Connection between childhood trauma and adult chronic pain

Childhood trauma can shape the way a person responds to stress, regulates emotion and experiences physical discomfort across adulthood.

For clinicians treating persistent pain, a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may help explain some of the psychological, behavioral and physiological factors that influence a patient’s symptoms and recovery.

Research increasingly identifies an association between childhood adversity and chronic pain in adulthood. The relationship is complex, involving potential changes in stress regulation, emotional processing, sleep, health behaviors and social functioning. These pathways may interact with genetic susceptibility, physical injury, socioeconomic circumstances and ongoing sources of stress.