The Power of Body Work In Healing Physical Pain from Emotional Trauma
When you’ve been through deep emotional trauma - especially betrayal - it doesn’t just live in your mind. It lands in your body. If you are here, you understand this in a way others may not.
Sometimes it lands in a way that’s loud and unmistakable: pounding chest, neck and back tension, a clenched jaw, aching hips, constant fatigue. Other times, it’s more subtle: a persistent disconnection, numbness, or the sense that your body no longer feels like a safe place to be.
I know this firsthand. I experienced all these symptoms, as well as what I described as my head feeling like a helium balloon that was hovering three feet above my body at times.
While recovering from multiple back surgeries, I was also navigating the layers of grief, destruction and disorientation that betrayal trauma brings. My healing wasn’t just about healing either emotionally or physically – it was both, and VERY intertwined. It was about rebuilding a sense of safety and trust in my body that had been quietly eroded. That journey has been anything but linear. But through it all one thing became abundantly clear to me - body work matters.
Not just for muscles or joints - but for you, as a whole person and energetic being.
Why Body Work Matters in Emotional Healing
When trauma hits, especially when it comes from people we trusted, our nervous system shifts into survival mode. Muscles tighten. Breathing becomes shallow. Blood is shifted away from digestion. Our posture changes. We enter fight, flight or freeze mode – and sometimes dissociate entirely for self-protection. These aren’t just “stress symptoms” - they’re deeply ingrained survival responses.
Body work helps to interrupt that loop.
Through safe, intentional touch, movement, and nervous system support, body work reminds you that you are safe. It brings you back to your own body and reminds you that it is your home.
For many trauma survivors, especially those recovering from betrayal, this reconnection doesn’t happen through talk therapy alone. It happens through the body. Through grounding, touch and breath.
My Personal Healing Tools
My own healing journey led me to try a wide range of modalities. We are all unique individuals who each respond differently, but these four made the biggest difference for me:
Physical Therapy (with a trauma-informed lens): This gave me structure and a sense of agency in an environment I was familiar in, and with practitioners I trusted. The work was deep, and not just about posture or strength - it was about reclaiming function and presence.
Massage Therapy: For me, massage offered safe, supportive touch that helped release the emotional weight I had unknowingly stored throughout my body. Each time I went in the work varied depending on where it was stored at that time, and each time the massage therapist was able to release stuck soft tissues.
Energy Work: This was where I tapped into the deeper, less visible layers of healing. It helped shift patterns I couldn’t explain with words. This work made everything else more effective for me personally.
Acupuncture: Grounding, calming, and incredibly effective in rebalancing my nervous system and restoring flow in areas that had felt blocked.
None of these were magic fixes. But each one opened a door. And taken together, they helped me find a sense of home in my own skin again.
Other Modalities to Explore
Everyone’s healing path is different, and that’s okay. Here are other forms of body work many trauma survivors find helpful:
Craniosacral therapy – gentle and deeply calming to the nervous system
Somatic experiencing – supports the body in completing unresolved survival responses
Reflexology – grounding and accessible, especially for those wary of full-body touch
Trauma-sensitive yoga or movement therapy – uses gentle movement to reconnect without pressure
Lymphatic drainage massage – especially supportive for those with inflammation or immune system depletion as a result of cortisol overload from trauma
Visceral manipulation – can be helpful for those whose trauma has settled in the abdomen or pelvic area
The most important thing? Choose what resonates. You don’t have to do them all. You don’t even have to love it the first time. But staying open and exploring can create space for something to shift.
I also know that for many - especially those navigating betrayal - resources may be stretched thin. Financial abuse, legal battles, or starting over alone can make self-care feel out of reach. If that’s you, know that you’re not alone. That was me. Even occasionally carving out funds for body work is a powerful investment in your healing. Cut back where you can. Ask for gift cards instead of physical gifts. Trade services if possible. Do whatever you can - just don’t count yourself out of care.
If you’re healing from emotional trauma and feel like your body has become a battlefield or a stranger, please know that safe, supportive body work - whatever that looks like for you - isn’t indulgent. It’s essential. It’s one of the most direct ways to soften the body, allow for easier breath, and to start coming back home to yourself.
A Note on Making Body Work More Accessible
Healing often comes with rebuilding - physically, emotionally, and financially. If you're navigating financial strain, consider these options:
– Look for student clinics or community-based practitioners
– Ask providers if they offer sliding scales or package discounts
– Trade skills or services with trusted healers
– Prioritize occasional sessions over perfection or frequency
Even one supportive session can begin to restore trust in your body.