Happy April Fool’s Day! We thought we’d try to keep on topic by talking about how you can “fool” your brain into helping you overcome your chronic pain condition. So even though we’re sharing this on a day reserved for tricks and pranks, know that this is actually a real idea with real science behind it!

Your brain helps dictate how pain is perceived in your body, but it also performs countless other tasks, so if we can take its attention off our pain, we may be able to help drown out some of those pain signals that are causing discomfort. That’s why we always preach on this blog that chronic pain is both a physical and mental task. Your brain needs to heal and help fuel recovery just like the area of your body that’s causing pain. And you can help do that by distracting it.

Now, that’s not to say that every time a flare up develops that you should just go for a run or work on a crossword puzzle to help distract your brain, but engaging your brain has been scientifically proven to help reduce pain sensations. Find outlets that really engage your mind, and odds are you may notice that you’re not noticing your pain as much. Bonus points if it’s an active activity, because exercise and movement can also help drive home physical recovery.

Setting Expectations

Your brain is also in control of setting expectations for things, including pain. If a nurse says a shot is going to hurt, all of a sudden your brain starts to anticipate this pain and it could actually lead to you being more perceptive to pain, which isn’t a good thing. Conversely, it’s why it may take a second longer to realize you’re in pain if you accidentally have the sink running too hot when you go to wash your hands. It’s still going to be painful, but the expectation wasn’t there, and that plays an interesting role in how you perceive pain.

Expectation setting is very important in how you manage your chronic pain condition. It’s why we always preach that you work towards a good head space and focus on the positives instead of the negatives. If you wake up every day expecting chronic pain to dictate your life, you may actually be more perceptive to this pain. It can be a self-defeating cycle, but if you’re aware of how your expectations affect your perception of pain, you can fool your brain into making chronic pain less of a problem.

This is easier said than done, and oftentimes it’s easier to do with a pain management specialist by your side. We can talk over your concerns, your goals and the biggest challenges chronic pain is causing in your life. Then, we’ll work on how to focus on the positives and your goals instead of the negatives and your shortcomings. This individualized assessment can help you get to a great mindset to tackle any challenges your chronic pain condition throws your way.

So if you are dealing with a chronic pain condition and you want help tackling either the mental or physical side of the problem, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office to see what we can do for you.