Reframe your pain

SCIENTISTS HAVE LONG KNOWN THAT THE BRAIN CREATES PAIN. NOW THEY THINK IT MAY BE ABLE TO CURB PAIN, TOO.

- LINDA RATH

You would have every right to be offended if someone said your pain was all in your head. But the truth is, pain is constructed entirely in the brain. This doesn’t mean your pain is any less real – it’s just that your brain literally creates what your body feels, and in cases of chronic pain, your brain helps perpetuate it.

A growing understanding of how this happens – and the need to find better alternatives to pain medications – has led to renewed interest in “biopsychosocial pain management.” This type of treatment addresses the particular situations, beliefs, expectations and emotions that cause a person to perceive pain in a certain way.

Unlike drugs, biopsychosocial methods don’t mask or numb chronic pain or falsely promise it will go away completely. Instead, people learn to manage pain by modifying or changing what their brain tells them. Many say this approach relieves pain without drugs – in some cases, it’s the first time they’ve gotten relief.

Why you hurt

Pain is a complicated warning system to protect you from harm. When you stub your toe, your peripheral nervous system sends signals to your brain, which then decides how much danger there is. If it decides the signals are worth paying attention to, the pain volume is cranked up until the problem is resolved; if not, pain is put on mute. This system works pretty well for acute pain, like an injured toe – but many things can go wrong.