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Well+BeingMind Food Fitness Body Life
Well+BeingMind Food Fitness Body Life
Brain Matters


THIS STRANGE BRAIN REACTION TO PAIN IS CALLED ‘MUSCLE GUARDING’

Experts say that anxiety may play a role in chronic muscle guarding, and
treatments that help alleviate anxiety may also help lessen pain.

By Rebecca Theim
May 9, 2024 at 9:24 a.m. EDT

(Illustration by George Wylesol for The Washington Post)

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Stephen Clark, an Atlanta-area physical therapist, sees many patients who suffer
from muscle guarding after a traumatic surgery or injury. Muscle guarding, which
emanates from the brain, is a physical response to pain. For some, though,
protracted muscle guarding can prolong pain and inhibit recovery.


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He mentioned helping a female patient recovering from a broken ankle who
experienced muscle guarding. “If I went to touch her ankle, she would tense up,
even though I hadn’t touched her yet,” said Clark, director of clinical
innovations at Confluent Health. The patient’s brain made a decision that even
the idea of Clark touching her ankle equaled danger.


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