More Than a Feeling: How Your Nervous System Holds the Key to Pain Relief

Pain can be a frustrating and isolating experience. You’ve iced it, stretched it, and maybe even tried other treatments, but the discomfort lingers. If you feel like you’ve hit a wall in your healing journey, you’re not alone. Here at Village Medicine, we believe there’s often a crucial piece of the puzzle that gets overlooked: the profound connection between your nervous system, your emotions, and the physical pain you feel.

I’m Dr. Julianne Murella, and I would love to share my unique, collaborative approach to pain management and why true healing is about more than just treating the symptom.

The Real Root of Pain: It’s Not Just Physical

When a patient comes in for pain, I look beyond the affected muscle or joint. The biggest thing for me in my practice is the correlation between your nervous system and pain, specifically around trauma or just any emotion you might harbor.”

Think of your nervous system like your body’s alarm system. When you experience stress, trauma, or intense emotion, that alarm gets stuck in the “on” position—a state we call “fight or flight.” As I note from my own experience, If I’m always in fight or flight… it didn’t matter what I threw at myself. The pain would just come back, or I just wouldn’t heal because my body was like, ‘you’re running from a bear, girl!’

When your body thinks it’s constantly running from a bear, it can’t prioritize healing. This is why addressing your emotional state and calming your nervous system is a non-negotiable part of my treatment philosophy.

Healing is a Team Sport

I am passionate about the relationships I build with her patients. I believe that the most profound healing happens when the patient is an active participant in their own care.

I always tell patients that this is a collaboration between you and I. It’s teamwork. This approach empowers you to give feedback and co-create a treatment plan that feels right for your body. I enjoy working most with patients who are committed to their health, ready to explore the different facets of their well-being alongside her.

This collaborative spirit is at the heart of Village Medicine. We offer holistic care that attacks health goals from multiple perspectives, ensuring you get comprehensive and personalized support.

A Toolbox for Every Type of Pain

One of the greatest benefits of combining Western and Eastern medicine is having a deep and diverse set of tools. I am proud that I rarely run out of options to help my patients find relief.

My approach is layered, often starting with the most gentle and accessible therapies to create powerful shifts in the body. My services include:

• Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine: More than just needles, this includes cupping (I prefer a massage-like “running cup” technique), Gua Sha, and moxibustion for gentle, energetic healing.
• Trigger Point Therapy: For more muscle-oriented pain, I may use dry needling with an acupuncture needle or targeted injections with dextrose or lidocaine to release stubborn knots.
• Regenerative Medicine: For deeper issues involving tendons and ligaments, I offer advanced treatments like Shockwave Therapy, Prolotherapy, and PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) to stimulate your body’s own powerful healing mechanisms.

I rarely need to use to the more intensive treatments. It’s nice because it makes care more accessible for patients, especially if there is a needle fear.

A Doctor’s Own Healing Journey

Dr. Murella’s philosophy isn’t just academic; it’s deeply personal. An active athlete who loves basketball and volleyball, snowboarding, her entire perspective on pain management changed after she tore her ACL. “Before, it was just so hardcore,” she admits. “I’d be like, ‘no pain, no gain.'” But her own injury taught her a powerful lesson. She realized that trying to force her body to heal while her nervous system was on high alert was counterproductive. “I realized that there is value to learning how to calm your nervous system to allow your body to heal.”

Ready to Start Your Healing Collaboration?

If you’re ready for a different approach to pain—one that honors your body’s wisdom and treats you as a whole erson—we’re here to help. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Julianne Murella at our Seattle clinic and discover what’s possible when we work together.

This post was originally printed in the Village Medicine Seattle’s Wellness Quarterly Magazine,4Q25 Edition. Read and download the full publication

About The Author

Dr. Julieann is a naturopathic physician and licensed acupuncturist, who enjoys combining both Eastern and Western Medicine.  She loves being able to offer more treatment options to her patients. Dr. Julieann is an integrative family medicine practitioner with special focuses in women’s health, gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic disorders, chronic infections, pain management, and endocrine and hormone disorders. Learn more about Dr. Julieann