For many people living with persistent or chronic pain, the experience can feel confusing, frustrating, and isolating. You might have been told your pain is due to “wear and tear,” “poor posture,” or even that “there’s nothing wrong.” But when pain lingers — especially after tissues have healed — these explanations often fall short of giving you the answers you need.
That’s where the Bio-Psycho-Social (BPS) model of pain offers something different: a more complete, compassionate, and science-informed way to understand and manage pain.
What Is the Bio-Psycho-Social Model of Pain?
The Bio-Psycho-Social model recognises that pain is not just a physical sensation — it’s shaped by our biology, our minds, and our social environment.
Here’s a breakdown of the three components:
- Biological: This includes physical aspects such as tissue health, inflammation, nervous system sensitivity, and movement patterns.
- Psychological: Thoughts, emotions, past experiences, expectations, and mental health all play a role in how we perceive and respond to pain.
- Social: Our relationships, work, daily routines, stress levels, and even cultural beliefs about pain can influence our experience of it.
This model doesn’t deny the reality of pain — instead, it validates how real and complex it can be.
Why the Bio-Psycho-Social Matters — Especially with Persistent Pain
In acute pain, like a sprained ankle, there’s a clear injury and a fairly predictable healing timeline. But with chronic pain, the story is different. Pain can continue even after tissues have healed, and traditional explanations don’t always fit.
The BPS model helps explain why:
- The nervous system can become more sensitive over time, amplifying pain signals.
- Fear of movement can contribute to muscle guarding, tension, or movement avoidance.
- Stress, poor sleep, poor diet or emotional overwhelm can all increase pain perception.
- A lack of understanding or validation can add frustration and emotional strain.
By looking at pain through a broader lens, the BPS model gives us more ways to support healing — not just by treating the body, but by acknowledging the whole person.
What This Means in a Therapy Setting
In massage and bodywork approaches informed by the BPS model, the focus shifts from “fixing” a specific tissue to supporting the nervous system, reducing fear and sensitivity, and helping people reconnect with their bodies in safe, empowering ways. We move away from looking at reductionist diagnostic approaches, which place the blame for pain solely on an individual structure, and more towards restoring homeostasis in all surrounding tissues; as well as in our lifestyle habits, self-care routines, and mind sets.
This might involve:
- Gentle, calming touch to reduce nervous system hyperactivity
- Movement and breathing work to restore confidence and ease
- Education to help people understand their pain in a new light
- Space for open conversation, without judgment or quick fixes
It’s a shift from a purely biomechanical perspective to a more integrated, person-centered one — and that shift often brings relief in ways traditional methods haven’t.
All Pain Is Real — and It Can Change
Persistent pain can be incredibly complex, especially in the lack of a specific structural issue to place the blame on, but that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. The Bio-Psycho-Social model doesn’t offer one single solution — instead, it opens up new paths for healing by acknowledging everything that contributes to the pain experience.
Understanding pain in this way can reduce fear, increase confidence, and empower people to take meaningful steps forward.
If you’ve been living with chronic pain and wondering why things haven’t improved — it’s not your fault. Pain is not just in the body or in the mind — it’s in the whole system. It’s a lived and embodied experience. And with the right approach, that system can begin to change.
You Are Not Broken — Your Pain Is Valid and Treatable
One of the most powerful take aways from the Bio-Psycho-Social model is that pain is real — but it doesn’t always mean there’s serious damage. Which whilst a little bit confusing to get your head around, ultimately is good news. Your body is adaptable. With the right support, over time your pain can change. As you learn to view your persistent pain through the BPS lens with the help of a professional guiding you, pain looses its power over you.
If you’re looking for a massage therapist in South East Hampshire who understands persistent pain and takes a holistic, science-informed approach, we’re here to help.
Book your session today and take the first step toward better pain management, more movement, and a greater sense of ease in your body.
