When Pain is More Than Physical: How Trauma and Emotional Health Can Affect Migraine
Migraine is often seen as just a neurological disorder: a problem of blood vessels, hormones, or nerve signals. But for many people, the full story is more complex. Emotional health, past trauma, and current stressors can all play a significant role in how migraine develops, how often it strikes, and how long it sticks around.
If you’ve ever felt like your migraine episodes are linked to stressful times in your life, or if they seem to flare up when you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not imagining it. Let’s explore the connection between trauma, emotional wellbeing, and migraine -because understanding what’s really going on may help open up new pathways for support and healing.
The Trauma–Migraine Connection: What the Research Says
Emerging research over the past decade has confirmed what many people with migraine have long suspected: there’s a strong association between adverse life experiences and migraine.
A 2017 study published in Headache found that individuals with migraine were significantly more likely to have experienced childhood maltreatment (including emotional, physical, or sexual abuse) compared to those without migraine (Tietjen et al., 2017). The more types of adversity a person had faced, the higher their risk for chronic migraine.
In fact, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to influence both pain perception and the nervous system’s long-term stress response, creating what some researchers call “a sensitised pain system.” This can lead to increased vulnerability not only to migraine but to other chronic pain conditions as well.
More recently, a 2020 systematic review in Cephalalgia highlighted that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is significantly more common in people with migraine, particularly those with chronic migraine. These emotional wounds—especially when left unacknowledged—can fuel a cycle of pain, sleep disruption, and further distress (Minen et al., 2020).
Why Emotional Health Matters in Migraine Management
So what’s going on beneath the surface?
Chronic stress and emotional dysregulation can lead to a constant activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis -- the body’s central stress response system. Over time, this can disrupt cortisol rhythms, lower resilience to pain, and exacerbate inflammation and nervous system sensitivity.
Emotional suppression, particularly of grief, anger, or fear, has also been linked with increased physical symptoms in general—and in migraine, this might look like worsening frequency or severity.
Trauma affects the vagus nerve, which is key to regulating rest, digestion, and calm. When this system is out of balance, so too is the ability to return to a ‘safe’ internal state after stress.
While not everyone with migraine has a trauma history, understanding this mind-body link may help us work more holistically—and gently—towards healing.
Supporting Emotional Health in Migraine Recovery
If this resonates with you, please know: it’s not “all in your head.” Migraine is real, and the link to trauma doesn’t mean it’s your fault—it means your body is doing its best to cope.
Here are some supportive steps that may help:
Work with a trauma-informed practitioner. Therapies like somatic experiencing, EMDR, or Emotional Release Technique® (ERT) may support nervous system healing and reduce the burden of stored emotional stress.
Practice self-compassion. Harsh self-judgement and internal pressure can worsen stress. Gentle practices like guided meditation, journaling, or breathwork may calm the nervous system and reduce reactivity.
Consider integrative care. Approaches that support both emotional and physical wellbeing, like naturopathy, nutritional psychiatry, herbal medicine, and nervous system regulation, can be a powerful part of your care plan.
Key Takeaways
Migraine is more than a neurological condition. Emotional health and trauma history may be important contributing factors.
Childhood adversity, PTSD, and chronic stress are associated with increased migraine risk and severity.
Supporting emotional wellbeing, nervous system balance, and safe emotional expression may help reduce migraine frequency and intensity.
Healing is possible, and you don’t have to do it alone.
A Gentle Invitation
If you're curious about how your emotional health may be impacting your migraine condition, or if you’re seeking support that honours both your body and your lived experiences, I invite you to reach out. Whether it’s through naturopathic care, Emotional Release Technique®, or simply starting the conversation—there is help available.
Let’s walk the path to healing together, at your pace.
References:
Tietjen, G. E., et al. (2017). Childhood maltreatment and migraine (Part I). Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 57(1), 72–86. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.12948
Minen, M. T., et al. (2020). PTSD and migraine: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cephalalgia, 40(6), 576–590. https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102419896364