The Neuroscience Behind Chronic Pain and Trauma

Jul 21, 2025

Matt Bush, an educator and founder of Next Level Neuro, delves into the fascinating neuroscience behind chronic pain and trauma. He explains that chronic pain is often generated by the brain as a protective response, rather than a direct result of injury. The conversation touches on the roles of neurotags, emotional suppression, and complex trauma in amplifying pain experiences. Matt discusses how perfectionism and dissociation contribute to chronic pain, offering hope through multifactorial treatment approaches for those seeking relief.

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INSIGHT

Pain As A Brain Output

Chronic pain is an output from the brain shaped by sensory inputs, emotions, and memories.
Understanding the nervous system's role reframes pain from injury to protective prediction.

ADVICE

Separate Pain From Injury

Educate clients that pain and injury are distinct to reduce fear-driven treatment choices.
Use this distinction to explore why pain persists when tissue appears healed.

ANECDOTE

The Snake-Then-Stick Example

Laura Mosley's snake-and-stick story shows how a single dangerous event reshapes predictions.
After a snake bite, harmless touches can trigger the same threat response as if the snake returned.

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Explore the Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification: https://neurosomaticintelligence.com/

Chronic pain isn’t just about injury, it’s a whole-body experience shaped by your brain, nervous system, and unresolved trauma. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace are joined by Matt Bush, educator and founder of Next Level Neuro, to unpack the neuroscience of pain. Together, they explore how chronic pain is often a protective output from a dysregulated nervous system, not a sign of damage, but of danger.

Through stories, science, and powerful reframes, you’ll learn why pain persists even when tissue damage has healed, and how complex trauma and emotional suppression play a major role. The conversation covers neurotags, interoception, perfectionism, dissociation, and the tools needed to rewire the brain’s pain pathways — offering hope for those living in pain and practitioners looking for deeper healing frameworks.

This is a must-watch for anyone who experiences chronic pain, works with trauma, or wants to understand the body’s hidden survival strategies.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Why chronic pain is an output, not just a symptom
The neuroscience of pain: neurotags, predictions, and protection
How trauma wires the brain for pain
Why people with high ACE scores are more likely to develop chronic pain
The link between dissociation, perfectionism, and pain
Emotional repression as a driver of chronic pain
What interoception tells us about the pain loop
Central sensitization and why the brain gets “louder” over time
The connection between complex PTSD and somatic symptoms
Why emotional expression is key to nervous system healing
How somatic work, movement, and neuro tools can rewire pain pathways
Why chronic pain relief is possible — but multifactorial

🔗 Learn More & Links

🎓 Explore the Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification: https://neurosomaticintelligence.com/

🎓 Free 2-week nervous system training trial: https://www.rewiretrial.com

📚 Learn more about Matt Bush: https://www.instagram.com/nextlevelneuro

https://nextlevelneuro.com/

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Trauma Rewired podcast is intended to educate and inform but does not constitute medical, psychological or other professional advice or services. Always consult a qualified medical professional about your specific circumstances before making any decisions based on what you hear. We share our experiences, explore trauma, physical reactions, mental health and disease. If you become distressed by our content, please stop listening and seek professional support when needed. Do not continue to listen if the conversations are having a negative impact on your health and well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, or in mental health crisis and you are in the United States you can 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If someone’s life is in danger, immediately call 911.

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