Retrain Your Brain to Relieve Pain
What if the best way to treat your chronic pain is by retraining your brain? That’s the idea behind a new approach called pain reprocessing therapy (PRT).
If you know our founder, Eileen Filliben Edmund’s story, then you know what a pivotal role this played in her healing journey. This is an overview of PRT. Because this work is still newer, we look forward to digging deep and sharing our findings on new studies and reports.
How does it work?
Many people continue to feel pain even after an injury has healed, or sometimes without any clear physical cause. PRT aims to teach the brain to stop sending these false pain signals, and early results are promising.
In a study published in JAMA Psychiatry, 66% of participants who tried PRT for a month reported being pain-free or nearly pain-free up to a year later. While the treatment is still in the research phase and isn't typically covered by insurance, it’s being adopted by more centers, including the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. In researching this article, We discovered a clinical trial going on now studying the efficacy of PRT in racially/ethnically diverse patients with chronic back pain. The trial concludes in 2025 so stay tuned for findings.
Traditional medical education often teaches that pain is purely biomechanical, but PRT challenges this by addressing the brain's role in pain perception. After an injury, the brain can become hypersensitive, continuing to signal pain even when there’s no longer any danger. PRT helps reset this by guiding patients through movements that they associate with pain, reinterpreting these sensations as safe.
Dr. Alan Gordon of the Pain Psychology Center and Dr. Tor Wager of Dartmouth College, who contributed to the JAMA study, emphasize that neuroplastic pain is real, even though it originates from brain sensitization rather than a physical injury. Patients are thoroughly examined to rule out other medical conditions before starting PRT.
Though some doctors are cautious about over-emphasizing psychological approaches to pain, many are optimistic about PRT, especially since existing treatments often fall short. With chronic pain being so difficult to treat, finding new ways to address it is crucial. PRT offers a fresh perspective and hope for those struggling with persistent pain.
We have compiled a comprehensive list (link to list of resources) of our favorite books, podcasts, apps, and thought leaders in the Pain Reprocessing Therapy community. It’s a great place to start your own healing journey
