Stress doesn’t just make life harder—it can actually make your pain feel worse.
At Well+Able, we often treat people who feel stuck in a loop: they’re stressed, which makes their pain worse. That pain leads to more stress, and the cycle keeps going. But this isn’t just in your head. There are real reasons in the body and nervous system that explain it.
Let’s look at two of the big ones: AIGS and ASICs.
AIGS: When Nerves Start Sending the Wrong Messages
Sometimes, nerves that have been irritated or injured start to act up.
They send pain signals to the brain, even when nothing is really wrong. These spots are called AIGS, which stands for Abnormal Impulse Generating Sites.
Think of it like a car alarm going off for no reason.
The alarm (your nerves) is reacting too easily, and it keeps going off.
When you’re stressed, your body’s “fight or flight” system is turned on all the time. This can make your nerves even more sensitive and make AIGS more active—so your pain feels louder and harder to ignore.
ASICs: Acid-Sensing Ion Channels
Another piece of the puzzle is something called ASICs—Acid-Sensing Ion Channels.
These are tiny sensors on your nerves that notice when your body’s tissues become more acidic. That can happen from things like stress, poor circulation, or inflammation.
When tissues become more acidic, these sensors can send pain signals—even if there’s no injury.
So if your body is under stress a lot, these channels may stay active, and your pain can feel worse—even from normal movement or light pressure.
How Manual Therapy Can Help
Manual therapy doesn’t fix your nerves directly.
But it can calm down your nervous system and help break the stress-pain cycle.
Here’s how it helps:
Loosens tight muscles that may be putting pressure on nerves
Provides gentle input to your nervous system, which helps retrain how your body responds to touch and movement
Supports your body’s rest-and-heal mode (called the parasympathetic system)
Helps you feel safe and supported, which matters more than most people realize when it comes to pain
You’re Not Making It Up—But You Can Change It
If you’ve been feeling stuck in the stress-pain loop, you’re not alone—and it’s not all in your head.
Pain is real. And your nervous system is trying to protect you, even if it’s gone a little overboard.
At Well+Able, we use hands-on care to help settle your system, support your healing, and help you feel more in control.
Let’s quiet those nerves together.