CHRONIC PAIN - PERSISTING PAIN

What is Pain and Why Do We Feel It?

Our understanding of pain has shifted dramatically in the past decade. Brain imaging and neuroscience research show that pain is far more complex than just “tissue damage.” Unfortunately, this updated knowledge often takes years to reach patients and even many clinicians.

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Why this matters:

Old beliefs about pain can keep you stuck in a cycle of fear and limitation.

New understanding offers hope and proven strategies for reducing pain.

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4 Key Advancements in Pain Science

1. Pain is not purely physical.
   Pain is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors—known as the biopsychosocial model. Things like stress, emotions, thoughts, and your environment play a big role in how much pain you feel.

2. Pain is processed in the brain, not just the body.
   Even when there is an injury, your brain decides how strongly you feel pain by interpreting danger signals from the body. Two people with the same injury can experience completely different levels of pain because of this processing.

3. Pain pathways can change.
   Your nervous system learns through experience. When pain persists, the brain and spinal cord become more sensitive—a process called central sensitization. This means pain can continue even after tissues have healed.

4. The brain can be retrained.
   The changes that keep pain going are reversible. Through specific strategies—education, calming the nervous system, changing thought patterns, and gradually restoring activity—you can rewire the pain system for less sensitivity.

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6 Basic Truths About Pain

1. Knowledge is power.
   Learning about pain reduces fear and changes the way the nervous system responds. Studies show pain education alone can significantly reduce symptoms.

2. Pain is designed to protect.
   Pain is an alarm system to keep you safe, not a direct measure of tissue damage. Sometimes, the alarm becomes overly sensitive, ringing loudly when there’s no real danger.

3. Pain is not just physical.
   Stress, mood, sleep, and past experiences can amplify pain. This does not mean pain is “in your head”—it means your whole system influences the pain experience.

4. All pain starts in the brain.
   Whether caused by a cut or chronic condition, pain always involves the brain interpreting signals and deciding, “Do we need pain here?”

5. Pain is your brain’s opinion, not a fact.
   The brain uses past experiences, fear, and beliefs to make its decision. Sometimes it overestimates the danger—like a smoke alarm going off when you make toast.

6. To reduce pain, treat the brain.
   Approaches that target the brain—such as Pain Reprocessing Therapy, mindfulness, and gentle movement—calm the nervous system and retrain it to turn down the pain signal.

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How Pain Becomes Chronic

• When pain persists, the nervous system “learns” it. This is called neuroplasticity—the same process that allows you to learn a new skill. Unfortunately, the brain learns pain patterns too.

• The spinal cord and brain become more sensitive, so signals that used to feel normal now feel painful.

• Fear and worry about pain strengthen these pathways, creating a cycle: pain → fear → more pain.

• Over time, pain can become a habit of the nervous system, even when there’s no longer damage to heal.

 

The good news: The same neuroplasticity that creates chronic pain can undo it. By reducing fear, changing how you think about pain, and safely reintroducing activities, you can calm the system and rewire the pain network.

 

Why This Matters

If you’ve been told “there’s nothing more that can be done,” this is NOT the whole story. Chronic pain often persists because of a hypersensitive nervous system—not because of ongoing damage. This means:

• Relief is possible without surgery or strong medications.

• Treatments that target the brain and nervous system can significantly reduce pain.

• You are not broken, and your pain does not mean permanent harm.

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How Does Hypnosis Help with Chronic Pain?

1. Alters Pain Perception
   Hypnosis changes how the brain interprets pain signals, not necessarily the signals themselves. Many report a decrease in pain intensity or frequency. Research using brain imaging (like fMRI) shows that hypnosis can modify activity in brain regions responsible for pain, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus, and somatosensory cortex.

2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety
   Stress amplifies pain. Hypnosis can help regulate emotional responses to chronic conditions.

3. Improves Coping and Sleep
   Chronic pain disrupts sleep and daily function. Hypnosis can help individuals develop a more resilient mindset and improve rest.
    

Hypnosis for Endometriosis-Related Chronic Pain

Endometriosis pain is complex — it's not just physical, but also neurological and emotional. Over time, the pain can become centralized in the nervous system, meaning the brain continues to generate pain signals even after the tissue irritation has stopped. This is where hypnosis becomes powerful.

1. Modulating Pain Processing

   • Hypnosis helps patients retrain how the brain interprets pelvic pain, reducing the hypersensitivity that can come from central sensitization.

   • It helps reduce activity in brain areas associated with pain anticipation and emotional distress.

2. Targeting Pelvic Muscle Tension

   • Hypnotic suggestion can lead to deep pelvic muscle relaxation, which eases cramping and tension pain.

3. Reframing Pain Experience

   • Hypnotic reframes help decrease the intensity and unpleasantness of the pain.

4. Reducing Pain-Related Fear and Anxiety

   • Hypnosis teaches calm responses to pain cues, reducing anxiety-driven pain escalation.

5. Improving Emotional Resilience

   • Many people with endo experience depression, trauma, or frustration. Hypnosis can help improve self-esteem and a sense of control.

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