A ground-breaking study published in 2021 provided evidence that a psychological approach can cure chronic pain. In the Boulder Back Pain Study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry by researchers at Colorado University, 150 people with chronic back pain were treated either with psychological therapy around their beliefs, or a placebo. After four weeks, 66% of those who had received the treatment were nearly or fully pain-free, compared to 10% of the control group. These outcomes were mostly maintained a year later.
This new research validates the emerging view that a large proportion of chronic pain is not structural, but a brain response. The pain is persistent and certainly not imagined or ‘all in the head’: it’s a brain response with physical impact. It is a similar concept to blushing, crying, or an elevated heart rate, all of which can be bodily reactions to what the brain perceives.
Acute Pain is sometimes described as a ‘useful’, because it alerts us to a need to act, to investigate the pain and find a suitable solution. The pain is recognised in terms of its site: a broken bone or sprained ankle, a deep cut or burn.
Chronic pain is different. It can be interpreted as the brain’s fallible perception of danger, generated by the brain to protect us from a perceived threat or fear. Therefore, changing our perceptions, acquiring knowledge, adjusting beliefs, thinking or feeling differently can dramatically reduce pain. Almost everyone who has recovered from stress illness finds understanding the misconceptions of the brain illuminating. It is a physiological process, which can be enhanced by movement, developing body awareness and learning to trust the body again.
I was pleased to give a talk to Chronic Pain Ireland on this topic yesterday. There were lots of questions and positive feedback, and it strengthened my belief that most people experiencing chronic pain are eager to learn about the regulation of the autonomic nervous system. The role of beliefs and emotions in affecting that ANA regulation is a fascinating and illuminating area of research. I want to thank Chronic Pain Ireland for having me, and all the attendees for their attention and questions. You can watch a recording of the talk, it’s forty minutes, on the Chronic Pain Ireland website here it has just been uploaded on their home page, and in their online library. Tuesday 29th March 2022 CPI published my article 'Pain Science, Chronic Pain and Movement', to complement the above talk, click here to read the full screen version.