Understanding Chronic Pain and the Brain: A New Path to Healing

Chronic pain affects more than 25 million people each year in the U.S. And even though people are spending $600 billion a year trying to treat this pain, many of them are not finding relief.

Part of the issue with chronic pain is that most treatments may be addressing the wrong part of the body. A recent study found that more than 88% of chronic pain has no physical cause. In that study, this type of pain was called “primary pain,” meaning it’s not secondary to another condition. Another term that is starting to be used instead of primary pain is neuroplastic pain.

What Is Neuroplastic Pain?

The idea of neuroplastic pain explains this primary pain through an understanding of how the brain works, rather than looking for problems in the body.

“Neuroplastic” relates to a function of the brain called neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s way of constantly changing and adapting to its environment. This means the brain’s own circuitry continues to shift, change, and create new networks and pathways as we live each day. As a result, our very perception and experience of the world—and our bodies—can change daily as we have new experiences.

Chronic Pain and the Brain's Adaptation to Stress

From this understanding, new research is emerging that suggests most chronic pain is rooted in the brain’s adaptation to stressful and harmful events. This means that long after the physical damage has healed, the pain may persist because the brain has essentially learned to stay in pain mode.

The hope here is powerful: if chronic pain can be created by neuroplasticity, then it can also be healed through neuroplasticity.

Emerging Treatments That Retrain the Brain

A new treatment called Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) has been able to reduce or eliminate chronic pain in two-thirds of patients. This is great news for people living with chronic pain, and it means there could be a non-invasive, drug-free approach to managing or even fully relieving their symptoms.

PRT is not the only treatment of this kind. Another therapy, called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), has also been shown to help people struggling with chronic pain.

The evidence is strong and continues to grow: by using mindfulness and therapeutic strategies to harness the neuroplastic powers of the brain, we can target the source of pain and create real relief for those who still suffer.

There Is Hope: Work with a Missouri Therapist who Understands Chronic Pain

It’s an exciting time for people who struggle with chronic pain. There are clearer solutions that have sound evidence of making a difference when other treatments have failed.

If you’ve been feeling stuck or overwhelmed on your pain journey, it doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. It may just mean that your brain has been trained into a difficult pattern—and needs some help getting out of it. At Aspire Counseling, we would be honored to help you find relief, contact us today to get started.

About the Author

Adam White is a licensed counselor with over five years of experience supporting clients in the Kansas City, Missouri area. He specializes in treating anxiety, depression, and trauma, and uses evidence-based approaches like Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help clients reconnect with their inner calm, develop greater self-understanding, and heal from within.

At Aspire Counseling, he is committed to providing compassionate, expert care—both in-person at our Lee’s Summit office and through secure online therapy for clients across Missouri.