Did you know pain can persist long after an injury has healed physically? Physician explains the nervous system link

Sometimes injuries can hurt long after they have healed. Dr Sood explains that this has more to do with your nervous system than physiological tissue healing.

Have you ever suffered a serious injury that healed physically, only to find that the area still hurts when you touch it or feels unusually sensitive during certain movements? While it may seem like the injury has not healed completely, the lingering pain could have less to do with the original wound and more to do with how your nervous system is processing pain.

Dr Kunal Sood, an anaesthesiologist and interventional pain medicine physician, is breaking down why pain can sometimes linger long after an injury has physically healed. In an Instagram video shared on September 20, the physician explains, “Pain does not always follow the same timeline as tissue healing. In some people, the original injury improves while the nervous system remains unusually sensitive, allowing pain to persist even when tissue damage is no longer the main driver.”

Why does pain persist?

According to Dr Sood, the nervous system can become increasingly sensitive following an injury, causing nerve cells to become more responsive and send stronger pain signals to the brain. As a result, pain can sometimes persist even after the injured tissue has healed.

He explains, “The nervous system can become more responsive. Central sensitisation refers to increased responsiveness of pain-processing neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Sustained pain signals can strengthen communication between these neurons, making them easier to activate.”

Amplified pain signals

The physician also points out that while pain signals may become amplified, the body’s natural systems for dampening or inhibiting these signals can become less effective. With the brain receiving stronger pain signals while its built-in “braking system” is not working as efficiently, the sensation of pain can feel more intense and persistent.

Dr Sood highlights, “Glutamate and NMDA receptors can increase neuronal excitability, while inhibitory systems involving GABA and glycine may become less effective. Think of it as stronger amplification with weaker brakes.”

Harmless sensations may feel painful

When pain signals become amplified and the body’s inhibitory signals are less effective, it can result in conditions where the nervous system becomes increasingly sensitive to pain. As a result, even routine, everyday activities that would normally be harmless and painless may trigger discomfort or pain.

Dr Sood elaborates, “Normally harmless sensations may start hurting. Central sensitisation can contribute to hyperalgesia, where painful stimuli hurt more than expected, and allodynia, where normally harmless sensations like light touch or clothing become painful.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

Dr Kunal Sood, MD, is a double board-certified physician in Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Medicine. He did his residency and fellowship in anesthesiology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, followed by a one-year fellowship in interventional pain medicine. He later became the Medical Director of the office in Germantown, Maryland.