Understanding Pain and Somatic Therapy: 4 Myths That Might Be Keeping You Stuck

Kendra Boone
Aug 11
3 min read

If you’re living with ongoing pain, I want to start by saying—I believe you. Pain is real. It can be exhausting, confusing, and sometimes all-consuming. What I’ve learned—from both Eastern and Western approaches to health, and from working with thousands of people—is that pain doesn’t always tell the whole truth about what’s happening in your body.

Some of the things we’ve been taught about pain can actually make it worse—the need to “fix,” feeding fear, keeping us tense, and convincing us we have to either push through or give up. And for many of us, being moved around in a compartmentalised medical system—where physiotherapy, psychology, pharmacology, and even our local GP are treated as separate worlds—can add to that disconnection. These systems don’t always recognise the mind-body connection, or the role the nervous system plays in how pain is felt and processed.

That’s why I want to share four common myths about pain that I see holding people back—myths that science, and lived experience, are helping us leave behind.

Myth 1: “More pain means more damage”

Truth: Pain is not a direct measure of injury.

From a trauma-informed perspective, I know that your nervous system can become highly sensitised—especially after trauma, chronic stress, or repeated injury. Pain can still show up even when tissues are healed, because your brain is working hard to protect you. In somatic therapy, we see pain not just as a mechanical problem, but as part of a whole-body story.

“We experience more pain when the brain concludes we are in danger—not when the body is more damaged.” — Prof. Lorimer Moseley

Myth 2: “Where it hurts is where the problem is”

Truth: Pain doesn’t always point to the source.

Sometimes, the part of your body that aches isn’t where the real tension lives. Pain can be the echo of old injuries, protective holding patterns, or unresolved stress stored deep in the body. Trauma-informed somatic therapy gently works from the inside out—helping you notice, soften, and release those patterns over time, without forcing change before your system is ready.

Myth 3: “Pain is just a symptom of something broken”

Truth: Chronic pain doesn’t always mean something is damaged.

Pain is shaped by your nervous system—including your history, emotions, beliefs, stress load, and current sense of safety. In trauma-informed somatic therapy, we don’t treat you as “broken.” Instead, we create safe spaces—through breath, movement, and grounding—where your body can experiment with letting go of its constant guard. Safety, not force, is what allows healing to happen.

Myth 4: “I just have to push through or live with it”

Truth: Pain can change.

Your nervous system is adaptable—it can learn new patterns. Trauma-informed somatic therapy offers a way to shift those patterns gently. You don’t have to push through. You can rest. Pause. Let your body know it’s safe to move differently. This isn’t about ignoring the pain, and it’s not about fighting it. It’s about creating the conditions where your body no longer needs to hold on so tightly.

What Helps?

Evidence from neuroscience and trauma research shows that safety and connection are essential for lasting pain relief. This is where trauma-informed somatic therapy becomes the bridge between understanding pain and changing your relationship with it.

In somatic therapy, you begin with returning safety to your body—bit by bit—and using supportive tools like:

Grounding – as practiced in trauma-sensitive yoga therapy.

Shaking and tremoring for nervous system retuning – TRE (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises).

Breath awareness – offered in private yoga therapy.

Gentle massage or self-touch – as in holistic trauma-informed massage.

Deep rest – through iRest Yoga Nidra.

These approaches meet your body where it is, allowing shifts to happen without force. This is not about forcing your body to change. It’s about inviting your body back into trust.You’re not broken. You may just be living in a body that has been protecting you for a very long time. Kendra offers all of these therapies—online and in person—to support your journey at your own pace.

If pain has been shaping your days, maybe it’s time to explore what’s possible when we bring your whole body into the conversation. You don’t have to do it alone. Together, we can find safe, steady ways to help your body trust itself again.