Pain Reprocessing Therapy
There is hope
Learn an evidence-based approach to reduce or eliminate your chronic pain
structural vs neuroplastic pain
Structural pain is when there is something structurally wrong with the body that is the cause of the pain, e.g., an acute injury like a broken leg. The majority of chronic pain is something called neuroplastic pain which is where the pain is actually originating in the brain, as opposed to something being structurally wrong with the body. In neuroplastic pain the brain is interpreting normal, safe signals as painful or dangerous. We can retrain the brain that there is nothing actually wrong with the body, and that these signals are neutral/safe.
what is pain reprocessing therapy?
Developed by psychotherapist and author Alan Gordon, Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) involves breaking the chronic pain cycle by retraining the brain to properly interpret and respond to signals from the body. PRT can be broken down into five main elements:
Education about neuroplastic pain - how it originates in the brain and how it is reversible
Gathering personal evidence for the above and reinforcing this evidence
Reappraising the sensation of pain through a lens of safety
Addressing underlying emotional issues and/or negative emotional reactions to pain, e.g. fear
Learning to gravitate towards positive feelings and body sensations
PRT was studied in a randomized controlled trial where 100 people with chronic back pain were assigned to either a PRT group or a “treatment as usual” group for one month. At the end of the month, 98% of people in the PRT group showed improvement with 66% of them pain-free or nearly pain-free. This study was published in JAMA Psychiatry
what are some common types of neuroplastic pain?
The following are some examples of pain or symptoms that are most likely neuroplastic:
Migraines/headaches
Back/neck pain
Irritable bowel syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Repetitive strain injuries
Pelvic floor pain
Long COVID symptoms/pain
Chronic fatigue
Dizziness/vertigo
Nausea
