I can honestly say that this book has changed my life. I first read this book over a year ago. At the time, I was convinced that my pain was being caused by structural damage within my body and that I just needed to be placed on the right medications and do a ton of physical therapy. Reading this book introduced me to the neuroscience behind chronic pain and Pain Reprocessing Therapy. It was not long after reading this book that I quit my physical therapy and signed up to work with a therapist who specializes in Pain Reprocessing Therapy. Ever since then, I have experienced an amount of healing and a decrease in pain that I did not know was even possible for me. I cannot say enough good things about this book and Pain Reprocessing Therapy. Take some time to read this book because the five points that I have listed below are just the tip of the iceberg. You have so much to learn and you’re healing journey is just getting started.

5 Things That I Learned:

1. The Boulder Back Pain Study

I spend a lot of my free time reading studies on chronic pain. Yes, I’m a huge nerd. The study that has excited me the most out of all of the studies that I have read is the Boulder Back Pain Study. This study proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Pain Reprocessing Therapy is an incredibly effective way to significantly decrease and often cure chronic pain.

The participants in the study ranged from ages 21 to 70 and they all had chronic back pain that had resisted all other medical interventions. Each participant received Pain Reprocessing Therapy twice a week for four weeks. By the end of the study, 98% of the patients experienced a decrease in pain and 66% were either pain-free or nearly pain-free.

Prior to the study, the participants had gone through fMRI scans to see how their brains processed pain. After the study, the fMRI scans were repeated. The scans showed that the participants’ brains had changed after Pain Reprocessing Therapy. The scans proved that their brains now responded differently to pain.

These results are absolutely amazing. If you’re struggling with chronic pain and you haven’t found a treatment that works yet, try Pain Reprocessing Therapy.

2. Fear and Pain

Everyone experiences fear. It is a normal part of being human. We need fear because it helps us identify danger. It magnifies our senses to protect us. Noises seem louder. We become more sensitive to smell. It even amplifies danger signals, like pain. Fear puts us into a state of high alert which alters the way we perceive signals from our body. Ultimately, fear leads to pain and changes the way our body deals with unpleasant emotions and experiences.

3. Somatic Tracking

When I used to have severe chronic pain, I would do everything I could to push the pain away and not think about it. I was so terrified of the pain, I became convinced that allowing myself to focus on it and feel it would just make the pain worse. And I was wrong.

Part of Pain Reprocessing Therapy is this amazing technique/exercise known as somatic tracking. This is a mindfulness exercise that can significantly reduce pain. Mindfulness can be described as “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally”. Somatic tracking is where you allow yourself to pay attention to your pain with no agenda and no judgment. It is a state of observing your mind without fear. You can allow yourself to pay attention to physical sensations with lightness and curiosity. We are better at overcoming pain-related fear when our moods are lightened. You can send yourself messages of safety like, “What I’m feeling is real, but it is just a sensation. There is no actual harm or damage being done to my body”.

As you practice somatic tracking, you’ll start to notice increased feelings of safety and a decrease in fear surrounding the pain. The fear-pain cycle is being disrupted as pain circuits within the brain are being deactivated.

You might notice a difference right away. Or it might take a few weeks. You can do this sitting, lying down, going on a walk, driving a car, or during any activity really. I used to experience a lot of pain with walking. So I started doing somatic tracking on my morning walks to the beach. Before I knew it, I was walking to the beach pain-free each day.

I’d also like to mention that somatic tracking does not work very well when you’re in a lot of pain. If your pain is less than a five, do somatic tracking. If your pain is a five or higher, focus on sending yourself messages of safety and decreasing stress and other triggers that are putting you on high alert.

4. High Alert States

It’s so common to hear people talk about pain as something that you need to push through. That you just need to “suck it up and get over it”. We start pushing our way through things that cause us pain to prove to ourselves that we are capable of overcoming the pain. Unfortunately, this usually just leads to flare-ups and setbacks in our progress. 

Fighting against the pain puts your brain into a state of high alert and reinforces the idea that pain is dangerous. This leads to an increase in pain.

So what do we do once we’re in a state of high alert? At this point, we’re drowning in thoughts of fear and hopelessness. Everyone with pain develops avoidance behaviors to help decrease pain. For some people that is laying down, massaging the area of pain, or doing some stretches. For me, it was running to my BioFreeze.  Whatever avoidance behaviors you have developed during your chronic pain journey, do that (unless it’s something really unhealthy like binge drinking or drugs). 

The next step is sending yourself messages of safety. You can start saying things to yourself like, “This is temporary. I’m going to be okay” or “I’m safe, and my body is fine”. This may take some time. Be patient with yourself. Practice self-compassion in these moments. 

5. Relapses Happen. Don’t Panic.

Someday you’re going to get to a point where the pain is either completely gone or mostly gone. You’re going to feel amazing and free. Weeks, months, or years may go by. There is always the possibility that a relapse will occur. This doesn’t happen to everyone, but it can happen to a lot of people. The good news is that you can get yourself out of pain again and you’ll most likely be able to do it faster than you did before.

When people experience relapses, they tend to go into a state of panic. The pain may be really high at this point. Your fear may come flooding back and now all you can think about is the pain. If this happens, take time to slow down and send yourself messages of safety. Feel free to go back to your avoidance behaviors. As the pain decreases, practice some somatic tracking. 

During these relapses, it is common to practice somatic tracking and mindfulness exercises with intensity and forcefulness. Maybe even a little desperation. You have to relearn how to practice these exercises with lightness, gentleness, and curiosity. You have to calm the voice in your head that is telling you to work harder. With time, these exercises will start to feel natural and easy again. Once again, you will conquer your fear of the pain, your body will stop misinterpreting sensations as dangerous, and the pain will be gone.