Have you ever felt like your body is constantly on high alert? Like you cannot fully relax, and nagging aches and pains seem to stick around no matter what you try?

If you deal with chronic pain, you might have been told that your injuries have healed, or that tests show "nothing wrong." Yet, the pain is very real.

A crucial piece of the chronic pain puzzle that is often overlooked is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).

My first migraine hit when I was twelve. The pain was so overwhelming and debilitating that it sent me home from school, where I spent the afternoon vomiting, crying, and desperately attempting to find relief. Painkillers offered little help.