You’re Doing the Work—So Why Does Your Body Still Hurt?
You’re showing up. You’re going to group, journaling, staying sober, maybe even sleeping better. On paper, everything’s heading in the right direction.
So why does your body still feel heavy, tight, or out of sync?
This is something we hear all the time in early recovery: “I thought once I got clean, I’d start feeling better.”Emotionally, maybe you are. But physically? Your body is still catching up.
Because the truth is, recovery doesn’t just happen in your mind. It happens in your nervous system, your lungs, your skin, your gut, and your muscles. It happens in the parts of you that held the stress, tension, and toxicity of substance use—even after the substances are gone.
At Avalon, we believe healing is a full-body process. And when we treat the body with the same care and intention we give the mind, recovery becomes more than surviving—it becomes sustainable.
Addiction Doesn’t Just Affect the Mind—It Lives in the Body
When we talk about addiction, we often focus on thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. But substances don’t just alter your thinking—they reshape your body.
Over time, addiction leaves a physical imprint. The body becomes overworked, undernourished, and stuck in survival mode. Even after detox, many people carry the residue of substance use in ways they don’t always expect.
Here’s how it often shows up:
- Nervous system dysregulation: Constant fight-or-flight activation, anxiety, or emotional numbness
- Respiratory damage: Inflamed airways and shallow breathing from smoking, vaping, or inhaling substances
- Liver and gut inflammation: Digestive issues, bloating, and reduced nutrient absorption
- Muscle tension and poor circulation: Aches, stiffness, and fatigue that linger long after detox
- Skin problems: Breakouts, dryness, or dullness due to dehydration and toxicity
- Sleep disruption and hormone imbalance: Irregular sleep patterns, adrenal fatigue, and mood swings
- Nutritional depletion: Deficiencies in key vitamins, minerals, and amino acids the brain and body need to repair
These aren’t minor side effects—they’re signs of a system that’s been pushed to the edge and is now trying to heal.
That healing doesn’t happen overnight. But it does happen—especially when we support the body the way it deserves.
If you haven’t already, read our post on steam therapy to see how simple, body-based practices can jumpstart that healing from the inside out.
What It Means to Heal Somatically (and Why It Matters)
“Soma” means body. So when we talk about somatic healing, we’re talking about healing that starts in the body—not just the mind.
It’s easy to think of recovery as a mental or emotional process: changing thought patterns, regulating emotions, building new habits. And those things matter. But what often gets overlooked is the physical part of healing—the way trauma, stress, and substance use are quite literally stored in the body.
Tight shoulders. Shallow breath. A racing heart. A sense of numbness or restlessness that has nothing to do with what’s happening around you. These aren’t random—they’re messages from a nervous system that’s been overloaded for too long.
The truth is, you can’t think your way out of a dysregulated body. You can journal, meditate, and go to therapy (all valuable tools)—but if your nervous system is still in a chronic stress state, those tools may only go so far.
That’s why somatic healing matters. It helps restore the physical foundation your emotional recovery is built on. Because when your body starts to feel safe again, your mind can finally exhale.
How Avalon Supports Physical Healing in Addiction Recovery
At Avalon, physical healing in addiction recovery isn’t an afterthought—it’s part of the treatment plan. We integrate body-based therapies like steam, cold plunge, and sauna not as luxuries, but as evidence-informed interventions that support the body’s ability to reset, recover, and repair.
Each of these therapies plays a unique role in restoring balance—especially in early recovery, when the nervous system is dysregulated and the body is under repair.
Steam Therapy
Steam is a powerful ally for people healing from smoking, vaping, or any substance that impacts the lungs and nervous system.
- Loosens airways and supports respiratory recovery
- Relaxes muscles and reduces physical tension
- Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” mode)
It’s a calming, sensory experience that helps the body drop into a more relaxed state—often one of the first times clients feel real relief.
Read more about how steam therapy supports recovery here.
Cold Plunge
Cold immersion may be intense—but its benefits run deep, especially for early recovery.
- Reduces inflammation in muscles and tissues stressed by detox
- Boosts dopamine production, supporting mood regulation and motivation
- Trains the nervous system for stress resilience, building the capacity to stay grounded in discomfort
- Activates brown fat, which contributes to energy balance and mood stability
At Avalon, cold plunge is always optional—but for many, it becomes a powerful part of their physical and emotional reset.
Infrared or Traditional Sauna
Sauna is more than just a sweat—it’s a circulatory and detoxifying reset for a body that’s been through a lot.
- Supports detoxification through sweat and improved lymph flow
- Improves circulation, helping oxygen and nutrients reach recovering tissues
- Promotes deeper sleep by mimicking natural temperature cycles
- Eases joint and muscle pain, especially helpful in early sobriety or post-detox
Whether it’s infrared or traditional, sauna creates a sense of release—physically, emotionally, and neurologically. It’s one more way we invite the body back into balance.
The Body Deserves Healing, Too
Many clients arrive in recovery feeling completely disconnected from their bodies. After years of substance use, trauma, or simply surviving, the body can feel more like a burden than a home—something to numb, ignore, or escape from.
At Avalon, we believe that reconnection is part of the work.
Caring for the body isn’t vanity. It’s not indulgent. It’s not extra.
It’s a vital, non-negotiable part of long-term recovery.
When someone starts to feel good physically—even just a little—it often creates a ripple effect. They sleep better. They think more clearly. They have more patience in group. They start to believe that wellness is possible for them—not just in theory, but in practice.
Physical healing builds momentum. It creates a sense of safety that emotional and spiritual healing can grow from.
Because when the body is finally allowed to rest, release, and reset—everything else starts to move, too.
Give Your Body a Seat at the Table
Recovery is more than mindset. More than willpower. More than talk therapy.
Full recovery requires full-body care. And at Avalon, we create space for that care—through intentional movement, restorative therapies, nervous system support, and daily practices that help clients reconnect with the bodies they’ve spent years trying to escape.
If you or someone you love is in early recovery and still feeling physically out of sync, that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means your body is asking to be included in the healing process.
We’d love to show you how. Reach out to our admissions team to learn more about Avalon’s integrative wellness offerings and whole-person approach to recovery.
And whether or not you’re with us at Avalon, try starting small:
A cold rinse at the end of your shower.
A slow walk in the sun.
A few minutes of stretching before bed.
Sometimes, the most meaningful shift begins not in the mind—but in the body.