The Link Between the Brain and Chronic Pain
Living a Pain Free Life May Be Closer than You Think
An article of mine published by Psychreg
Imagine a life without chronic pain. For many, this dream feels out of reach, but recent breakthroughs suggest it might be closer than we think.
An estimated 20% of the global population endures chronic pain – a condition persisting for three months or longer. In the UK, this condition is alarmingly prevalent, affecting between one-third and one-half of the population.
Pain manifests in three main forms:
Nociceptive. Arising from tissue injury or inflammation.
Neuropathic. Resulting from nerve damage.
Nociplastic. Stemming from a sensitised nervous system, without an evident physical cause, indicative of abnormal signal processing within the body.
The first two types of pain are like the brain’s alarm system, signalling injury and prompting actions to avoid further harm. But nociplastic pain is different. It’s as if the brain’s alarm gets stuck on high alert, causing pain even when there’s no injury. This type of pain is often linked to chronic conditions like fibromyalgia, nonspecific chronic low back pain, headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome, among others.
Pain is essentially a warning sign from the brain, but sometimes it can persist without any real danger. Alan Gordon calls this “neuroplastic pain” highlighting how changes in the brain’s neural pathways can keep the pain signal going.