by Stephanie Bucklin
Chronic pain is an invisible force—quiet, constant, and often misunderstood. It can be debilitating, but not always visibly so. Many of us who live with it struggle not just with physical discomfort, but with the emotional weight of being disbelieved, dismissed, or misdiagnosed.
After my recent fall and injury to my right foot, the nerve pain has become excruciating. I suspect a torn ligament, yet alongside the physical discomfort lies a deeper inquiry I can’t ignore: What is the origin of this pain? Is it simply mechanical—tissue damage and inflammation? Or is it something more—something energetic or even emotional?
This question has led me into a personal investigation of three different healing paradigms. In this post, I want to share my reflections on each, not just from intellectual understanding but lived experience.
The Western Medical Model: Biology and Biochemistry
In Western medicine, chronic pain is typically viewed through a biological lens. It is classified as pain that persists for more than 3 to 6 months, often after the original injury has healed. In some cases, no physical origin can be identified at all. Treatment usually involves pharmaceuticals, physical therapy, injections, or sometimes surgery.
This model is heavily rooted in the physical body—muscles, nerves, tissues, bones. Pain is a symptom, and the goal is to eliminate or reduce it. While this approach has its place (and has undoubtedly saved lives), it often leaves those of us with invisible illnesses feeling reduced to data points or drug prescriptions. It can be cold. Clinical. Disconnected from the human story behind the pain.
When I talk about my injury and the chronic pain I’m experiencing, I know that I’m not imagining the physical symptoms. There’s swelling, burning, pressure. There’s real fear about long-term mobility. But when no one can “see” your injury and the scans show nothing definitive, you’re often left with more questions than answers.
The Eastern Medical Model: Energy Flow and Meridian Alignment
In contrast, Eastern medicine—especially Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda—takes a more holistic approach. Pain is not just about physical damage; it’s about energy imbalance. Blocked or stagnant qi (life force) in the meridians is said to create dysfunction in the corresponding organ or area of the body. In Ayurveda, pain may be a result of aggravated doshas (vital energies) and imbalances in one’s constitution.
From this perspective, my foot injury might not just be a physical event—it could be a reflection of blocked energy in the meridians that run through the foot, related to deeper emotional or spiritual issues. Treatments might involve acupuncture, herbal medicine, bodywork, breathwork, or meditative movement like tai chi or yoga.
There’s a beautiful logic to this approach: we are energy beings, and when the energy flows, healing follows. I’ve personally experienced pain relief from acupuncture and somatic therapies that Western medicine could not explain. But even this model, while more integrative, still leaves room for deeper inquiry.
The Quantum Healing Perspective: The Mind as Creator
Here’s where it gets controversial—and also compelling.
Quantum healing asks us to examine our relationship with pain through the lens of consciousness. What if pain isn’t just physical or energetic, but a mirror of our emotional or spiritual wounds? What if our unprocessed trauma, self-beliefs, or ancestral imprints are literally shaping our biology?
From this view, the body becomes a canvas for the subconscious. Every symptom has a message. Every discomfort holds a code waiting to be decoded. It’s not about blame—but rather responsibility. If I believe my pain is entirely outside of me, I’m powerless. But if I acknowledge the possibility that some part of me has created this experience—consciously or not—then I can also participate in its transformation.
When my partner says “mind over matter,” I instinctively resist. It feels invalidating. But on deeper reflection, I also recognize the power in that idea. Could this nerve pain be my body’s way of forcing me to slow down? Am I carrying too much responsibility? Am I refusing to rest? Is the pain not just a signal from my foot—but from my soul?
“It’s all in your head” is a phrase that has historically been used to gaslight or silence people in pain. But what if we reclaim it—not as dismissal, but as direction? What if it really is in our heads, in our hearts, in our stories—and therefore within our power to heal?
So… Is Chronic Pain Real?
Yes. Undeniably. But what makes it real is not just its physicality—it’s the experience of suffering. And that experience is shaped not just by nerves and tissue, but by perception, belief, memory, and meaning.
Healing may not always mean the absence of pain. But it might mean changing our relationship to it. Seeing it as a messenger, not a punishment. Inviting it to show us what’s been buried, unspoken, or unresolved.
My Personal Reality: Chronic Meets Acute
This isn’t just theoretical for me—it’s my lived reality. I’ve been dealing with chronic nerve pain for years, and lately, it’s been getting worse. In the past six months, I’ve fallen four times, always due to imbalance and nerve instability. Just recently, I reinjured the same foot I hurt in both 2016 and 2018. Now I’m facing the sharp edge of acute pain on top of the chronic discomfort I’ve learned to live with. I’ve resisted using a cane, holding onto the idea that I could “push through,” but now I’m surrendering to what my body needs. I’m in the process of seeking financial support to purchase a mobility scooter—something I never imagined I’d need. This pain is real. It’s daily. It’s debilitating. And it’s forcing me to reexamine how I define strength, surrender, and support.
Final Thoughts: Living the Question
I don’t have all the answers. I am still on this journey. But what I’ve come to believe is this:
Chronic pain is not a failure. It is a call to awaken—to listen more deeply, to honor the body, and to explore the hidden layers of the self.
Whether you align with the Western, Eastern, or Quantum model (or all three), your pain is valid. Your experience is sacred. And your healing—however it unfolds—is yours to define.
~S
💠 Are you exploring the deeper meaning of pain in your life? 💠
Join me inside the Soul Journey Membership, where we explore the emotional, spiritual, and energetic roots of our challenges—including chronic pain—and support one another in healing and growth. Through guided meditations, reflective practices, and intuitive mentorship, you’ll learn to transform pain into purpose and reclaim your personal power.
🙏 If this message resonates and you feel called to support my journey personally, I’ve recently launched a fundraiser to help me purchase a mobility scooter. This tool will allow me to stay mobile and continue doing the healing work I love—despite my current injury and the chronic nerve pain I live with daily. Every act of support is deeply appreciated and received with gratitude.
