Understanding the Physical Pain of Anxiety and PTSD

Anxiety and PTSD can lead to physical pain due to increased muscle tension from anxiety exacerbating injuries, poor sleep creating a barrier for adequate nervous system resets and healing, and lack of self-care such as water consumption, eating healthy, etc. Additionally, the brain area that deals with emotions (and coincidentally, physical pain) is overactive in some individuals, translating negative emotions into aches. Furthermore, stress reactions can cause physical symptoms like body jolts and muscle weakness.