer yourself compassion in the process. Journaling can be a helpful tool to explore these emotions and trace them back to their source, enabling you to release them in a healthy, supportive way.
Spiritual Aspect: Learning the Deeper Karmic Lesson
The spiritual dimension of somatic healing involves going beyond the physical and emotional symptoms to uncover the more profound karmic lessons your body is trying to teach you.
Here's how you can explore the spiritual aspect of your healing:
Reflective Meditation: Take some quiet time to meditate and ask yourself, "What is the deeper lesson my body is showing me? What is the karmic pattern I am being called to heal?" Allow whatever insights come to the surface to guide you. This practice may reveal a profound truth about your journey—whether it's learning to trust, forgive, let go, or embrace your inherent worth.
By addressing all four aspects—mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual—you can begin to break the cycle of anxiety and chronic pain and step into balance, peace, and self-worth.
I share this not as a prescription but as an invitation to explore your body's wisdom and find the healing waiting for you. Each of us carries unique lessons and experiences in our bodies, and through somatic therapies, we can unlock the deeper understanding we need to heal on all levels. Take the time to listen, breathe, and honor the journey—because you are enough, just as you are.
Final Thoughts
Breaking the cycle of anxiety and pain takes time, patience, and a willingness to look within, but I can tell you from experience that it's worth it. Somatic healing allows us to step into a deeper relationship with our bodies, one that fosters healing not just physically but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
If this resonates with you and you'd like to explore somatic therapies further, I'm here to help guide you on that journey. Click here to book your session.
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