Have you ever felt pain creep in after a stressful day or tough workout, even when nothing was technically “wrong”?
No injury. No big trauma. No obvious cause.
Just… pain.
That experience might seem mysterious — or frustrating — but it’s not a glitch.
It’s your body doing exactly what it’s designed to do.
Let’s unpack a game-changing idea that could help you understand your pain differently — and manage it more gently, wisely, and effectively.
Pain Isn’t Just a Warning — It’s a Message from Inside
We’ve been taught to think pain equals damage.
Twist an ankle → pain.
Throw out your back → pain.
Easy, right?
But what if pain could happen without damage?
What if pain sometimes comes from your internal chemistry being off balance — like when you’re inflamed, overly acidic, exhausted, or just run down?
That’s exactly what a fascinating study by Kelly et al. (2013) showed — and it lines up perfectly with the work of neuroscientist Bud Craig, who describes pain as a “homeostatic emotion.”
Translation?
Pain is your body’s way of saying: “Hey — things inside aren’t okay. Help me find balance.”
This Chart Sums It Up Perfectly 👇
In the study, researchers injected a mix of chemicals into people’s muscles — things your body naturally makes during exercise, like:
Lactate (produced when things get anaerobic)
ATP (your body’s energy currency)
Hydrogen ions (acid), which lower pH and increase acidity
Each mix mimicked what happens inside your body under increasing stress — from light movement to intense exercise or ischemic conditions (like blood flow restriction).
And here’s what happened:
At low doses (near normal pH), people felt non-pain sensations — stuff like heaviness, fullness, warmth, twitching, or fatigue.
As the chemical levels increased and acidity rose, people started reporting pain — often described as dull, hot, or aching.
At the most acidic condition (pH 6.6), 100% of participants reported pain, even though there was no injury.
In other words:
Chemistry alone was enough to make people feel pain.
Why This Is Such a Big Deal
This study proves something many people with persistent pain already feel deep down:
You don’t need a torn ligament or disc bulge to feel pain.
You just need your internal system to be under pressure — physically, chemically, emotionally — and your brain will signal pain as a way to get your attention.
Bud Craig’s research puts it beautifully:
Pain is a homeostatic emotion — a feeling that motivates you to restore balance, just like thirst or hunger.
That means pain isn’t just an “alarm system” or a brain misfire.
It’s your body’s way of saying,
“I’m out of rhythm. Please slow down, adjust, and support me.”
🧪 What This Graph Really Shows (in Plain Language)
At the most intense level (similar to blood flow restriction or overtraining), everyone felt pain — even though there was no damage, no injury, and no emotional context.
💡 Why this matters:
It proves that your body alone — without needing an injury or a psychological trigger — can send signals up to the brain that are strong enough to cause real pain.
🚨 Bottom-Up Pain, No Damage Required
This graph breaks the myth that pain only happens when:
You’re hurt
Your brain “misinterprets” safe signals as dangerous (which is the focus of many modern pain education models)
Instead, it shows:
Sometimes your body chemistry alone can push the system into pain — even if there’s nothing structurally wrong.
Your muscles and tissues have sensors that detect acidity, fatigue, and other signs of internal stress. When those sensors are triggered enough, they fire pain signals straight up the spinal cord to your brain.
No story. No emotion. Just raw, bottom-up input.
🧭 So What’s the Takeaway?
If you're in pain and nothing seems “wrong” on your scans, you’re not imagining it.
Your body might just be in a state of imbalance, and the signals are getting loud.
This is why recovery often needs more than mindset work — it needs real support for your physiology:
hydration, breathing, rest, movement, and rhythm.
So… What Do You Do With This?
If pain is your body’s call for balance, then managing pain becomes less about “fixing” and more about listening + supporting.
Here’s how that might look in real life:
1. Zoom Out from the “Injury” Narrative
If your pain isn’t linked to a fresh injury, consider:
Am I underslept?
Stressed or emotionally stretched?
Under-recovered from training or work?
Eating or drinking in ways that support or stress me?
Sometimes, it’s not about the area that hurts — it’s about the system being overloaded.
2. Respect Your Chemistry
That graph didn’t lie:
Your pain may just be your body saying,
“Hey, it’s getting acidic and inflamed in here. Can we chill?”
So…
Hydrate well
Prioritize sleep
Breathe slowly, especially under pressure
Move gently (to encourage circulation, not exhaustion)
3. Feel First, Fix Later
Instead of immediately chasing solutions, try noticing what your body is asking for.
Sometimes it’s rest.
Sometimes it’s gentle movement.
Sometimes it’s just a moment to breathe and regroup.
Pain is often louder when the system is overwhelmed and under-heard.
Final Thought
Pain is real. It can be awful, disorienting, exhausting.
But it’s not always damage.
It’s often information. And your job isn’t to silence it — it’s to tune in, understand it, and respond wisely.
As Lao Tzu said:
“Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?”
That’s what self-care can be when we treat pain as a guide, not a glitch.
So next time your body whispers (or yells),
Don’t just ask “What’s wrong with me?”
Ask:
“What is my body trying to say — and how can I support it today?”
🔗 Exogenously Applied Muscle Metabolites Synergistically Evoke Sensations of Muscle Fatigue and Pain in Human Subjects
Authors: Kelly, L.A., et al.
Journal: The Journal of Physiology (2013)
Want to learn more and see how this makes sense through a case study ? Read on…
🎯 Case Study: Mark’s Lower Back Flare-Up and the Model That Finally Made Sense
Mark, a 44-year-old graphic designer and father of two, has had on-and-off lower back pain for about five years. He’s fit, doesn’t sit too much, and has no major injuries in his history.
But one week, after a few late nights, some emotional stress at home, and pushing through a few intense gym sessions, he wakes up and…
BAM — his lower back locks up again. Sharp, aching pain. Muscle tightness. Fear floods in.
Here’s how three common pain models would explain what’s going on — and how only one of them actually helped Mark feel seen and supported.
🩻 1. The Biomedical Model
What it says:
“You probably strained something again. Maybe your disc or facet joint is irritated. Better stop lifting and get some scans.”
What Mark does:
He rests, pops anti-inflammatories, and stops training altogether. His scan shows a mild disc bulge (which he already knew about). Nothing new, but now he’s more afraid.
Result:
Frustration, fear of re-injury, and no real answers. The pain slowly fades, but the anxiety remains.
🧠 2. The Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) Model
What it says:
“Pain doesn’t mean damage. Your brain is just interpreting signals as dangerous because of stress or past experiences. Try reframing your thoughts and keep moving.”
What Mark does:
He tries not to catastrophize. He tells himself “I’m safe.” He walks. He does a few gentle stretches and tries mindfulness. It helps… a little.
But deep down, he still feels like something in his body is off.
He’s told “trust the process,” but the pain lingers. He starts doubting himself.
Result:
Less fear, more confusion. He's doing “everything right,” yet still feels pain.
🌡 3. The Homeostatic Model (Bud Craig’s Approach)
What it says:
“Your pain is real. And your body is telling you something is out of balance — not broken, but dysregulated.”
It’s not just your thoughts. It’s your chemistry:
Poor sleep
Emotional stress
High-intensity training without recovery
Low-grade inflammation
These all impact your body’s internal signals — and when the system gets overwhelmed, your brain sends the message: PAIN.
What Mark does:
He reflects.
“Ah — I’ve been skipping sleep. Stress is high. I trained hard but didn’t recover.”
He doesn’t panic. He doesn’t stop moving. But he also doesn’t push through.
Instead, he:
Adjusts his training for the week
Prioritizes rest and hydration
Focuses on steady breathing and slow walking
Eats anti-inflammatory meals
Lets his system settle
Result:
Within a few days, the pain eases without fear. He feels more confident, not because he ignored the pain — but because he listened to it.
✅ Takeaway: Pain as a Homeostatic Emotion
Mark’s back wasn’t “broken” — his body was overloaded.
The biomedical model told him he was fragile.
The PNE model told him it was just his brain.
The homeostatic model? It told him his body and brain were working together to send a useful signal.
And that changed everything.