‘It was all in her head’–that's what they said.

But new research about pain proves otherwise.

The University of Cambridge published a study that should have made front-page news.

It didn’t. But for anyone living with persistent pain, it should matter deeply.

Lisa had never been someone who made a fuss.

So when the pain around her ribs started and didn’t go away, she quietly did what most of us would—doctor visits, scans, specialists. All came back “clear.” Eventually, someone said it: “It might be stress-related.”

That moment stuck.

A new 2025 study from the University of Cambridge shows Lisa’s experience isn’t rare. In fact, it might be one of the most common, and misunderstood, stories in pain care today.

The study, published in the journal Rheumatology, revealed that when patients are told their symptoms are psychosomatic or given chronic labels without clear explanation, the consequences can be devastating. Not just physically—emotionally, socially, and even neurologically.

Participants in the study shared how a misdiagnosis changed their identity. They went from being people with a sore back, or strange fatigue, or pain that came and went—to being people who felt broken. Who stopped doing things they loved. Who lost trust in themselves and their healthcare providers.

Lead researcher Dr. Melanie Sloan described it clearly:

"Being misdiagnosed wasn’t just a clinical error for many patients. It was a personal injury. Many felt dismissed, and this dismissal led them to dismiss themselves."

The researchers concluded that these labels—even when meant to be helpful or cautious—can trigger long-term psychological harm and worsen physical outcomes.

Although the study focused on chronic autoimmune disease, the pattern is familiar to us in clients with persistent pain from physical strain. We treat clients with issues like back pain, joint pain, nerve-type symptoms—often with clear mechanical origins that were missed early on. And we see the same thing: people who are told there's no cause, no solution, and it's probably stress, or even worse–'the brain has learned to keep producing the pain'.

We see this every week at Youngify. We see this kind of messaging as dismissive—and it often leaves people feeling like they’re the problem, instead of being properly helped. It’s disappointing, especially when the people making these calls are considered experts in chronic pain.

Lisa was 55 when the pain in her ribs started. It wrapped around from her spine to the front of her chest, and no one could find a cause. Scans were clear. Bloods normal. After seven months of appointments, a specialist gently told her it might be stress-related. Lisa nodded politely, drove home, and told her partner she didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

She stopped swimming. Stopped doing pilates. Cancelled her girls’ weekend in Byron. Not because she was in agony, but because she no longer trusted her body. She started seeing herself differently: fragile. Unstable. A woman who used to be active.

When she came to us, it had been over a year since she’d felt normal. But within minutes, we found something unusual: her thoracic spine barely moved. One side had shut down completely. Her brain had decided that region wasn’t safe from the imperceptible excessive strain, and it had locked it down.

We gently worked to get that area moving again. No brute force. Just enough for the brain to register that it didn’t need to protect anymore.

She stood up differently after the first session. The ribs felt less tight. The pain hadn’t disappeared, but something else had: the fear.

Over the next few weeks, Lisa changed. Not just physically. She started planning another trip. She went back to light training. She started laughing in sessions. She looked like someone who remembered who she was.

She didn’t need to be told it was all in her head. She needed someone to understand how real it was.

And she needed help finding the actual reason her brain was protecting her.

That’s what we do here.

If you’ve been given a label that doesn’t feel like the full story—you’re not alone. This study confirms what we’ve all suspected: it’s not just about pain. It’s about how pain is explained. And when it’s explained poorly, it can do more harm than good.

Reference:

Sloan, M., et al. (2025). "The psychological impact of psychosomatic misdiagnoses on patients with chronic autoimmune disease." Rheumatology. University of Cambridge. Published March 3, 2025.

What We Do Differently: At Youngify, we:

• Focus on the brain's protection of muscles, joints and nerves, everywhere—not just the sore spot

• Find the real area the brain is protecting (often it’s not where the pain is)

• Get quick results by working directly with how the body and brain talk to each other

• Skip the long rehab programs, stretching, and strengthening that don't get to the real cause

No fluff. Just the science of what can really work when nothing else has.

What You Can Do Now: You're welcome to take the next step, whether you're ready or just curious:

• 📘 Download our free ebook to explore how neuroscience explains your pain–see below

• 📞 Book a free call, no obligation, to find out if we can help in your situation–see below

• 🙋‍♂️ See others who’ve already turned things around after years of going in circles 👉 Results after Treatment