Mind-Body Pain Therapy: The Science of Neuroplastic Pain Relief
What is Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and Does it Work?
With chronic pain, one navigates a healthcare system that may not listen to pain or identify a lasting pain therapy.
Even where there are answers, the search for a way out of chronic pain is confusing. Pain and fatigue persist for a wide range of functional or structural reasons. Let’s take a closer look.
Neuroscience research shows that pain interacts with our nervous system, cellular biology, and the immune system in sophisticated ways (Mandarano et al., 2020). As pain begins to overstay its welcome, this leads to frustration and grief - which many hold silently.
Pain reprocessing therapy (PRT) is a mind-body therapy shown to effectively treat neuroplastic pain.
As a pain psychotherapist, I am uniquely trained in how our brains, relationships, and emotions interact with pain in the body. With over 5 years’ counseling experience at a Harvard Medical School affiliate hospital, I can help you find evidence-based practices and relational skills that lead to deeper connections and greater freedom from pain. I am listed on the PRT provider directory.
Don’t carry pain alone. Start therapy today.
How Can I Tell if My Pain is Neuroplastic? (Nociplastic Pain Symptoms)
Chronic pain can be debilitating and interfere with all facets of life, even in the absence of ongoing structural injury.
Feeling hurt is an adaptation to keep our bodies safe. Pain is sensed via the peripheral nervous system and organized in the brain. The brain is largely where our threat detection system is located. It checks every sensation for tissue damage and need for rest. It also catalogues this against our emotional memory of safety or lack of safety.
Because the brain is part of this process, this means new neural pathways of safety can also be created. Specific talk therapies can help. I use a biopsychosocial model of pain, processing your situation in a holistic way.
Note: PRT cannot treat structural pain conditions such as cancer, MS, neuropathy, fibroids, or arthritis (i.e. nociceptive or neuropathic pain). But, talk therapy can still help enhance coping and quality of life. Schedule a free call here and explore whether psychotherapy is right for you.
You should consult with a physician, as needed, to assess and treat problems with pain. A functional medical provider or rheumatologist can help especially in diagnosing neuroplastic pain, also called nociplastic pain. This type of pain can be chronic and disabling without ongoing tissue damage, such as:
Chronic back pain
Sciatica
Tension headaches
Tinnitus
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
Injury pain persisting far longer than the anticipated recovery period
Key signs pain may be neuroplastic:
Pain moves around to different parts of the body
Pain that changes significantly with the weather
Inconsistent pain
Pain that worsens under emotional stress or trauma
These types of chronic symptoms tend to respond well to PRT. For a good introduction to PRT, read The Way Out by Alan Gordon and Alon Ziv (2021).
3 Evidence-Based Tools for Chronic Pain Management
Somatic tracking for chronic pain
Somatic tracking works by examining pain directly through mindfulness, guided imagery, and supportive talk therapy. It helps coach the brain to feel safer in a wider range of sensations and gradually reduce the avoidance loop called the pain-fear cycle. The pain-fear cycle happens when physical activity or mental reminders of pain are avoided altogether, out of fear. Aside from acute structural injuries, this tends to worsen pain and anxiety.
Somatic tracking is similar to interoceptive exposure therapy. My approach to somatic tracking is deliberately paced and trauma-sensitive.
Soothe pain through social connection
Research confirms that social exclusion feels the exact same as physical pain. Increasing social connection can lead to noticeable improvements in total pain. Social support helps us get our concrete needs met, provides purpose, and feels physically soothing. Building a social support system takes small, consistent efforts over time. Consider joining a support group to process and share with others experiencing chronic pain.
Activity pacing for chronic fatigue
Chronic pain and fatigue can include post-exertional malaise (PEM), or an energy “crash” following activity. To build endurance, it is more important to do an activity consistently than to do it for a long time.
Don’t push too hard. Factor in breaks.
Do half of what you think you should be doing.
Prioritize daily consistency. It matters more to do valued activities every day, than to do them at 100%.
Want to explore the tools that will work best for you? Click here for a free consultation.
References
Gordon, A. & Ziv, A. (2021). The Way Out: A revolutionary, scientifically proven approach to healing chronic pain. Avery.
Mandarano A.H., Maya J., Giloteaux L., Peterson D.L., Maynard M., Gottschalk C.G., Hanson M.R. (2020 Mar 2). Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients exhibit altered T cell metabolism and cytokine associations. Journal of Clin Investigation 130(3):1491-1505.
Sturgeon, J., Trost, Z., Ashar, Y. K., Lumley, M. A., Schubiner, H., Clauw, D., & Hassett, A. L. (2025). Brief pain reprocessing therapy for fibromyalgia: a feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy pilot. Regional anesthesia and pain medicine, rapm-2025-107076. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1136/rapm-2025-107076