Chronic Pain
Chronic Pain
About Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is an ongoing or recurrent pain that lasts for more than three months, or beyond the expected healing time following an injury or illness. Unlike acute pain, which is a normal sensation that alerts us to injury, chronic pain can persist even after the initial injury has healed.
Common Symptoms
- persistent aching or throbbing pain
- stiffness
- burning sensation
- shooting pain
- fatigue
- sleep disturbances
- reduced mobility
- mood changes (e.g., irritability, depression)
- decreased energy levels
- muscle weakness
Diagnosis
Diagnosing chronic pain typically involves a thorough medical history, including details about the pain's location, intensity, duration, and aggravating/alleviating factors. A physical examination is also commonly performed, and sometimes imaging tests (e.g., X-rays, MRIs) or nerve studies are used to identify underlying causes.
Causes
Chronic pain can arise from various factors, including previous injuries or surgeries, nerve damage, and conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, or back problems. Sometimes, the exact cause of chronic pain may not be clearly identifiable.
Treatment Overview
Managing chronic pain often involves a multidisciplinary approach, which may include medication management, physical therapy, and psychological support. Some individuals also explore complementary approaches such as acupuncture, massage therapy, or mindfulness techniques. The aim of these approaches is generally to help manage symptoms and improve daily functioning, rather than to cure the pain.
Prognosis & Outlook
The prognosis for individuals with chronic pain can vary widely depending on the underlying cause, severity, and response to management strategies. While chronic pain may not always be fully eliminated, many people can learn to manage their symptoms, improve their quality of life, and maintain a certain level of function with appropriate support.
Types & Variants
Neuropathic Pain
Pain caused by damage or dysfunction of the nerves, often described as burning, shooting, or stabbing.
Nociceptive Pain
Pain resulting from tissue damage, such as a cut, burn, or bone fracture. It can be sharp, aching, or throbbing.
Musculoskeletal Pain
Pain that affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, often from conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia.
What 2 Contributors Have Shared
Contributors described experiencing a range of intense, debilitating symptoms, including chronic pain in various parts of the body, extreme fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, and digestive issues. These symptoms significantly impacted their daily lives, leading to disability and confinement largely to their homes, and causing immense fear and distress.
They reported undergoing extensive diagnostic processes and trying numerous treatments from both conventional and alternative medicine, often without lasting relief. A common theme was a sense of desperation and frustration with the medical system's inability to provide effective solutions or even satisfactory explanations for their conditions. One contributor eventually found relief through understanding neuroplastic pain, shifting their focus from structural issues to the brain and nervous system.
“Approaches that were part of my recovery”
As described by story contributors
Discovering work of Dr. Sarno, Dr. Schubiner, Dr. Hanscom, Dr. Clarke, Dr. Stracks, Dr. Schechter, and reading their books
Pain neuroscience education
Journaling via Nicole Sachs
Pain reprocessing therapy and somatic tracking via Alan Gordon
Addressing belief and doubt
Learning to feel safe with sensations, thoughts, and emotions
Graded exposure teaching the brain the pain is not dangerous
Visualization & graded motor imagery
Leaning into positive sensations
Regulating the nervous system & Polyvagal theory
Indifference & outcome independence
Self compassion
“Approaches I tried that didn't help me”
As described by story contributors
Trazadone
Bio-identical hormones
Cortisone
Thyroid drugs
Anti-viral IVs (specifically for Epstein-Barr virus)
Intravenous vitamin concoctions
Neurotransmitters
Dietary supplements
Diets (stringent meal plan of green vegetables, fish/chicken, avoiding starchy foods, no bread)
Acupuncture (Chinese doctors, needles)
Herbal concoctions (boiled into a stew)
Ayurvedic 10-day cleanse (Panchakarma)
Common Turning Points
Pivotal moments described by story contributors
Realizing that mainstream medicine was ill-equipped to treat ailments, leading to seeking alternative therapies (for story 1)
Self-diagnosing with Tension Myoneural Syndrome (TMS) / Neuroplastic symptoms after ruling out legitimate pathological findings, with reassurance from TMS practitioners (for story 2)
Key Realizations & “Aha” Moments
Perspectives shared by story contributors
Most chronic pain is neuroplastic in nature, meaning the pain is very real but not necessarily caused by body structures.
The brain and nervous system can cause debilitating symptoms without tissue damage or disease.
Neuroplastic pain is created and maintained by changes and misfirings in the brain’s neural circuits, not physical injury.
The brain can "learn" pain through repeated stress or emotional suppression, creating maladaptive neural pathways.
Misfiring pain circuits, shaped by emotional states and life stress, cause the brain to perceive pain even without a physical cause.
Mindbody symptoms, including chronic pain, often result from stress, nervous system dysregulation, suppressed or unprocessed emotions, learned neural pathways, and an overactive fear response.
Challenges Contributors Described
Common obstacles mentioned by story contributors
Difficulty getting an accurate diagnosis from the medical community
Receiving multiple, sometimes conflicting, diagnoses
Feeling like an "alien guinea pig" in an impersonal medical maze
Doctors appearing disappointed or angry at lack of progress
Hopes being raised then dashed by ineffective treatments
Debilitating nature of symptoms confining life to the house
Structural findings (e.g., arthritis, disc issues) being misidentified as the cause of pain
Support Systems Contributors Mentioned
Types of support described by story contributors
Mother driving to doctor's visits
Advice from Those Who've Been There
Suggestions shared by story contributors
- “Most chronic pain is neuroplastic in nature, meaning that, even though the pain is very real and physically felt, it doesn’t mean that it is being caused by the structures of your body.”
- “The brain and nervous system can cause debilitating symptoms without tissue damage or disease.”
- “Neuroplastic pain refers to pain that is created and maintained not by physical injury, but by changes and misfirings in the brain’s neural circuits. This type of pain is very real, but its origin lies in the nervous system and emotional regulation rather than tissue damage.”
- “The brain can "learn" pain through repeated stress or emotional suppression, creating maladaptive neural pathways—essentially false alarms.”
- “These misfiring pain circuits, shaped by emotional states and life stress, cause the brain to perceive pain even when there is no physical cause.”
- “Mindbody symptoms—including chronic pain—often result from: stress and nervous system dysregulation, suppressed or unprocessed emotions, learned neural pathways in the brain, and an overactive fear response.”
These insights reflect what individual contributors reported about their own experiences. Results vary — what helps one person may not help another. This is not medical advice.
Stories (2)
Real journeys shared by contributors
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