Trauma, Chronic Muscular Tension, and Healing: A Look Through Lowen’s Eyes and the Lebanese Context
The mind and body are deeply intertwined a truth that Dr. Alexander Lowen, founder of Bioenergetic Analysis, emphasized throughout his life’s work. He believed that trauma is not just stored in our memories, but in our bodies. According to Lowen, the body remembers tight muscles, restricted breathing, or slumped posture are all ways in which the body expresses unresolved psychological wounds. He viewed physical symptoms, especially chronic tension and pain, as visible expressions of emotional conflicts and past traumas. In his book The Language of the Body , Lowen argued that every unresolved trauma creates muscular blocks holding patterns that not only disturb emotional flow but also manifest in chronic pain, particularly in the back, neck, and shoulders.
Trauma and the Body: The Lasting Imprint of Emotional Wounds
Trauma is a multifaceted and deeply personal experience that can arise from a broad spectrum of events. These include overt situations such as abuse, war, neglect, and the sudden loss of a loved one, as well as more insidious experiences like chronic emotional invalidation or abandonment during formative years. The body’s reaction to trauma is not merely psychological, it is profoundly somatic. As noted by Dr. Alexander Lowen, a pioneer in bioenergetic analysis, the body instinctively responds to overwhelming or threatening events through automatic protective mechanisms such as muscular tightening, freezing, or collapsing. Over time, these responses solidify into chronic muscular tension patterns what Lowen referred to as "body armoring" which not only alter posture but also shape personality, emotional expression, and overall well-being.
These somatic imprints of trauma often manifest as chronic pain, muscular tension, or numbness in specific areas of the body, each intricately linked to underlying emotional experiences. Tension in the neck and shoulders is frequently associated with the emotional weight of responsibility, suppressed feelings, or unresolved grief. The chest, often regarded as the emotional center, can hold unexpressed sadness, fear of vulnerability, or a long-standing constriction of emotional expression. The stomach and gut areas rich with nerve endings and often called the second brain are commonly impacted by anxiety, fear, and early disruptions in attachment or safety, reflecting a deep sense of unease or distress. The pelvis and hips may carry the residual weight of unprocessed sexual trauma, internalized shame, or struggles related to identity and self-worth. Finally, the legs and feet, which symbolically represent grounding and forward movement, can become affected by feelings of instability, insecurity or fear of taking the next step in life.
A growing body of research supports these mind-body connections. The seminal Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study conducted by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente demonstrates a strong correlation between early traumatic experiences and a wide range of long-term health issues, including chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, and gastrointestinal conditions. Furthermore, a study published in The Journal of Pain found that individuals with a history of psychological trauma were significantly more likely to report persistent, widespread physical pain
Lowen emphasized that healing cannot occur through cognitive understanding alone. Emotional trauma that is stored in the body must be acknowledged, felt, and physically released. Therapeutic approaches that integrate body-based practices such as somatic experiencing, trauma-informed yoga, and bioenergetic therapy are increasingly recognized as essential components in effective trauma recovery. As Lowen profoundly noted, "The body never lies." When unresolved trauma is ignored, it does not vanish; it becomes embedded in the body’s tissues, silently shaping how we live, relate, and feel until we give it the space to be witnessed and transformed.
"The Backbone of Suffering": A Lebanese Reality
In Lebanon, the psychological and physical toll of ongoing socio-political instability, economic collapse, and war exposure is becoming more visible. While trauma is often discussed in psychological terms, many Lebanese adults report chronic back pain, fatigue, digestive issues, and insomnia which are often unexplained by medical exams.
In clinical settings, it's common to see patients especially women who report severe lower back pain, shoulder stiffness, and migraines, which upon deeper exploration, are rooted in long-term emotional distress or post-war trauma. In fact, a recent study on Lebanese populations revealed high rates of somatization (physical expression of psychological suffering) among individuals living in high-stress environments
In refugee communities and marginalized areas, children and adults alike display a range of psychosomatic symptoms. Often, these are overlooked or misunderstood as purely physical issues leading to ineffective or incomplete treatment.
The Therapeutic Path: Releasing the Body to Heal the Mind
So, how do we begin to address trauma when it lives not only in the mind but in the body?
Lowen’s Bioenergetic therapy combines verbal psychotherapy with physical exercises that help release chronic muscular tension. Techniques include grounding exercises, deep breathing, vocal expression, and physical movement to bring awareness back to the body and allow emotional release. Other body-based therapies like Somatic Experiencing and EMDR have also shown powerful results in treating trauma-related pain.
Conclusion
Healing trauma requires us to look beyond the surface. Chronic back pain might not just be a matter of posture or injury, it might be your body whispering about something you haven’t yet faced. As Lowen said: “The more alive the body, the more intense the emotional experience.” In Lebanon and beyond, it's time we treat pain with both compassion and curiosity and bring the body into the conversation.
