Emotional Pain in the Body: Why Your Hips Might Be Holding Stress
Is That Tight Hip Just Physical? How Emotions Can Manifest as Pain in the Body
Ever noticed how your body feels heavier or tighter after a stressful week? Or how your shoulders creep up towards your ears when you're feeling overwhelmed? It’s not your imagination—emotions really do live in the body.
While it might seem like pain is purely physical, in many cases it has an emotional component too. In fact, emotional stress and unprocessed feelings can often show up as persistent tension, tightness, and even pain, especially in areas like the hips, lower back, and pelvis.
Let’s take a closer look at how that works—and what you can do to prevent emotional tension from getting trapped in your body.
How Emotions Get Stored in the Body
Our bodies and minds aren’t separate systems—they’re deeply connected. Every emotion you feel has a physical response, from a racing heart to a clenched jaw. And when emotions are overwhelming or repressed (whether we consciously realise it or not), they can get “stored” in the body as chronic tension.
This isn’t just a woo-woo idea—there’s growing research in fields like somatic therapy and neurobiology to back it up. When your nervous system is under stress, it triggers muscle guarding (tightening) as a protective mechanism. If the stress is ongoing or unresolved, those muscles can stay stuck in protective mode, leading to stiffness, discomfort, or pain that doesn’t seem to have a clear physical cause.
Why the Lower Body Holds So Much Emotional Tension
The hips and pelvis are often referred to as the "emotional junk drawer" of the body—and for good reason. This area is closely linked with:
Safety and stability (think: fight, flight, or freeze responses)
Repressed anger or frustration
Fear or anxiety
Emotions related to relationships, intimacy, and control
When clients tell me they feel “stuck” or “heavy” in their hips, or that their lower back pain flares up when life gets intense, it’s usually a sign their body is holding onto more than just physical strain.
So What Can You Do About It?
You can’t always avoid stress—but you can stop it from settling into your body like an unwanted house guest. The key is to keep emotions moving—literally.
Here are some of the most effective ways to prevent emotional tension from building up:
1. Move Your Body
Movement is my go-to. Whether it’s walking, dancing, stretching, or strength work, moving your body is one of the fastest ways to shift emotional energy and keep tension from getting stuck.
2. Shake It Off (Yes, Like a Dog)
It might sound silly, but shaking works. Animals in the wild naturally shake after a threat to release stress from their systems—and humans benefit from the same. Shake out your arms, legs, hips, or even do a full-body wiggle. It’s simple, quick, and surprisingly effective.
Dogs don’t just shake off water, animals naturally shake after a threat to release stress from their systems
3. Breathe Deeply and Consistently
Shallow breathing keeps your body in a stress state. Deep belly breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, helping muscles relax and emotions settle.
4. Get Hands-On Help
Soft tissue work can help release tension that’s been held for months (or years). Often, when I work with clients on the lower back or hips, they feel not just physical relief, but emotional release too—sometimes without even realising what they were carrying.
5. Pay Attention to Patterns
If a certain area of your body always flares up during emotionally tough times, it’s worth noticing. Patterns reveal where your body tends to hold stress, and that awareness can help you be more proactive in looking after yourself.
The Bottom Line: Your Body Keeps the Score
Pain isn’t always about posture, ageing, or injury. Sometimes it’s about what you’ve been holding in and what your body is trying to process for you.
You don’t have to “figure it all out” to start feeling better. Start by moving. Start by shaking. Start by breathing. And if you need support getting your body back into balance—you don’t have to do it alone.
Ready to release what your body’s been holding? Let’s work together to get you moving better and feeling lighter—physically and emotionally.
Sabrina is a movement specialist based in Worcester Park, helping people overcome pain, move better, and enjoy active, fulfilling lives. With expertise in sports and remedial massage, personal training, and the Emmett Technique, she works with clients to relieve pain, improve mobility, and build strength. Treatments and training sessions take place in her private home treatment and training room. If you would like to discuss your needs, book a Discovery Call.