The Hidden Connection Between Stress, Trauma, and Autoimmune Arthritis
Over the years, I’ve noticed something interesting in my work with people living with rheumatoid arthritis: stress and emotional experiences often seem to play a bigger role than we realize. Many people share that their symptoms began or worsened during a particularly stressful time in life, or that flare-ups tend to show up when they’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or emotionally exhausted.
This observation has always stayed with me because it speaks to how deeply connected the different systems in our body really are. When we go through something emotionally painful, whether it’s loss, change, or long-term stress, our nervous system responds in order to survive that experience. This can create long-term adaptations in the whole system, to such a degree that when our nervous system is under strain, the body might express that through inflammation or pain.
Understanding Autoimmune Arthritis
When we talk about arthritis, many people picture the wear-and-tear type that comes with age. But conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis are different. These are autoimmune forms of arthritis, where the immune system mistakes the body’s own tissues as invaders and attacks them.
This immune confusion creates inflammation that manifests in the form of swollen joints, pain, and fatigue, and over time, can impact multiple body systems. We often think of autoimmune conditions as random or purely genetic, but research tells us that’s only one piece of the puzzle. Our stress levels, trauma history, and emotional load can profoundly shape how these conditions unfold.
How Stress and Trauma Get Under the Skin
Our bodies are wired for survival. When something feels threatening, whether it’s a physical danger or emotional pain, the nervous system engages the “fight or flight” response. Short, appropriate bursts of this response are adaptive and potentially even life-saving; they help us move through challenges and survive genuine threats. But when stress becomes chronic or trauma (an overwhelm of the system) occurs, the impact on the body can persist beyond the ’event’, even after the stressful conditions ease; the body never quite finds its way back to safety.
Over time, this affects our physiology in deep ways. The HPA (hypothalamic pituitary adrenal) axis, which regulates stress hormones like cortisol, adapts to a new baseline. For example, cortisol, our built-in anti-inflammatory hormone, can become either overproduced or blunted; the cortisol rhythm can become dysregulated. Meanwhile, the vagus nerve, which acts like a calming brake on inflammation, changes in tone. The result? A body that’s slightly on edge, primed for inflammation even when the original threat is long gone.
This is how stress and trauma “get under the skin.” The immune system, constantly listening to cues from the nervous system, starts to interpret the world through a lens of danger. In people predisposed to autoimmune arthritis, that can mean more flares, more pain, and an overall greater burden on the body.
What the Research Tells Us
Research is now catching up to what many patients already know intuitively: stress and trauma matter. Studies on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) show that individuals who experienced early trauma have roughly double the risk of developing autoimmune or rheumatic diseases later in life. Large population studies from Iceland and the UK have found that the more early adversity someone faces, the higher their likelihood of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory diseases.
In adults already living with RA, higher perceived stress is linked to greater disease activity: more tender joints, more swelling, more pain. Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder show similar patterns: higher pain scores, worse function, and more frequent flares.
What I See in Practice
In my practice, I often see how emotional stress can influence the body’s inflammatory response. Times of big transitions, heartbreak, or even daily pressures can make symptoms feel louder. When we claim that stress worsens your arthritis symptoms, we are acknowledging the impact of trauma physiology, a tangible and objective physical effect.
That’s why, when I support someone with autoimmune arthritis, I don’t just look at the physical side of things. We also explore how the nervous system is functioning, how the person is feeling emotionally, and what tools might help the body find a greater sense of safety and balance. This is arguably just as important as supporting inflammation through diet, herbs, nutrients, and medications.
When we start to calm the stress response, support emotional healing, and strengthen the mind-body connection, something powerful happens — the body begins to soften its defences. Healing doesn’t mean ignoring the emotional side of illness; it means bringing it into the conversation with compassion, curiosity, and care.
The Body’s Chain Reaction
A stressful event activates the nervous system; the heart rate increases, muscles tighten, and cortisol surges. If this state persists, the body begins to normalize inflammation as part of daily life. Cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-alpha, key players in arthritis inflammation, stay elevated. Over time, the threshold for what triggers a flare drops.
Now, something as small as a night of poor sleep or a difficult conversation can spark an immune cascade. The inflammation causes pain, which activates the stress response again, creating a feedback loop that keeps the body caught between alarm and exhaustion.
The good news is that these loops can be broken. Just as chronic stress can fuel inflammation, restoring nervous system balance can help soothe it.
Healing Through Regulation
When I work with arthritis patients, my goal isn’t just to quiet inflammation, it’s to help the nervous system remember safety. This starts with a trauma-informed assessment, using ACE questionnaires, gathering major events and life history, stress inventories, and sleep patterns.
Depending on the patient, treatment might look like somatic therapy, craniosacral work, or practices that tone the vagus nerve, such as diaphragmatic breathing. It might involve trauma-informed counselling, gentle movement, and rebuilding daily rhythms that support calm.
Small changes make a difference: prioritizing sleep, setting boundaries around stress, and creating rest days after big emotional events. Even keeping a journal to track stress and symptom patterns can be profoundly illuminating.
These practices don’t replace medication; they complement it. By tending to the body’s stress response, we give medications and other treatments a more receptive, balanced foundation to work from.
Listening to the Body
If you live with arthritis, your body is not betraying you; it’s communicating. Each flare, each ache, is an invitation to listen more deeply. When we understand the role of stress and trauma, that message becomes less frightening and more compassionate. Through nervous system support, we can help the body find its way back to balance. The body remembers safety. Sometimes it just needs a little help finding the way back.
Meet Dr. Samantha Petrin
Dr. Samantha Petrin is a naturopathic doctor who helps patients understand how stress, trauma, and the nervous system influence physical health. She takes a whole-person approach to care, focusing on the deep connection between the mind and body to support healing from the inside out. Her practice combines evidence-based medicine with somatic and trauma-informed therapies, including craniosacral therapy, breathwork, IV nutrient therapy, and clinical nutrition to help calm inflammation, restore balance, and build resilience. Dr. Sam often works with patients experiencing autoimmune conditions, anxiety, PTSD, and digestive issues, guiding them toward safety, connection, and lasting relief.
