Reframing
pain
Pain isn’t always a direct measure of tissue damage. It is the body’s alarm system - a signal of potential harm. In chronic pain, that alarm can stay switched on even when the body is safe.
Research shows this happens because the brain learns pain as a protective response.
pain as protection
Our brains are neuroplastic, meaning they has capacity to change. Just like our bodies can adapt to the environment (e.g. biceps grow if repeatedly loaded), our brains also have the ability to change, (e.g. synapses can get stronger or weaker).
This means that we can train our brains to unlearn pain.
we are neuroplastic
Over the past few decades, our understanding of persistent pain has changed significantly. Research now shows that ongoing pain isn’t just about what’s happening in the tissues, but also about how the brain responds to the environment, stress and threat over time. This does not imply that pain is ‘made up’ - it is very real.
Understanding pain in this way can be empowering. When this research is translated into treatment, it opens the door to recovery by addressing these learned neural pathways in the brain to in effect unlearn pain. This is the approach that Pain Reprocessing Therapy is built on.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is an evidence-based approach that helps retrain the brain’s response to pain signals. PRT works by helping the brain reinterpret normal signals from the body as safe, interrupting the cycle of persistent pain.PRT is guided by five core components:Learning about 'neuroplastic pain' and why it is reversibleBuilding personalised evidence that pain is driven by brain-based patterns rather than tissue damageAppraising pain sensations through a lens of safetyAddressing emotional stressors or threats that may be amplifying painStrengthening the awareness of neutral and /or positive sensations in the body
A high-quality research study validated Pain Reprocessing Therapy as the most effective current treatment for chronic pain.
In this study, those who received Pain Reprocessing Therapy experienced much greater pain relief than those who received standard care or a placebo treatment. Many people saw their pain reduce significantly, and a large number became pain-free or nearly pain-free by the end of treatment. These improvements were largely still present one year later, showing that the changes were long-lasting.
Click here to read the study.
A follow up of this study demonstrated that the PRT participants maintained significant reductions in pain intensity, with 55% reporting being nearly or completely pain-free at the 5-year mark.
Useful Resources
Other recommended learning resources:
Channel 4 documentary - Live Well with the Drug Free Doctor’. Section about chronic pain - https://www.channel4.com/programmes/live-well-with-the-drug-free-doctor
Pain Reprocessing Therapy Website - https://www.painreprocessingtherapy.com/
Book: ‘When The Body Says No’ by Gabor Maté MD - https://drgabormate.com/book/when-the-body-says-no/
Book: ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ by Bessel Van De Kolk MD - https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score
