Why Does My Pain Hurt Somewhere Else? Understanding Referred Pain
“I have pain in my elbow.”
“My hip hurts, but my doctor says the joint looks fine.”
“I feel a burning ache down my leg, but it isn’t sciatica.”
These are comments I hear regularly in my practice. One of the most surprising things about the body is that the place you feel pain isn’t always where the problem begins.
This is called referred pain.
What Is Referred Pain?
Referred pain occurs when a tight, overworked muscle sends pain signals to another area of the body. Rather than feeling sore exactly where the muscle is tense, you may experience discomfort somewhere completely different.
Unlike a pinched nerve, referred pain is caused by irritated muscles and connective tissue. Tiny, hyperirritable spots within a muscle—often called trigger points—can become overly sensitive and confuse the nervous system. Your brain interprets these signals as pain in a different location because those muscles share common nerve pathways.
The result? Pain that seems to have no obvious explanation.
What Does Referred Pain Feel Like?
Everyone experiences it a little differently, but referred pain is commonly described as:
- A deep, aching pain
- A burning sensation
- A dull throb
- Tenderness that seems impossible to pinpoint
- Pain that travels or spreads to another area
- Numbness or Tingling
It may come and go, or it may persist despite stretching, resting, or changing positions.
Common Examples of Referred Pain
Many people are surprised to learn that:
- Tight muscles in the neck can create headaches or pain behind the eyes.
- Shoulder muscles can refer pain into the arm or hand.
- Trigger points in the chest or upper back can mimic shoulder or arm pain.
- Muscles in the hip can send pain down the outside of the leg, sometimes resembling sciatica.
- Tight muscles in the forearm can contribute to wrist, hand, or elbow pain.
This is why treating only the area that hurts doesn’t always solve the problem.
How Massage Therapy Can Help
Massage therapy addresses the source of muscular tension rather than simply the place where pain is felt.
By releasing tight muscles, improving circulation, and reducing the sensitivity of trigger points, massage can decrease the abnormal pain signals being sent to other parts of the body. As the muscle relaxes and normal movement is restored, the referred pain often begins to fade as well.
Many patients are surprised when treating an area that doesn’t hurt directly provides relief exactly where they were experiencing pain.
Finding the Real Source
One of the most important parts of treatment is identifying where the pain is actually coming from.
A thorough assessment looks at posture, movement patterns, muscle balance, and areas of tension to determine whether your symptoms are originating somewhere else. Once the underlying cause is identified, treatment can be much more effective.
Don’t Chase the Pain
If you’ve been treating the painful area without lasting relief, it may be because the true source of the problem is elsewhere.
My Approach:
The first step is the assessment to locate the source of your pain. The treatment flow is as follows:
- Detailed assessment of your posture, habits, and what affects your pain—the assessment includes your first hands-on treatment of the relevant areas
- The Rehab Treatment Plan is the next appointment, ideally within 7-10 days of the assessment. After learning how your body responded to the previous treatment I will prescribe 1or 2 targeted exercises that will support you between sessions (hands on treatment is also a part of this appointment)
- On your third visit, you should be feeling some positive gains. I will observe you doing your exercises and make corrections where necessary
- We will check-in constantly on whether or not it is time to space appointments further apart and let the exercises take over
Most of my clients will experience some degree of relief after the first treatment. This is usually short-lived, because the body is eager to revert to the old pattern—but it does provide encouragement to know that the pain your are experiencing is not permanent.
Most people will require 2-4 treatments before they can manage things from home with the exercises prescribed—but every case is different. If you have been in pain for a long time, it will take longer.
Less than 10 minutes/day.
No—but I do recommend continuing the exercises for several weeks to months after your pain has resolved. This allows your body to build the strength needed to maintain a pain-free state.
This type of pain can return if the underlying weakness isn’t fully addressed, so staying consistent—even after the pain is gone—is key.