NEUROPLASTIC PAIN

All pain is real, and all pain is generated by the brain. But, most chronic pain results from the misinterpretation and misfiring of pain circuits in the brain, not from physical problems in the body.

Pain is a danger signal. Normally when we injure ourselves, the body sends a signal to the brain informing us of tissue damage, and we feel pain. But, the perception of potential tissue damage can cause the brain to generate pain even in the absence of damage. Neuroplastic pain results from the brain misinterpreting safe messages from the body as if they were dangerous. In other words, neuroplastic pain is a false alarm.

Research shows that chronic pain is often the result of learned neural pathways in the brain.* The good news is, just as pain can be learned, it can also be unlearned.

It is only natural to associate physical pain with physical damage. When we believe we are injured or threatened, the brain can generate pain, anxiety, fear, worry, and dread, all familiar feelings to those suffering from chronic pain. The idea that physical pain may not indicate physical damage can be counterintuitive. 

Yet, studies show a direct relationship between pain beliefs or fear and the perpetuation of symptoms.** When the brain interprets signals or sensations in the body through a lens of danger, it produces pain. 

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a system of psychological techniques that retrains the brain to interpret and respond to signals from the body accurately, breaking the cycle of chronic pain.

A randomized clinical trial validated Pain Reprocessing Therapy as the most effective current treatment for chronic pain. After undergoing PRT, 98% of chronic pain patients improved, with 66% became pain-free or nearly pain-free! These outcomes were largely maintained one year later.***