Traditionally, pain has been understood as a purely physical response to things like injuries or nerve damage. But modern research shows that pain is actually influenced by a mix of biological, psychological, and social factors. In other words, our experiences, emotions, and environment all play a role in how we feel pain.

Studies have found that going through long-term or traumatic stress can make pain more likely to develop and stick around. Pain is also closely linked to mental health struggles like depression and anxiety. Even the way we think and cope with pain can affect how much it hurts; using unhealthy coping strategies can make pain worse and harder to manage.

One main reason stress affects pain is because of how our bodies react when we're under pressure. When the brain senses stress, it kicks off a chain reaction involving the autonomic nervous system and something called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is a complex system involving the brain and glands that release hormones like cortisol to help the body handle stress. While this response can be helpful for short-term challenges, if stress becomes constant, the system stays active too long and strains the body.

This can lead to "allostatic overload," where the body becomes overloaded, causing immune system problems and inflammation in the nervous system. In this state, our bodies become more sensitive to pain, and a vicious cycle begins—stress makes pain worse, and pain adds to stress.

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