Your pain explained
Most of us suffer from Chronic pain or what we call Neuroplastic Pain Symptoms. This refers to persistent pain you’ve had for over three months or pain which comes and goes.
Up until now, the typical route to seek a cure for Chronic pain, such as back pain, has been to pay for treatment from an Osteopath, Physiotherapist, Chiropractor or Acupuncturist - or even a combination of them all. You’ll have been given hands on treatment, been offered advice on ways to stretch and strengthen your back and core muscles and possibly been told your posture is the cause and you need to be ‘realigned’. But, I’ll bet that regardless of what you’ve tried, the relief is only temporary and the pain either consistently remains or comes and goes.
This is because, despite what we’ve been taught over the years, neuroplastic pain is very rarely caused by a structural or physical defect, even if that’s evidenced in a scan. In other words, just because you’ve been diagnosed with degeneration or arthritis it doesn’t mean you will be in pain.
In fact, research has proven there is no direct connection between degeneration and pain. Degeneration is a natural ageing process and so most adults who get a scan are likely to see it in their own body, whatever age they are. But, millions of people live their lives pain free, despite the degeneration.
So, why do you still have pain then? Because neuroplastic pain is related to your brain and the messages your brain sends your body. It’s what we call the Neuroplastic Pain Syndrome
Neuroplastic Pain Syndrome
Let me explain. Your brain doesn’t feel pain. Its primary role is to protect you from danger. Let’s assume you’ve had an MRI scan and the doctor sits you down, with the scan in their hand, and confirms that you have degeneration in your discs which is why you have back pain.
Your immediate reaction will probably be relief, at least I understand why my back hurts. But that then quickly leads to concern. Oh no, the consultant has confirmed that I’m ‘damaged’ - I have a problem - my back is now weak - I need to stop exercising - the wrong movement could make me worse. All these thoughts and concerns are negative and whether we realise it or not, they are all processed in our subconscious mind.
The brain is there to protect. So, when it gets all these negative messages, it does what it’s programmed to do. It recognises danger and reacts by sending pain to that area as a form of protection.
The problem is though, the more pain you have the more worried you become, the more worried you become the greater your fear. The greater your fear the more your brain reacts. It’s a cycle of pain that never stops - unless you want it to.
To stop this cycle, we have to understand a bit about how the brain works and more importantly how we can positively change the messages we send our brain.
Our brain
We need to start by understanding the term neuroplasticity which is also known as neural plasticity or brain plasticity. In summary, this is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganisation. In simple terms we can re-wire the brain so that it changes the way it functions. For example, you learn a completely new skill through your brain acquiring new information and becoming accomplished in that skill through repetition.
What this means is that although the pain you feel is real, the source of that pain is unlikely to be structural. Instead, it’s is more likely that you are one of the c88% of chronic pain suffers who actually have neuroplastic pain symptoms. And, if you are, you can be pleased about that because it means your body isn’t broken, you don’t have irreparable damage and you can free yourself from pain for good.
How do you do that? Through my Neuroplastic Pain Programme.
My work and Pain Programme
Chronic pain and other persistent symptoms are not just physical issues—they are deeply influenced by the brain, the nervous system, and emotional stressors. My approach focuses on educating clients about the brain's role in symptom perception, helping them understand that many ongoing health issues are not solely due to structural problems but often stem from unresolved stress, trauma, and conditioned responses.
I offer a Neuroplastic Pain Programme designed to help clients rewire their neural pathways and break free from chronic pain and stress-related symptoms. This involves identifying and addressing the underlying psychological and emotional contributors to pain, allowing the nervous system to reset and heal.
However, my approach goes beyond just pain relief. Neuroplastic symptoms, including digestive issues, fatigue, and long COVID, often arise from the same underlying brain-based mechanisms. Research suggests that up to 70% of persistent symptoms are driven by the nervous system rather than structural damage. By addressing these mechanisms, my work helps people regain control of their health, not just by reducing pain but also by improving nervous system regulation, resilience, and overall wellbeing.
I regularly attend and contribute to conferences on chronic pain and neuroplastic healing to stay at the forefront of this evolving field. Whether you have been struggling with pain or recurring symptoms or are simply looking to take control of your health, I would love to help you on your journey to recovery.
