Why Your Body Hurts When You’re Anxious

Is this you?

You wake up already tense.

Your lower back feels tight before the day has even started.

Your shoulders are lifted. Your jaw is clenched. Your stomach feels knotted.

When anxiety or panic rises, the pain follows.

You stretch.
You adjust your posture.
You tell yourself to relax.

But your body doesn’t let go. If that’s you, here is an important truth to consider:

Your pain may not be caused by damage. It may be caused by guarding — a fear-driven pattern of protection.

Meet Hannah

Hannah is thoughtful, capable, and deeply conscientious. She loves the Lord, takes responsibility seriously, and is used to carrying a lot — emotionally and mentally.

Several years ago, Hannah experienced her first panic attack. Nothing in her life looked dramatic on the outside, but inside her body, something shifted.

After that season, her body never fully relaxed.

Her lower back stayed tight.

Sitting felt uncomfortable. Driving increased the tension. Stress magnified everything.

Medical imaging didn’t reveal anything alarming. Physical therapy provided temporary relief, but the tightness always returned.

Hannah wasn’t broken. She was guarding.

What does it mean to guard?

Guarding is the body’s automatic attempt to protect itself from perceived danger.

When the nervous system senses threat — emotional or physical — muscles tighten in preparation. This response is God-designed and lifesaving in moments of real danger.

But when anxiety or panic becomes ongoing, the body never receives the signal that the danger has passed.

Muscles remain partially contracted. Movement becomes cautious. The body stays prepared — even in safe moments.

Over time, that constant protection produces real pain.

Panic doesn’t stay in the mind

One of the most misunderstood aspects of panic is the belief that it is only a mental experience.

It isn’t.

Panic is a full-body alarm. Here’s my four-module minicourse, Calm in the Chaos, to help you.

The same system that produces racing thoughts also controls breathing, digestion, and muscle tone. When panic becomes recurring, the body learns to live in readiness.

This is why anxious women often experience physical pain — not only in the lower back, but in the neck, jaw, hips, chest, head, and even the digestive system.

The body is not malfunctioning.

It is responding to fear.

Anxiety, guarding, and faith

This is where a biblical lens matters.

Guarding is not a conscious spiritual failure. Most women do not choose it.

But over time, guarding often reflects a quiet belief that safety depends on constant vigilance.

When the body braces, it is acting as if:

"If I stay tight, I can prevent what I fear."

At a heart level, this can reveal subtle struggles with trust. Not a rejection of God — but a difficulty resting in His care.

Scripture repeatedly invites us to depend on the Lord.

“Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” — Psalm 127:1

Guarding says, I must stay ready.

Faith says God is already attentive.

What guarding often disbelieve about God

When a woman lives in a guarded body, she is not denying God outright. She is often struggling to believe that God is sufficiently near, sufficiently protective, and sufficiently faithful in her vulnerability.

The guarded body quietly assumes:

God might not show up in time.

I must stay prepared.

I cannot afford to soften.

Yet Scripture tells a different story.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” — Exodus 14:14

Stillness is not passivity.

Why effort-based solutions fall short

Many anxious women are encouraged to manage pain through more effort — more strengthening, more correcting, more controlling.

But guarding is not resolved through effort.

It is resolved through safety.

Until the nervous system experiences safety, the body will continue to brace, regardless of strength or flexibility.

The path forward: teaching the body to rest

Healing from panic-related pain requires a different approach.

It involves slowing the breath, softening the body, and allowing movement without fear. It is learning that discomfort does not equal danger. It involves addressing anxiety patterns while gently retraining the nervous system.

And for the believer, it involves allowing the body to practice what the heart professes.

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” — Isaiah 30:15

What actually helps a guarded, panic-prone body

Once a woman understands that guarding is about safety — not damage — the work becomes practical and gentle.

This is not about fixing the body. It’s about retraining it while relying on the Lord.

Here are the core practices that consistently help panic-related physical pain:

Breathing that signals safety
Slow, diaphragmatic breathing teaches the nervous system that the moment is not dangerous. A slightly longer exhale than inhale is especially calming. This is not breath control — it is permission for the body to soften. Here’s a helpful resource.

Body scans that invite release
Rather than searching for what’s wrong, a body scan invites awareness and release. Noticing areas of tension and gently allowing them to soften helps retrain resting muscle tone over time.

Gentle movement without bracing
Movement is reintroduced slowly, without tightening the core or holding the breath. This teaches the body that it can move and remain safe at the same time.

Progressive exposure to feared situations
Guarding often appears in specific contexts — sitting, driving, standing still, lying flat. Gradual, calm exposure to these situations while breathing and softening teaches the nervous system that danger does not follow. Here’s another helpful resource. :)

Reducing fear of sensations
Learning that tension, discomfort, and even panic sensations are not harmful is essential. Fear keeps guarding in place. Understanding allows it to unwind.

For the believer, these practices are not separate from faith. They are ways the body learns to live out trust.

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” — Psalm 37:7

Back to Hannah

When Hannah learned that her pain was protective — not structural — her relationship with her body changed.

She stopped fighting sensations.

She stopped bracing against fear.

She began practicing safety, both physically and spiritually.

As her panic softened, her body followed. Not because she forced it to relax. But because she learned to rest.

If this sounds like you

A guarded body is not a rebellious body.

It is often a weary one.

And weary bodies do not need more discipline. They need reassurance.

That reassurance can be learned.

A gentle next step

If you’re wondering whether panic and anxiety may be contributing to your physical pain — and you’d like help discerning what’s happening in your body — I offer a complimentary phone consult.

It’s a calm, pressure-free conversation to help you understand the connection between anxiety, panic, and physical symptoms, and to discern wise next steps.

You don’t have to carry this alone.