Connection (Part 2): Mind and Body – The Overlooked Link in Recovery
- Moses Fuentes
- Jul 23
- 3 min read
As a physiotherapist, I’ve come to see recovery as a long and winding journey. In Part 1, I talked about the body as a complex intersection, where every traffic light and driving lane is part of a vast network. The nervous system directs “nerve signals” between muscles and joints. But for many clients—especially those living with chronic pain—it can feel like they’re stuck in an endless loop of red lights and roadblocks.
This is where the second connection comes in, one that is often overlooked, yet in my opinion, just as important: the mind.
If the body is the intersection, then the mind is the weather. It encompasses the entire city, influencing the whole system.
The link between mental health and persistent pain has been well documented. Research consistently shows that emotional distress—such as anxiety, depression, or chronic stress—can lead to:
Higher pain intensity
Slower recovery
Greater pain-related disability
Reduced response to treatment
Increased fear of pain and hypervigilance
Picture yourself driving through a city full of hook-turns, traffic, and distractions. That alone can be stressful. Now imagine doing it in dense fog and pouring rain. That’s what it’s like trying to navigate recovery when your mind is under pressure. The pain might not be worse in a physical sense, but when your system is overwhelmed, everything becomes harder to process.
How the Body Heals
Recovery often requires more than just isolating the injury site—whether it’s a muscle, ligament, or tendon. It’s a full mind-body process influenced by both spheres. A growing body of research shows that psychological and social factors play a significant role in modulating pain perception and influencing the trajectory of healing.
For example, prolonged psychological stress has been shown to:
Disrupt immune function
Delay wound healing
Heighten pain sensitivity through sustained inflammatory responses
Using the same analogy, stress acts like ongoing bad weather over a city. Visibility isn’t the only obstacle—it disrupts the traffic flow. The body reacts by sending out enforcers: ambulances, fire brigades, and emergency signals. Stress keeps the system in a constant state of alert, even after the storm has passed. Navigating the city becomes harder, even when there’s no longer a threat.
The experience of chronic pain is not “just in your head”—it is your head. Emotions and stress have a real, physical impact on how the body perceives and responds to pain. That’s why addressing mindset and emotional wellbeing is essential to a comprehensive, whole-person approach to healing.
This is known as the Biopsychosocial Model, which includes:
Biological factors (injury, inflammation, posture, strength)
Psychological factors (stress, fear, mindset)
Social factors (support networks, job pressure, cultural beliefs)
For instance, people who fear movement often recover more slowly and are more likely to develop chronic pain. On the other hand, those who understand their condition, feel safe to move, and have social support tend to improve faster. These three domains often overlap and play a crucial role in shaping your rehabilitation.
Therapies such as pain education, mindfulness, and cognitive functional therapy are now evidence-backed tools in physiotherapy. They don’t replace exercise or manual therapy—but they support recovery by addressing the broader picture.
What Does This Mean?
It means recovery isn’t just about getting stronger or improving your range of motion. It’s also about understanding how your nervous system responds to stress—physically and mentally—acknowledging that pain can shape your mindset, and that your environment can either support or hinder your progress.
When you approach your rehab with this in mind, it becomes less about “fixing” something and more about gently guiding your body back into balance. Healing is rarely linear—there will be detours, delays, and occasional heavy traffic. But with patience and clarity, you’ll keep moving forward.
And remember: even through fog or rain, with Sunshine, you’ll always find a way through.
"Be kind, Sunshine"
This blog was written by Moses Fuentes, Physiotherapist at Sunshine Primary Health in Melbourne. Moses integrates a mind-body approach to physiotherapy, helping clients manage pain and restore balance.
If you're looking for a holistic physiotherapist who understands the link between mental health and physical recovery, click below to learn more or book a session.
Comments