5 Things You Didn’t Know About Pain According to Traditional Chinese Medicine
When you’re in pain, it’s easy to think of it as something purely physical: a sore back, tight neck, or aching knee that just won’t let up. Most of us try to push through it, stretch it out, or numb it with something cold from the freezer. But from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, pain is more than a symptom. It’s your body’s way of communicating that something is out of balance.
In TCM, pain is a message about the movement of your body’s vital energy, or Qi (pronounced “chee”). Qi is the life force that flows through your body, supporting every function, from digestion to circulation to mood. When Qi flows smoothly, you feel balanced and resilient. When it becomes blocked or depleted, discomfort or illness can appear.
Pain is also a reflection of how well Yin and Yang, the body’s complementary forces, are working together. Yin represents coolness, rest, and nourishment, while Yang represents warmth, activity, and movement. When these two are out of balance, the body’s systems can’t function in harmony.
Interestingly, modern pain science is catching up to these ideas. Researchers now agree that pain isn’t just about tissue damage. It’s also shaped by emotions, stress, circulation, and even weather changes, ideas Chinese medicine has recognized for thousands of years.
Let’s explore five things you might not know about pain through the lens of TCM, and how these ideas align with what modern research is revealing.
1. Pain Is a Sign of Stagnation, and Flow Is the Antidote
TCM Perspective:
A well-known saying in Chinese medicine states: “When there is free flow, there is no pain. When there is pain, there is no free flow.” Pain occurs when the smooth movement of Qi and Blood becomes obstructed. This can happen due to:
- External factors such as Cold, Dampness, or Wind blocking the meridians (meridians are the network of pathways that connect all parts of the body and allow Qi to circulate freely – each acupuncture point lies on a meridian)
- Internal factors such as emotional stress, poor diet, or overwork
- Physical trauma or postural imbalance
Different sensations of pain reflect different types of stagnation:
- Sharp or fixed pain suggests a stasis of Blood
- Dull, achy pain that improves with warmth suggests a stagnation of Cold
- Heavy or swollen pain suggests that there is Dampness in the body
- Wandering or moving pain suggests that there is Wind affecting the body
Modern Connection:
Research supports the idea that poor circulation, tissue hypoxia, and nervous system sensitization can intensify pain. Chronic stress can alter microcirculation, immune signaling, and muscle tension, all of which contribute to stagnation. Movement, warmth, and relaxation, which are traditional TCM remedies, are also known to improve blood flow and reduce pain signaling.
2. Pain Has an Emotional Dimension, and the Liver Often Plays a Role
TCM Perspective:
In TCM, the Liver governs the smooth flow of Qi throughout the body. Emotional stress, frustration, or repression can cause Liver Qi to stagnate, which leads to tightness and pain, particularly in the neck, shoulders, and menstrual cycle.
Pain that worsens with stress or emotional upset is a classic sign of Liver Qi stagnation. This pattern can also affect digestion (through the Liver’s relationship with the Spleen, which governs digestion and energy production), cause headaches, or contribute to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) tension.
Modern Connection:
Modern research shows that emotional stress increases muscle tone, activates the sympathetic nervous system, and heightens pain sensitivity through the limbic system. Functional MRI studies demonstrate that emotional and physical pain share overlapping neural pathways. TCM’s description of Liver Qi stagnation parallels the psychophysiological tension seen in chronic pain conditions.
3. Cold, Dampness, and Weather Changes Can Intensify Pain
TCM Perspective:
People with a “Wind-Cold-Damp” pattern often notice that joint or muscle pain worsens in cold or rainy weather. This is not superstition; it reflects how external factors interact with internal imbalances.
When Cold enters the meridians, it contracts tissues and slows the flow of Qi and Blood, creating stiffness and aching. Dampness adds a sense of heaviness and swelling, while Wind causes pain that moves from place to place.
Modern Connection:
Studies show that barometric pressure changes and humidity can influence joint pressure and pain sensitivity, particularly in arthritis. Cold weather constricts blood vessels, increasing muscle tension and inflammation sensitivity. These findings closely align with the TCM concept of Cold obstructing the channels.
BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL WITH DEE
4. Chronic Pain Changes Both Your Qi and Your Brain
TCM Perspective:
Long-term pain does not only result from stagnation, it can also create deficiency. Prolonged stagnation depletes Qi and Blood, which can lead to fatigue, low mood, and slower healing. Over time, this can develop into a deficiency pattern, where the body lacks the energy or resources to repair itself. Treatment in this case focuses on tonifying (strengthening and replenishing) Qi and Blood, not just relieving pain.
Modern Connection:
Chronic pain alters brain structure and function. It can reduce gray matter in regions involved in pain modulation and energy regulation, and it can deplete neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. This can contribute to fatigue, anxiety, and depression. In both TCM and modern medicine, effective recovery involves restoring flow while replenishing internal resources.
5. Pain Is One of the Body’s Languages
TCM Perspective:
Pain is one of the body’s languages. Rather than something to suppress, it can be a message nudging you to look at where there may be an imbalance in your lifestyle, emotional world, or energy flow. The goal is not to silence pain but to listen to it, so that harmony and balance and the body can be restored.
Modern Connection:
Pain neuroscience agrees that pain is a protective signal, not always an indicator of tissue damage. Mindfulness, acupuncture, and somatic therapies can help retrain the brain’s interpretation of pain, reducing suffering even when tissues have healed.
How Acupuncture Helps Relieve Pain
TCM Perspective:
Acupuncture can restore the free flow of Qi and Blood, disperse stagnation, and harmonize Yin and Yang. Points are chosen based on the specific pattern, such as:
- Local points to move stagnation in the area
- Distal points to open channels and regulate systemic flow throughout the entire body
- Additional modalities like moxibustion or heat therapy to dispel Cold and ease stiffness, or cupping to increase blood circulation
Modern Connection:
Research shows that acupuncture influences several biological pathways involved in pain regulation:
- Endorphin and neuropeptide release: Acupuncture stimulates the release of natural painkillers such as β-endorphins, enkephalins, and dynorphins, which reduce pain perception.
(Harris et al., NeuroImage, 2009) - Nervous system modulation: Acupuncture helps rebalance the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, which lowers stress-related tension.
(Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2022) - Anti-inflammatory effects: Studies show that acupuncture reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines (such as TNF-α and IL-6) and increases anti-inflammatory mediators (such as IL-10).
(Frontiers in Immunology, 2023) - Improved circulation and muscle relaxation: Needling increases local nitric oxide production, improving blood flow and oxygenation while reducing muscle tension.
(Pain Medicine, 2020) - Central pain modulation: Functional MRI studies show that acupuncture activates brain regions involved in pain control and calms overactive pain networks.
(Nature Reviews Neurology, 2021)
Clinical Impact:
Meta-analyses consistently show that acupuncture can relieve chronic pain conditions such as low back pain, osteoarthritis, headaches, and myofascial pain, with effects that last beyond treatment.
(Vickers et al., Pain, 2018; Cochrane Database, 2023)
Final Thoughts
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, pain can reveal where flow has been lost and where balance needs to be restored. Modern research increasingly supports what TCMhas long understood: pain is both a biological and energetic conversation between the body, mind, and environment.
By restoring circulation, calming the nervous system, and promoting internal balance, acupuncture provides a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern science. It helps the body not only feel less pain but also move toward genuine, holisitic healing.
If you’re struggling with acute or chronic pain, consider booking an acupuncture session or meet-and-greet below to explore how treatment can support you.
BOOK AN INITIAL APPOINTMENT WITH DEE
References & Further Reading
Harris, R. E., et al. NeuroImage (2009). “Traditional Chinese acupuncture and placebo (sham) acupuncture produce similar brain responses.”
Vickers, A. J., et al. Pain (2018). “Acupuncture for chronic pain: Update of individual patient data meta-analysis.”
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2023). “Acupuncture for chronic pain in adults.”
Frontiers in Neuroscience (2022). “Autonomic nervous system modulation and pain regulation through acupuncture.”
Frontiers in Immunology (2023). “Acupuncture-mediated modulation of inflammatory cytokines: A systematic review.”
Nature Reviews Neurology (2021). “The neurobiological mechanisms of acupuncture in pain modulation.”
Pain Medicine (2020). “Acupuncture-induced nitric oxide and microcirculation changes in pain management.”
Lu, A., & Needham, J. (2002). Classics of Traditional Chinese Medicine: The Concept of Qi and Blood Flow. Beijing: People’s Medical Publishing House.
Verywell Mind. “Emotions in Traditional Chinese Medicine.” Updated 2023.
HealthCMi. “The Seven Emotions and Organ Health in TCM.” 2020.
BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL WITH DEE
To read more articles written by Dee Dorrance, Click Here!