Chronic pain: why 245 new symptoms keeps appearing out of nowhere

October 24, 2026|Dorothée Dinne| Time to read: 4 min

Tooth pain. A headache in a spot it doesn't usually is. A dull ache in my lower right back.

This week, my body added three new items to the list.

My reaction is always the same: Really? Again? Which health issue am I getting now?

My second reaction: Panic. I'm gonna die? And tell my husband so he can reassure me. And the third one: Is this even real?

And the automatic, defensive doubt is what I actually want to talk about. If you live with chronic pain, you probably know it well.

When every new ache starts a spiral

One version of self-doubt comes obviously from years of being dismissed. For me it was 28 years of "It's stress." "It's hormonal." "We don't see anything wrong." It was endometriosis and adenomyosis.

But after enough rounds, you start saying it to yourself. "My brain is playing tricks with me"

Then there's the other reason why you think like this. And to me it's always the one that is harder to admit because I have been to the emergency room thinking that yes... this time, something really bad is happening because of such a great pain and... I left with nothing. No infection, no injury, no explanation. Just me, embarrassed and fricking angry at a brain that plays tricks with me.

Unfortunately, these kind of experiences feed the same belief: I can't trust what I feel. I stopped trusting my body, and then my brain. I gaslight myself now, and I'm great at it, yay!

What is considered chronic pain?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts or keeps coming back for more than three months, beyond the time an injury or illness would normally take to heal. It can be constant or come and go, and it can affect one area of the body or several. Sometimes there is a clear cause, sometimes there isn't. Either way, it can be considered a health condition in its own right, and it often affects sleep, mood, work and relationships.

Why chronic pain can show up in new places?

Central sensitization is a state in which the nervous system, after living with pain for a long time, becomes more reactive. It can amplify signals and stay on high alert, which in some cases produces pain without a new injury.

For me, this was quite a relief to read. This new pain showing up actually does not mean I'm dramatic or broken (although I feel that I am...). It actually fits what a nervous system trained by chronic pain can do. And yes, my GP and I agreed that part of my pain is my brain going into overdrive, which is why I can take medication for it when my pain management is out of my control.

Common types of chronic pain in women, by life stage (because we love to have fun)

Chronic pain usually means pain lasting more than three months. It can take many shapes, and these are some that women often describe:

Teens and twenties: painful periods that disrupt daily life, migraines, pelvic pain that may point to endometriosis
Thirties and forties: chronic pelvic pain, adenomyosis, fibromyalgia, tension headaches, jaw and neck pain, lower back pain
Perimenopause and beyond: joint pain, back pain, changes in headache patterns, osteoarthritis

Life stages obviously overlap and many women live with several of these at once - and I feel you gals.

Wait, call or go to the ER: my personal protocol to control damage

If the pain is bearable, I wait a couple of days. Most of the time, it fades.

If the pain is severe, lasts longer than feels reasonable, or comes with anything that truly worries me (sudden, intense, unlike anything before), I go to the ER, my GP, the on-call doctor. Even if it turns out to be nothing, I know that today, going was the right call... Even if there's nothing. Because yes my pain is fricking real!

Either way, I bring my history with me on the questionnaire I created for myself. I've obviously decided to share it as well if you gals need it You can download it here. It helps me put words on what I feel, not forgetting about anything when I'm stressed and in pain, which avoids being frustrated at the end of the appointment.

We need to allow ourselves to take it seriously when dealing with chronic pain

If you've learned to doubt yourself because doubt felt less annoying than hearing "there's nothing wrong" that makes sense. Guilty too. But it's a form of self-protection.

Let's repeat it once again: Your pain deserves to be taken seriously, including by you. Even when you've been wrong before. Especially then.

Talk to your GP. Talk to a friend. Talk to your sister. 💜

Sources

https://www.sciensano.be/sites/default/files/pi_report_fr_his2023.pdf
https://kce.fgov.be/fr/douleur-chronique-les-musiciens-sont-la-il-manque-la-partition
https://kce.fgov.be/sites/default/files/2026-01/KCE_414_Multimodal_Management_Chronic_Pain_Report.pdf

Photo by Roma Kaiuk🇺🇦 on Unsplash

💡

This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for specific health concerns, especially if symptoms are severe, sudden, or accompanied by fever/heavy bleeding.

Our commitment

Dorothée Dinne

Founder @ Fâmme

Founder of Fâmme and your friendly tech nerd turned women's health advocate. I've spent 15+ years as a product designer and art director, but my biggest breakthrough came from my own 30-year journey with medical dismissal and pain. Now I'm building Fâmme, a curated ecosystem connecting women to trustworthy health professionals and real support. Mother and Belgium-based believer that technology should serve empathy, not replace it.

Feel free to connect with me

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Professionals who could help you

These Fâmme professionals support the topics covered in this article.

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French

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Areas of practice

Endometriosis & adenomyosis PCOS Perimenopause Perinatal Health Postpartum Health Chronic Pelvic Pain Fertility Issues & ART Menopause

Supports

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French · English

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Frequently asked questions

Central sensitization is a state in which the nervous system becomes more reactive after living with pain for a long time. It can amplify pain signals and stay on high alert. In some cases, this leads to pain without a new injury. A healthcare professional can help assess whether it applies to you.

Yes, it can happen. When the nervous system is sensitized, new aches may show up in different areas and sometimes fade as quickly as they came. A new pain can still have its own cause, so persistent or worrying pain deserves a medical check.

Pain is usually called chronic when it lasts or keeps coming back for more than three months. Chronic pain can be constant or come and go, and it can affect different parts of the body over time.