02/21/2026
Stress → Constriction → Pain
Chronic stress shifts the nervous system into survival mode. Survival mode does one important thing: It constricts blood flow to the edges. Your body protects the core first. That means:
• Less blood to hands and feet
• Less perfusion to fascia
• Less oxygen to muscle
• Slower lymph movement
Over time, tissue becomes:
• Cold
• Dense
• Achy
• Hypersensitive
Pain doesn’t always mean damage. Sometimes it means: This tissue hasn’t been resourced in a while.
Restore safety. Then, flow returns, tissue softens, and pain decreases.
Healing follows signal — not force.