“Why do I hurt, even though nothing is wrong?”- The link between Adverse Childhood Experiences and chronic pain
Enduring a tough childhood can seem like a double whammy of unfairness- having to go through the original trauma of abuse/ neglect/ unmet needs, and then also having to deal with the repercussions in later life. However, understanding how your early experiences have created the conditions for your present suffering can be illuminating and empowering, and the good news is that your body and brain have a remarkable capacity to heal, given the right inputs.
Lets explore the links and shed some light on how your difficult childhood may have influenced you on a cellular level- and what you can do about it.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are sadly incredibly common, and are endured by all types of children, regardless of race, education and economic background. They have been classified as a list of 10 experiences, characterised by abuse, neglect and dysfunction, ranging from having a parent in prison (less common) to parental separation (most common) and the more ACEs you have, the higher the likelihood of mental and physical health problems, including addiction, personality disorders, PTSD and chronic pain. (If you’d like to discover how many ACEs you have, please head to the ‘resources’ section on my website, where you will find the definitive list of them there.)
There are several distinct biological responses to ACEs- I’ll break them down into sections here.
HPA Axis Dysregulation
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the body’s main stress-response system. Childhood trauma can lead to hyper- or hypo-reactivity of the HPA axis (too much or too little activation)
This is characterised by:
Altered cortisol rhythms (blunted morning peaks or chronic elevation of this stress hormone)
Heightened sensitivity to stress
- Which leads to persistent low-grade inflammation, immune activation, and greater sensitivity to pain signals.
Central Sensitization
Central sensitization is a state where the central nervous system (CNS) becomes hypersensitive to pain. Trauma primes the brain and spinal cord to:
Overreact to pain (hyperalgesia)
Misinterpret non-painful input as pain (allodynia)
Keep firing pain signals even without injury
- This means you experience chronic widespread pain, fatigue, or "mystery symptoms" — often without a clear medical cause.
Gut-Brain Axis and Dysbiosis
The microbiome plays a key role in mood, immunity, and inflammation. ACEs can alter gut flora and intestinal integrity, causing:
Leaky gut (increased intestinal permeability)
Chronic inflammation and neuroinflammation (inflammation in the brain and spinal cord)
Greater risk of IBS, fibromyalgia, fatigue, and depression
Overactivation of immune cells and inflammatory cytokines
These cytokines sensitize nerves and reduce tolerance to pain
Gut microbes also regulate calming neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, effecting pain modulation
- Resulting in a feedback loop between gut inflammation and heightened pain perception.
Epigenetics & Nervous System Imprinting
ACEs can alter gene expression through methylation—especially genes linked to stress, inflammation, and immune function
Trauma “imprints” a pattern of heightened vigilance and dysregulation into the autonomic nervous system
- This results in a nervous system that misreads safety cues and overreacts to minor triggers, creating a negative feedback loop of '‘pain- stress- more pain- more stress’
The Cell Danger Response (CDR)
The CDR model explains how cells under threat (from toxins, trauma, infection) shift into a defensive, energy-conserving state.
This state disrupts mitochondrial function, impairs cellular healing, and sustains inflammation.
Trauma in early life may lock the body into a chronic CDR, impairing tissue repair and keeping the body in "threat mode."
- Which can lead to exhaustion, chemical sensitivity, slow recovery, and persistent pain.
Emotional Suppression and Alexithymia
Many people with ACEs develop emotional numbness or difficulty identifying feelings- this is called Alexithymia
This dissociation from internal states can manifest somatically—as pain
- Then pain becomes a proxy for unexpressed or unprocessed emotions- if you can’t feel it emotionally, you will feel it physically instead.
Impaired Vagal Tone
Trauma decreases vagal tone, impairing the ability to shift into rest-and-digest- the natural state for healing and growth
This hinders digestion, repair, immune function, and pain resolution
- Meaning you are more likely to stay in sympathetic overdrive (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) or dorsal vagal shutdown (collapse, exhaustion, burnout)
Neuroplasticity and “Wired for Survival” Patterns
Childhood trauma shapes brain development.
The brain becomes hypervigilant, wiring neural pathways for threat detection and pain.
Without intervention, this wiring reinforces suffering and can maintain a chronic pain state even when original injuries have healed.
- Leading to your brain picking up on alarm signals more easily, which gets translated into pain.
As well as these biological responses, enduring childhood trauma also leads to several unconscious defences- beliefs and behaviour that once kept you safe, but are now keeping you suffering.
These are things such as-
Not feeling able to ask for help
If you asked for support when you were younger, and got ignored, ridiculed, shamed or otherwise punished for it, you will have learnt not to bother- internalising the message that ‘I’m safest when I rely only on myself’.
But now, not asking for help- being hyperindependent- can mean you don’t reach out when you need support. This keeps the body in an alarm state and can lead to overwhelm or burnout.
Not meeting your own needs → self-abandonment & exhaustion
When basic needs (comfort, safety, soothing) were ignored or shamed, you internalise the following belief-
“My needs are too much. To be loved, I must ignore them.”
This can result in chronic overgiving and depletion, disconnection from hunger, fatigue, or pain signals, and pushing through pain - causing alarm in the body, worsening symptoms and leading to burnout.
Not trusting your intuition → anxiety, shame & disconnection
If caregivers gaslit or ignored your reality, you will have learned:
“My instincts are wrong. I must defer to others.”
The impact of this is second-guessing bodily sensations, distrusting your own inner guidance, and relying on others to validate your experience- which limits your self agency to heal.
Ignoring body signals → disembodiment, dissociation & pain escalation
In unsafe environments, it may have felt necessary to “leave the body” to survive.
This can lead to the internalised belief that “It’s safer not to feel” and a tendency to dissociate.
The consequences can be a disconnection from subtle warning signs (tightness, fatigue, inflammation) which leads to pushing past thresholds until pain becomes severe, which increases stress and anxiety, further ruling the body’s internal sense of alarm- which leads to physical pain.
Perfectionism & people-pleasing → chronic stress & muscle guarding
Origin: If love or safety were conditional when you were younger, you likely grew up with the belief
“If I’m perfect or useful, I’ll be safe.”
This tends to lead to an inability to relax, and an inability to let your guard down- causing chronic bracing, muscle tension, jaw clenching and habitual shallow breathing. It can also be the root cause of overworking, and putting everyone else’s needs before your own. Chronic tension is exhausting, because your muscles don’t fully relax, leading to tiredness, hypoxia (low cellular oxygen levels, poor blood flow) and pain flares.
Toxic inner critic → low self-worth & nervous system dysregulation
If you were regularly criticised by your caregivers, their voice becomes your default, leading to a harsh and toxic inner critic. Maybe the following beliefs ring true for you?
“I’m not enough. I’m weak if I rest. I need to be productive to be worthy. I don’t deserve it. I need to keep small. I must do more”
This inner pressure maintains a chronic stress state, and shaming yourself for being in pain or needing to rest will increase your sympathetic activation- the fight/ flight/ fawn/ freeze response. Self-criticism is the equivalent to being constantly chased by a tiger- except the threat is inside your own head- this activates pain centres in the brain.
Fear of vulnerability → emotional suppression & somatic pain
If it was unsafe for you to express your vulnerability as a child, this can lead to the belief that “If I’m seen or feel too much, I’ll get hurt.”
The outcome of this is that emotional pain gets stored somatically. When you are unable to express and process your emotions, they can increase the levels of inflammation in your body. And the things you need to do the most- crying, connection with others, and tuning into your emotions to feel them, are resisted.
The Pain-Protection Loop
These psychological patterns maintain a loop of chronic pain:
Early trauma sensitizes the nervous system.
Subconscious rules lead to self-neglect and overextension.
Pain flares when needs are ignored or body is pushed too far.
Shame, mistrust, and emotional suppression block healing.
The cycle repeats—until new patterns are built.
So lets talk about the new patterns! Because your past does not have to define you. The following practices are evidence based ways that can help you overcome past trauma, step away from chronic pain, and start to thrive.
I use them all regularly with my clients, with great success-
Changing your inner critic with Cognitive Hypnotherapy, using inner child work and parts work, to soothe, soften and release the voices that are making you feel unsafe.
Embodiment practices such as TRE, breath work, progressive muscle relaxation and other healthy movement patterns to rebuild trust and communication with your body’s signals.
Nervous system regulation to shift you out of survival mode and into a state of safety, balance and flexibility.
Compassionately witnessing your suffering, to work through, release, and come out the other side of your emotions, and meet your own needs without shame.
Rewiring attachment wounds with building safe and trusting relationships.
Psychoeducation around the nervous system, subconscious survival tactics, and chronic pain, to expand your understanding, reduce fear and shame, and leave you feeling empowered with knowledge.
Learning how to recognise shifting emotional states with observing your thoughts and physical cues, and working with them to consciously create new, happier and more positive thoughts and emotions- leading to greater comfort and ease.
Visualising your desired outcome with clarity, to create a roadmap for your subconscious to work towards- a future full of health, hope, connection and purpose.
I hope you have found this blog to be helpful, either for yourself or perhaps someone you know. Finding out the links between the past and your present reality can be overwhelming as well as illuminating- but you don’t have to solve it all on your own. If you need support, reach out- I’m here to help you navigate through difficult life experiences, and come out the other side- into the most healthy, happy and healed version of you.
