When we’re living with chronic pain, or supporting someone who is, we often notice inconsistencies and variability in pain and capacity, which can bring up confusion and frustration. In this post, I share why those fluctuations happen, what they tell us about the nervous system, and how a shift toward curiosity and compassion can support steady, sustainable progress.

Our bodymind, including our brain and central nervous system, is sensitized to pain when our danger system is on, or when we are exposed to a stimulus that has previously become part of our threat conditioning responses.