Why Does My Body Hurt When I'm Stressed? Physical Symptoms of Stress and What Actually Helps
You went to the doctor because something felt off.
Maybe it was headaches that wouldn't quit. Stomach issues that came and went without explanation. A tight jaw you noticed only after your dentist mentioned you'd been grinding your teeth. Nights when you couldn't sleep—or slept but woke up exhausted.
They ran the tests. Did the bloodwork. Maybe even imaging. And everything came back... normal.
That should be good news. But it doesn't feel like it. Because you're still hurting. You're still exhausted. And now you're wondering: If nothing's wrong, why do I feel this way?
Here's what your doctor may or may not have said directly: stress can cause real, physical symptoms. Not "in your head" symptoms. Real ones. The kind that affect your daily life, your sleep, your ability to function.
At our Lee's Summit office, we see this all the time—high-achieving professionals who pushed through for years, ignoring the signals their body was sending. By the time they show up in therapy, their body has been keeping score for a long time.
In this post, we'll talk about why stress shows up in your body, what symptoms to watch for, and what actually helps—beyond "just relax."
Can stress really cause physical symptoms?
Yes. Absolutely. Chronic stress affects your entire body—your muscles, your digestion, your sleep, your immune system. When your nervous system stays activated for too long, your body pays the price. The symptoms are real, even when medical tests come back normal.
Your body isn't separate from your mind. They're one system. When you're stressed, your brain sends signals that affect every part of you.
In the short term, this is useful. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline prepare you to handle a threat—your heart beats faster, your muscles tense, your senses sharpen. This is the "fight or flight" response, and it's designed to keep you safe.
The problem is when the stress doesn't stop.
When you're living with chronic stress—demanding job, financial pressure, family responsibilities, constant mental load—your nervous system can get stuck in "on" mode. It keeps pumping out stress hormones even when there's no immediate threat. Your body stays braced for danger that never fully arrives.
Over time, this takes a toll. Muscles that stay tense develop pain. Digestion gets disrupted. Sleep becomes difficult. Your immune system weakens. The physical symptoms are your body's way of saying: Something needs to change.
What physical symptoms does stress cause?
Stress can show up as headaches, stomach problems, jaw clenching or teeth grinding, muscle tension (especially in shoulders and neck), chest tightness, fatigue, and insomnia. You might feel "wired but tired"—exhausted but unable to rest. These symptoms often have no clear medical explanation because the cause is your nervous system, not a disease.
Here are the most common physical symptoms we see in stressed, high-achieving clients:
Headaches — Tension headaches are incredibly common with chronic stress. They often feel like pressure or tightness around your forehead or the back of your head. Some people get them daily without realizing stress is the trigger.
Stomach issues — Your gut is deeply connected to your nervous system. Stress can cause nausea, cramping, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation. Many people with chronic stress develop "nervous stomach" or IBS-like symptoms that doctors can't fully explain.
Jaw clenching and teeth grinding — This often happens without you realizing it—especially at night. Your dentist might notice it before you do. You might wake up with jaw pain, or notice yourself clenching during stressful moments at work.
Muscle tension — Shoulders up by your ears. A stiff neck. A back that always aches. When your body is constantly braced for stress, muscles don't get a chance to fully relax. The tension becomes your baseline.
Insomnia and sleep problems — You might have trouble falling asleep because your mind won't stop. Or you fall asleep fine but wake up at 3 a.m. with racing thoughts. Or you sleep eight hours and still wake up exhausted. Stress disrupts the quality of rest, not just the quantity.
Chest tightness — This one can be scary—and you should always get chest symptoms checked by a doctor. But once heart problems are ruled out, chest tightness is often anxiety or stress showing up physically.
Fatigue — The "wired but tired" feeling. You're exhausted, but you can't actually rest. Your body is tired; your nervous system won't calm down. It's one of the most frustrating symptoms of chronic stress.
Why does stress show up in the body?
Your body isn't just keeping score—it IS the scorecard. Your nervous system processes everything you experience, and when it can't fully process or discharge stress, that stress gets stored physically. Chronic activation of your "fight or flight" response affects every system in your body.
You may have heard of the book The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. It's a powerful book about how trauma and stress live in the body. But I'd take it one step further: your body isn't just keeping the score. Your body is the scorecard.
Everything you experience moves through your nervous system. When things go well, your system processes the experience and returns to baseline. But when you're overwhelmed—or when you push through without giving yourself time to recover—the stress doesn't fully discharge. It stays in your body.
Polyvagal theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, helps explain this. Your nervous system has different states: a calm, connected "safe" state; a mobilized "fight or flight" state; and a shutdown "freeze" state. When you're constantly stressed, you can get stuck in mobilization—always ready to fight or flee, never fully settling into safety.
This isn't a character flaw or a failure of willpower. It's physiology. Your nervous system is trying to protect you. But when it doesn't get the signal that the threat has passed, it keeps your body on high alert.
That's why "just relax" doesn't work. You can't think your way out of a nervous system state. Your body needs something different—approaches that actually help it shift out of survival mode.
Why didn't my doctor find anything wrong?
Medical tests are designed to detect disease—structural problems, infections, organ dysfunction. Stress-related symptoms often don't show up on scans or bloodwork because there's no disease process to find. Your nervous system dysregulation is real, but it's not the kind of problem most medical tests are looking for.
This can feel invalidating. You went to the doctor because something was wrong. They ran tests. Everything was "normal." And you're left wondering if you're making it up.
You're not making it up.
Medical tests are incredibly useful for detecting certain kinds of problems. But they're not designed to measure nervous system dysregulation. They can't show that your body has been stuck in fight-or-flight for three years. They can't measure the cumulative toll of chronic stress.
When doctors rule out medical causes and suggest stress might be a factor, they're not dismissing you. They're actually pointing you toward something important: your symptoms are real, and the cause is something that requires a different kind of treatment.
We love working with clients who've been referred by their doctors. They've already ruled out other causes, and they come in ready to work. They know something needs to change—and they're open to exploring the mind-body connection.
When should I see a doctor vs. a therapist?
See a doctor first if you have new, unexplained, or concerning physical symptoms—especially chest pain, significant changes in weight or appetite, or anything that feels urgent. Once medical causes are ruled out, therapy can help you address the stress and nervous system patterns underneath. Sometimes you need both.
This isn't either/or. Medical evaluation and therapy work together.
You should see a doctor if:
Your symptoms are new or have changed significantly
You're experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, or other potentially serious symptoms
You've had unexplained weight changes, fever, or other red flags
You haven't had a physical exam recently and want to rule out medical causes
You should consider therapy if:
Medical tests have come back normal but you're still struggling
Your doctor has suggested stress may be a factor
You notice your physical symptoms get worse during stressful periods
You're dealing with chronic stress, anxiety, or unresolved difficult experiences
You feel "wired but tired" or can't seem to calm down even when you try
Many of our clients work with both their doctor and a therapist. The doctor manages any medical aspects; we help address the stress and nervous system patterns that are contributing to symptoms.
What actually helps with stress-related physical symptoms?
Approaches that work with your nervous system—not just your thoughts—are most effective. Progressive muscle relaxation teaches your body to release tension. Breathing techniques activate your calming response. Mindfulness builds awareness of body signals. And trauma-focused therapies like EMDR can help your nervous system finally process what's been stored, often faster than traditional talk therapy.
Because stress lives in your body, effective treatment needs to include your body. Here's what we use at Aspire Counseling:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
This technique involves systematically tensing and releasing muscle groups throughout your body. It sounds simple, but it's powerful. When you deliberately tense a muscle and then let go, you're teaching your nervous system what relaxation actually feels like. Many people with chronic stress have forgotten.
We have a full guide to progressive muscle relaxation on our blog if you'd like to try it.
Breathing techniques
Your breath is one of the fastest ways to shift your nervous system state. Slow, extended exhales activate your parasympathetic nervous system—the "rest and digest" mode. Techniques like box breathing or 4-7-8 breathing aren't just relaxation exercises. They're actually changing your physiology.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness helps you notice what's happening in your body before it becomes a full-blown symptom. Many high achievers are so disconnected from their bodies that they don't notice tension building until they have a migraine or their back goes out. Mindfulness builds the awareness to catch stress earlier—and respond before it accumulates.
EMDR and polyvagal-informed approaches
Sometimes stress-related symptoms are connected to past experiences that never fully processed. Your nervous system is still responding to old threats. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help your brain and body process these experiences—often much faster than traditional talk therapy. It's like hitting "fast forward" on processing that's been stuck.
I had the opportunity to hear Rebecca Kase speak about polyvagal-informed EMDR, and it was transformative. Her work on integrating polyvagal theory with EMDR has shaped how we approach treatment at Aspire Counseling. Several of our therapists—including Casey Jackson and Katherine Ottofy—completed Rebecca Kase's polyvagal-informed EMDR training in 2025. This approach helps us work with the nervous system directly, not just talk about stress but actually help the body shift out of survival mode.
What if I've been ignoring my body for years?
It's not too late. Your body is resilient, and your nervous system can learn new patterns at any age. The fact that you're noticing now is the first step. Many of our clients spent years pushing through—and they still see significant improvement once they start paying attention and getting the right support.
If you're a high achiever, you've probably spent years overriding your body's signals. You pushed through the headache. You ignored the tight shoulders. You told yourself you'd rest "later"—and later never came.
That's not a moral failing. In many ways, our culture rewards it. You were being "tough." "Dedicated." "Professional."
But your body was keeping track the whole time. And now it's asking for attention.
The good news is that it's never too late to start listening. Your nervous system is adaptable. With the right support, you can teach your body what safety feels like again. You can learn to notice stress before it becomes a symptom. You can build a different relationship with yourself—one where your body is a partner, not an obstacle.
If you've read our post on the hidden nature of high functioning anxiety, you know that looking "fine" on the outside doesn't mean your body is fine on the inside. Your physical symptoms might be the first honest signal you've let yourself hear.
When should I get help for stress-related symptoms?
Consider therapy if physical symptoms are affecting your quality of life, if you've ruled out medical causes, if symptoms keep coming back despite lifestyle changes, or if you suspect stress, anxiety, or past experiences are playing a role. You don't have to wait until you're in crisis. Getting help now can prevent symptoms from getting worse.
It might be time to talk to a therapist if:
Physical symptoms are interfering with your work, relationships, or daily life
Medical tests haven't found a clear cause
You notice symptoms get worse during stressful periods
You've tried rest, exercise, or other lifestyle changes but nothing sticks
You feel disconnected from your body or have trouble relaxing even when you try
You suspect unresolved stress, anxiety, or difficult past experiences might be involved
Your body has been trying to tell you something. Therapy can help you understand the message—and finally give your nervous system what it needs to heal.
Stress and Anxiety Therapy in Lee's Summit, MO
If stress has been showing up in your body and rest isn't helping, we can help you figure out what's really going on.
At Aspire Counseling, we specialize in helping high-achieving professionals whose bodies are paying the price for years of pushing through. We understand the hidden nature of high functioning anxiety—how you can look successful while your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.
Our therapists use body-based, polyvagal-informed approaches to help your nervous system shift out of high alert. We offer EMDR, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness techniques, and other evidence-based tools that work with your body—not just your mind.
We offer in-person therapy at our Lee's Summit office, conveniently located near I-470 for clients from Blue Springs, Independence, Raytown, and the greater Kansas City area. We also offer secure online therapy throughout Missouri.
Call us at (816) 287-1116 or reach out to us through our website. Your body has been keeping score. Let's help it finally settle.
About the Author
Jessica Oliver, MSW, LCSW is the Founder and Clinical Director of Aspire Counseling, with 10+ years of experience supporting clients in Lee's Summit, Missouri. She specializes in anxiety, trauma, and high-pressure professional stress, and she loves helping capable people feel steady on the inside—not just successful on the outside. Jessica uses evidence-based approaches like EMDR and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for trauma, along with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based approaches, and DBT-informed skills to help clients reduce overthinking, loosen perfectionism, and build lives that feel more connected and sustainable. At Aspire Counseling, she provides compassionate, expert care in-person in Lee's Summit and through secure online therapy for clients across Missouri.
