A new study published in JAMA Network Open suggests that targeting the brain and a person’s attitudes toward pain may be an effective method for treating chronic pain conditions.

More specifically, the study sought to influence a person’s pain attributions – which are their beliefs about the underlying causes of pain – to help reduce pain severity. For the study, a group of individuals with chronic pain underwent pain reprocessing therapy (PRT), which is a form of treatment that teaches people to perceive pain signals sent to the brain as less threatening. Researchers found that two thirds of people treated with PRT reported being pain-free or nearly pain-free after treatment. Only 20 percent of people in the placebo group said the same.

“Our study shows that discussing pain attributions with patients and helping them understand that pain is often ‘in the brain’ can help reduce it,”said the study’s first author Yoni Ashar, Ph.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. “This study is critically important because patients’ pain attributions are often inaccurate. We found that very few people believed their brains had anything to do with their pain. This can be unhelpful and hurtful when it comes to planning for recovery since pain attributions guide major treatment decisions, such as whether to get surgery or psychological treatment.”

Pain And The Brain

Researchers concluded by saying that it is important for chronic pain patients to really try to better understand their pain and how their brain is processing pain signals. Prior to PRT treatment, only 10 percent of participants viewed their chronic pain issue as something that was due to a mind or brain process. After PRT therapy, that number increased to 51 percent. The study found that the more participants shifted to viewing their pain as due to mind or brain processes, the greater the reduction in reported chronic back pain intensity.

“These results show that shifting perspectives about the brain’s role in chronic pain can allow patients to experience better results and outcomes,” Ashar said.

This study touches on something we oftentimes convey with our patients, which is that pain isn’t just a physical issue. The brain-pain connection is real, and we oftentimes need to take a step back and reframe how we think about our pain condition in order to give ourselves the best chance to overcome it. It’s easier said than done, but it can be done.

If you want to learn more about your pain condition and the power of reframing how you think about pain, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at (952) 738-4580.