Science Vs Chronic Pain: Can Our Brains Fix It?
Oct 28, 2021
Alan Gordon, psychotherapist who developed a brain-focused therapy for chronic pain. Nick DelRose, associate producer who shares his lived experience with chronic pain. They explore how pain can originate in the brain, studies showing brain-pattern changes in chronic cases, a therapy that teaches nonjudgmental awareness of sensations, and personal recovery through retraining the brain.
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Grad Student's Years Of Unexplained Pain
- Nick DelRose developed severe neck and shoulder pain during his Ph.D., which spread and resisted treatments like PT and injections.
- After years of tests and a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, conventional fixes gave only short-term relief.
Brain Makes The Final Call On Pain
- Pain signals travel to the brain but the brain makes the final decision about whether something hurts.
- That means pain is generated by brain processes, not automatically by peripheral injury.
Nail-Through-Boot Case Shows Brain Error
- A construction worker felt agonizing pain after a nail went through his boot, yet the nail passed between his toes causing no tissue damage.
- His brain concluded danger based on visual cues and surrounding panic, producing real pain despite no injury.
