When everyday touch or movement hurts more than you expect, it can be exhausting to keep explaining what you feel. We believe you. At Mindful Movement PT, we help you understand pain sensitivity and find a manageable way back to activity, combining pain education, movement practice and a plan that grows with you.
One-on-one PT with Dr. Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT. No referral needed. In-person care in Holladay, serving Greater Salt Lake City, and virtual coaching from anywhere.
When clothing brushing your skin hurts, or a familiar movement feels unexpectedly painful, it can be hard to know what your body needs. More stretching? More rest? Another opinion?
Understanding the terms can help you describe the problem and ask useful questions.
There can still be a way forward
Susan Weyandt came to care with longstanding back pain and doubts about trying treatment again. She describes less pain, greater confidence and a better quality of life. This is a story about persistent back pain, not a diagnosis of hypersensitivity; it captures why listening and a clear plan matter.
A patient’s own experience; we build your plan around your goals and response.
Hear Dr. Emily explain pain sensitivity
Understanding pain can help you make sense of your experience. We pair that understanding with a manageable movement plan and regular checks on what is helping.
What Dr. Emily wants you to know about persistent back or neck pain
Dr. Emily explains why pain and tissue healing do not always follow the same timeline. Your pain is real. We look at the whole picture—including movement, recovery, sleep and sensitivity—to find practical ways forward.
Key points from the video
- Pain and tissue healing do not always follow the same timeline.
- Dr. Emily encourages looking beyond a scan or painful structure to other contributors to sensitivity.
- Understanding persistent pain can open up more ways to approach recovery.
What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain lasts longer than three months. It can continue after an injury has healed, accompany an ongoing condition, or develop without a clear initial cause. Biological processes, sleep, emotional health, and life circumstances can all influence the experience. That does not make pain imaginary or your fault. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
What does pain hypersensitivity mean?
Hypersensitivity describes an increased response to sensation. Two more specific terms help explain painful responses:
- Allodynia: Pain with something that normally is not painful, such as a light brush of clothing.
- Hyperalgesia: More pain than expected from a normally painful stimulus, such as a small pinprick that feels unusually intense.
These terms describe symptoms, not their cause. They do not establish a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, nerve damage, or central sensitization. International Association for the Study of Pain
Is hypersensitivity the same as central sensitization?
No. Central sensitization describes increased responsiveness in parts of the brain and spinal cord involved in processing potentially harmful input. Sensitization can also occur in peripheral nerves. Clinicians may infer sensitization from a pattern of findings, but sensitivity alone does not prove which mechanism is responsible. IASP terminology
A useful starting question is: “What might be contributing to this sensitivity, and what else needs to be checked?” An online symptom checklist cannot answer that for you.
Does persistent pain mean there is ongoing damage?
Not necessarily. Pain can persist after healing, but ongoing tissue problems and nerve conditions can also contribute. More than one mechanism can be present. Burning or tingling sensations deserve assessment rather than being automatically attributed to a sensitive nervous system. NINDS pain guide
For readers with ongoing spine symptoms, see our back pain care and neck pain care pages.
How can physical therapy help?
A PT evaluation looks at your symptom history, movement, strength, daily activities, and goals. The aim is to understand what limits you and develop an individualized plan; findings may also indicate that you need another clinician’s evaluation. Treatment can include education, prescribed movement, and strategies for returning to meaningful activities. APTA’s chronic pain guide
Bring questions such as:
- What findings suggest movement is appropriate for me?
- What should I change if an exercise increases symptoms?
- Which changes mean I should contact you or seek medical care?
- How will we measure progress beyond a pain score?
Your goal might be driving comfortably, working at a desk, walking with a friend, or returning to a favorite trail. Making that goal specific helps the conversation stay focused on your life.
Making pain education useful in everyday life
A helpful explanation should lead to a practical choice. If an everyday task feels overwhelming, we can work on a smaller version, choose appropriate support and review the response together. You do not have to prove that the pain is “only sensitivity” before receiving help.
- Choose something that matters: a short walk, preparing food or returning to a hobby.
- Find a manageable starting point: adjust duration, load or the way you do the task.
- Notice the pattern: include recovery afterward and fatigue, not just pain during the activity.
- Progress collaboratively: increase demands when appropriate and reconsider the plan if symptoms repeatedly worsen.
For back or neck symptoms, Dr. Emily may also use McKenzie assessment to investigate whether a movement direction is helpful. That can guide one part of care without explaining every aspect of persistent pain. We combine the findings with education, strength and activity goals. Read the chronic back-pain plan for an example.
How we help you rebuild tolerance without making every day a test
A sensitive pain system can make ordinary activity feel unpredictable. We start by finding something you can repeat with a manageable response. That may be a shorter walk, a comfortable movement or a smaller part of a household task. The starting point should feel achievable enough to practice again.
- Choose one meaningful activity. “I want to cook dinner comfortably” gives us a clearer target than “I need to be more active.”
- Change one part of the task. We can adjust its duration, load, position or breaks, rather than abandoning it altogether.
- Look at the pattern. Notice what happens during the activity, later that day and after recovery. One uncomfortable moment tells us less than a consistent trend.
- Build when the starting point becomes manageable. A plan can progress without making a large jump on every good day.
Where does McKenzie assessment fit?
If particular positions or repeated movements reliably change your back symptoms, that information can help us choose a useful exercise. If there is no clear directional preference, we do not force one. We can work on strength, activity tolerance and confidence while reassessing the wider picture.
Is pain education enough on its own?
Understanding pain is most useful when it changes what you can do. In a trial of 120 people with chronic spinal pain, pain neuroscience education combined with targeted movement training improved disability and other outcomes compared with back/neck education and general exercise. It studied a combined approach, not reassurance alone. Read the clinical trial.
We will never ask you to pretend pain is not real. We want you to understand your symptoms, know when to ask for help and have a workable next step.
Should I push through a flare-up?
A plan should account for your needs and abilities. Exercise is recommended for chronic primary pain, but that recommendation is not an instruction to ignore symptoms or follow an automatic weekly increase. A change or flare in symptoms should prompt reassessment and a discussion of the care plan. NICE chronic pain recommendations
Before starting, agree with your therapist on what response is acceptable, when to adjust the activity, and how to ask for help. If you experience a delayed, substantial worsening of fatigue or other symptoms after exertion, describe that pattern specifically rather than treating it as ordinary muscle soreness.
When should I seek medical care instead of assuming sensitivity?
With back pain, seek emergency care for new bladder or bowel changes, loss of sensation around the genitals or anus, or symptoms such as weakness or numbness in both legs. Severe pain after a major accident also needs emergency assessment. Pain that becomes severe quickly, or occurs with fever or feeling unwell, warrants urgent medical advice. NHS back pain guidance
If you have osteoporosis and develop new back pain, a compression fracture is one possible cause. Get assessed rather than assuming it is a flare of chronic pain. MedlinePlus: compression fractures
Finding a starting point in Salt Lake City or Holladay
Mindful Movement PT offers one-on-one care with Dr. Emily Warren. You can learn about chronic pain physical therapy or request a free 15-minute consultation to discuss whether the practice is a fit for your needs.
Call or text (385) 332-4939. When contacting the practice, share the main issue and your goals; save detailed medical information for the clinical visit.
This article provides general education and cannot diagnose the cause of your pain.