When the Mind Forgets but the Body Creates Chronic Pain

Exploring trauma, memory, and the nervous system’s role in long-term pain

Living with chronic pain is something most people never see, yet it touches every part of life. In this episode, I share my personal experience with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) after a traumatic heel injury — the most painful condition known to medicine. My hope is that by opening this chapter of my life, you feel less alone in your own healing or better equipped to support someone walking through something similar.

I talk about what CRPS felt like for me, how the nervous system can get stuck in a high-alert loop, and why emotional, spiritual, and mental healing were just as essential as physical recovery. I also share the practices that helped me regain peace and a sense of agency, from meditation and breathwork to visualization and changing the way I spoke to and about my body.

Takeaways:

• Chronic pain involves physical, emotional, and nervous system healing
• Language, visualization, and spiritual practice support recovery
• Compassion from others profoundly shapes the healing journey

If you or someone you love is living with chronic pain, I hope this episode brings understanding, compassion, and hope. And if you want support on your own healing journey or simply need someone to help you steady the path, I’m here. Please reach out — I would love to walk with you.

You can email me at jenny@jaiello.com.

Your guided meditation can be found here: https://jennyaiello.com/sacred-space-meditation/