Chronic Pain and Tension Isn't a Muscle Problem, It's a Nervous System One
For over 10 years, I had daily pain in my back and shoulders. I tried everything- stretching, posture work, massage, physical therapy, ice, acupuncture, heat. Some of it helped for a little while, but nothing made a lasting change. My pain was getting worse, and nobody had any answers for why I was still in so much pain despite doing all the right things.
I felt confused, lost, and determined to figure out another way to find relief from my pain.
My pain really started to shift when I stopped only treating the symptoms and got curious about the root cause.
Structural or Neuroplastic?
Structural pain comes from an injury or physical issue, and your brain is accurately reading real danger signals from your body.
Neuroplastic pain happens when the brain misinterprets safe or normal sensations as threatening, creating real pain even when there’s no ongoing injury or tissue damage. Think of it like an overly sensitive alarm system: your nervous system has learned to sound the pain alarm even when there’s no actual danger.
Some signs your tension may be more nervous system than structural are: it started without an obvious injury, it's lasted well past when an injury should have healed, it moves around your body, or it flares on stressful days and eases on calm ones.
How Neuroplastic Pain or Tension Shows Up in Your Body
🌀 Tension in the same places, jaw, shoulders, neck, no matter what you try
🌀 It's worse on stressful days and eases when you actually relax
🌀 Scans or evaluations came back clear, but the pain is still very real
🌀 It moves around, or shows up somewhere new once an old spot settles
🌀 You feel it in both hands, both legs, both shoulders, etc.
Why Your Body Gets Stuck Like This: The Fear/Pain Cycle
With neuroplastic pain, fear can become part of what keeps the pain cycle going. When you feel pain, it’s natural to worry that something is wrong or that the sensation means your body is being damaged. That fear signals danger to the brain, which can make your nervous system more alert and sensitive to sensations.
The more closely you monitor, brace against, or worry about the pain, the more threatening those sensations can feel and the louder the pain alarm can become.
This creates a loop of pain → fear → increased nervous system sensitivity → more pain.
You break this cycle by helping your brain learn that the sensations are safe so it no longer needs to respond with such a strong protective alarm.
What Actually Helped Me
🌿 Learning how to feel safe in my body again.
🌿 Increasing my physical capacity to do more without going into a flare.
🌿 Separating my sensations from the fear I had toward them, and learning to show myself compassion instead.
🌿 Getting clear on my boundaries and learning to listen when I need recovery.
This is the same approach I now guide my clients through.
What I Want You to Know
My life feels so much more aligned with how I want to be living now. I no longer live with daily pain or fear the activities that used to cause flare-ups. I move freely, trust my body again, and lift heavy things that I once felt afraid to touch. I hike, stand for as long as I want, walk downhill, and do so many of the things I once avoided because of pain. I taught my nervous system that movement, strength, and the life I wanted to live were safe again.
If you’re stuck in that same cycle, your body is responding to patterns it learned in an effort to protect you. And because those patterns were learned, your nervous system can learn a new way of responding, too.
About the Author
Shai Maxine is a trained somatic practitioner specializing in helping people navigate stress patterns like perfectionism, burnout and people pleasing, chronic pain, and emotional overwhelm. With over 5 years of experience guiding clients toward greater ease and connection, Shai offers practical tools rooted in somatic awareness and mindfulness. When not working, Shai enjoys hiking, cooking, creating art, and petting as many dogs as she can. Follow along on instagram @shai.maxine
