PTSD and Body Responses: Shaking, Holding, Tears, Numbness, and What They Can Mean

If you live with PTSD, you might notice your body reacting in ways that feel confusing or even embarrassing. PTSD body responses can look like shaking, holding your breath, sudden tears, going numb, or feeling like you “left the room” even while you’re still here. In my Toronto massage practice, I see how common this is, and how isolating it can feel when you do not have words for what’s happening.

Let’s slow this down together. This article is not here to label you or explain you away. It’s here to offer gentle meaning: your body may be trying to protect you, finish something it could not finish, or ask for safety in a way your mind learned to ignore.

A gentle note before we begin

Trauma responses are real. They are also highly personal.

What I share here is general education, not a diagnosis. Shaking, numbness, or tears can be trauma-related, and they can also have other causes. If something feels new, intense, or scary, it’s always okay to check in with your doctor or a mental health professional.

And one more important thing: you do not need to share details of your trauma with an RMT to be treated with care. “I’m feeling sensitive today” is enough.

Shaking and trembling

Shaking can be one of the most misunderstood responses. People often assume it means panic, weakness, or “something is wrong with me.” But shaking can also be your body’s built-in release valve.

When your system senses threat, it mobilizes energy to protect you. Think of it like an internal surge that prepares you to run, fight, or get away. If that energy doesn’t get used, it can linger as tension, restlessness, jumpiness, or tremors. For some people, the shaking arrives later, when the body finally senses a bit more room to come down.

In a massage setting, trembling can sometimes show up when a tight area softens, when breathing changes, or when your nervous system starts to shift from “on guard” toward “maybe I’m safe enough to feel.”

If you ever shake during treatment, it does not mean you’re doing anything wrong. It’s information, not a failure.

Holding, bracing, and going very still

Holding can be obvious, like clenching your jaw, gripping your hands, locking your knees, or tightening your stomach. Or it can be quiet, like becoming very still and “polite,” even when something doesn’t feel good.

For many trauma survivors, holding is intelligence. It is how your body learned control. It is how you got through.

Sometimes holding is connected to a freeze response. Freeze is not calm. Freeze is protection that looks like stillness. The body may reduce movement, reduce sensation, and narrow your focus to get you through a moment that once felt impossible.

In massage therapy, holding can also show up as:

• difficulty letting an area be touched
• feeling safer with firmer pressure (because light touch feels unpredictable)
• needing to keep your eyes open
• wanting more space, more time, fewer surprises

All of this is valid. It’s not “being difficult.” It’s your nervous system asking for safety and choice.

Tears that come out of nowhere

Tears can be tender, relieving, confusing, or even frustrating. Sometimes you know exactly why you’re crying. Sometimes you don’t.

Tears do not always mean sadness. They can also show up with:

• relief
• grief
• tenderness
• being cared for
• feeling seen
• finally letting go of a layer of “I have to be fine”

In a bodywork session, emotions can surface because your body is paying attention in a new way. Touch, warmth, quiet, and stillness can gently lower the guard that keeps feelings contained.

If you cry during massage, you don’t need to explain it. We can slow down, pause, adjust, or simply let it move through. Your body is allowed to feel.

Numbness, dissociation, and “I can’t feel much”

Numbness can be physical, emotional, or both.

Physically, you might feel dull, heavy, spacey, far away, or like your body is wrapped in cotton. Emotionally, you might feel blank, detached, or unable to access what you “should” feel.

This can be part of a shutdown response. When something once felt too intense to stay present with, the nervous system sometimes protects you by turning the volume down. It’s not a choice. It’s a strategy your body learned to survive.

If you notice numbness, it can help to treat it with kindness instead of forcing sensation. “Come back” rarely works as a command. Safety works better than pressure.

In massage therapy, this might mean we keep things simple: slower pace, predictable touch, clear check-ins, and lots of permission to stop.

What a trauma-informed massage session can look like in Toronto

A trauma-informed session is not about digging into your story. It’s about building conditions where your body can feel safer.

Here’s what that can look like in my Toronto practice:

• Clear consent, every step. You can change your mind at any time.
• Predictability. I can tell you what I’m doing before I do it.
• Choice around pressure and pace. Some people need lighter, some need deeper, some need a steady middle ground.
• Support for boundaries. You can request areas to avoid. You can stay more covered. You can keep your eyes open.
• A stop signal. You never have to “push through” discomfort to be a good client.
• A nervous-system-friendly approach. Less forcing, more listening. More “let’s see what your body allows today.”

If you’re working with a therapist, massage can also be a gentle companion support. We’re not doing psychotherapy in a massage room, but we can support your relationship with your body, your breathing space, and your sense of control.

When to reach out for more support
If you’re experiencing intense flashbacks, panic that feels unmanageable, self-harm thoughts, or you feel unsafe, you deserve immediate care. In Canada, you can call or text 9-8-8 for 24/7 crisis support, and call 9-1-1 if you’re in immediate danger.

A soft invitation to book

If you’re in Toronto and you want massage therapy that’s calm, consent-based, and respectful of PTSD body responses, you’re welcome here.

You do not need to be “better” before you book. You just need a starting point. When you’re ready, we can build a session that helps you feel more supported in your body, one choice at a time.