Yoga can be helpful for people with chronic pain, just as it can be immensely helpful for people who are dealing with trauma. Chronic pain patients often suffer from trauma as well.

Chronic pain is processed differently by the brain than acute pain. Chronic pain, as opposed to acute pain, recruits areas of the brain that are responsible for emotions and thoughts. This is why many medications that work for acute pain fail to provide relief in chronic pain. With chronic pain, the body freezes with tension and the mind focuses exclusively on negative thoughts. We experience fear, stress, and helplessness.