Using EMDR Therapy for Chronic Pain Relief and Illness
Chronic pain can make life challenging and impact all areas of our day to day. Sometimes the root cause can be found within our own past history. When traumatic experiences occur, our brain can get locked in the past. This impacts not just our minds but our whole body. This blog will explore the powerful healing tool of EMDR and how it can play a role in managing chronic pain and illness.
“Chronic pain is not all about the body and it’s not all about the brain — it’s everything.”
How Pain Impacts the Brain
Our bodies sometimes cannot distinguish between a physical wound and an emotional one. When emotional trauma goes unresolved, it can build up over time and manifest as physical symptoms; eventually developing into chronic pain or illness. This happens because of the powerful and complex connection between the mind and body.
Pain works as a signal to our brain that something is wrong. Pain doesn’t feel good, but it is important in order to protect us, help us rest, and eventually heal. For instance, imagine going for a walk, tripping over a rock, and falling. Pain signals would travel through your spinal cord to various areas of your brain that process pain. The body and brain would begin a conversation to determine the next steps. But, like conversations in real life, miscommunication can occur.
How Does Pain Become Chronic
Our brain is very capable of learning many helpful skills. However, sometimes the brain experiences pain physically and emotionally over and over again. The neurons in our brain can become repetitive and our brain more sensitive. Eventually our brains become experts of experiencing pain, this is called chronic pain (Gordon,2021).
Emotional distress and unresolved trauma can also create alterations in the brain and in our nervous system. Trauma makes it difficult to process memories, bodily sensations, and thoughts in a healthy way. These traumatic memories and experiences can get stuck in our body and mind. Creating the effect that you experience the trauma over and over again.
How EMDR Can Help with Chronic Pain
Tools such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can help provide a healthy way to reprocess these dysfunctional memories and events (Hart,2025). Negative experiences with pain and the medical system can create this sensation of being “stuck” that can lead to chronic pain intensifying.
The topic of chronic pain and illness has been a common conversation with EMDR experts since the creation of EMDR. EMDR protocols were created to target the physical features of pain and create positive images associated with their pain experience. Research has shown that there is clear evidence regarding how EMDR therapy provides a decrease in pain intensity and physical discomforts. EMDR studies have found that it can disrupt the neural pathways from the repetitive pain signals that are being sent to the brain. This leads to a decrease of chronic pain, frequent flare ups in chronic illness, and creates emotional regulation necessary when healing from past traumas (Luber, 2019).
Here’s a breakdown of how EMDR support’s those with Chronic Pain.
4 Ways EMDR Therapy Rewires the Brain’s Response to Chronic Pain
1. Desensitizes Pain Triggers and Trauma Responses
EMDR therapy helps reduce how strongly the brain reacts to pain-related memories or sensations. By reprocessing stored trauma, the nervous system learns that old pain signals are no longer threats.
2. Retrains the Brain to Respond Differently to Pain
Through guided eye movements and memory processing, EMDR encourages the brain to build new, adaptive neural pathways. This helps “rewire” how the body interprets pain messages, making them feel less overwhelming or constant.
3. Breaks the Pain-Fear Cycle
Many people with chronic pain develop fear-avoidance behaviors, avoiding movement or activities that might cause pain. EMDR therapy helps release the fear associated with pain memories, allowing individuals to regain confidence and mobility without triggering stress or panic.
4. Promotes Emotional Regulation and Nervous System Calm
Chronic pain often activates the body’s fight-or-flight response. EMDR therapy improves emotional regulation and helps the nervous system return to balance. When the body feels safer, inflammation decreases and pain perception naturally eases.
Healing From Emotional and Physical Wounds Is Possible
ur bodies have an incredible ability to protect and adapt, yet unresolved trauma can sometimes leave emotional wounds or nervous system imbalances that linger over time.This can keep us trapped in cycles of chronic pain, illness, and emotional distress. EMDR therapy offers a way to break that cycle. It can support healing on both emotional and physical levels.
If you are living with chronic pain or illness, consider seeking support from an EMDR-trained therapist with experience in chronic pain and illness. Hope and healing is possible!
References:
Gordon, A. (2021). The way out: The revolutionary, scientifically-proven approach to heal chronic pain. Vermilion.
Hart, K. (2025). Treating trauma with EMDR and IFS A clinician’s guide to integrating eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy with internal family systems. New Harbinger Publications.
Luber, M. (2019). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing EMDR therapy scripted protocols and summary sheets. treating eating disorders, chronic pain and maladaptive self-care behaviors. Springer Publishing Company LLC.
