Harness the natural way your brain can change to improve pain
By Paul Bolger. Chartered Physiotherapist at Nano Physiotherapy, Kilkenny (www.nanophysio.ie).
Impermanence is one of the few certainties in life. Nothing is ever quite the same as it was before, everything is in a state of change, adapting to the world around it. Our brains are no different.
Your Brain Adapts
Structural changes occur in the brain to allow it to adapt to what we do regularly. For example, brain areas associated with sensing and controlling the left hand is significantly larger in expert violinists – who regularly use their left hand in intricate and finely tuned ways.
Similarly, people who know multiple languages, expert athletes and experienced taxi drivers all have been shown to have larger brain regions associated with their skill or knowledge. Scientists have been able to show that brain regions grow in response to training – with a brain area associated with spatial knowledge (the posterior hippocampus) enlarging in London taxi drivers who pass their exams, while not growing in those who fail.
These changes in the nervous system are known as ‘neuroplasticity’. Putting it simply – the nervous system can change and adapt. Like anything in life, it will adapt to what it experiences regularly.
Brain Changes in Chronic Pain
Changes are seen in the brains of those who suffer from persistent pain. Such changes occur in brain areas, brain connections and brain chemicals associated with body awareness, negative emotions, problem solving, attention, memory and motivation.
In a sense, it is like the brain has ‘learned’ to be good at feeling pain, while also becoming less tuned into normal sensations from the affected body part (like body position and touch). Negative emotions like fear and worry become more common and problem solving and attention can become affected.
Harness Neuroplasticity
So, for those in long-term physical pain, harnessing the power of neuroplasticity is a beacon of hope in recovery. Just like learning a new instrument is possible (with time and considered effort), learning to feel differently is also possible.
Beliefs like “I am damaged” and “something is out of place” can cause fear and worry and make things worse. For many suffering from persistent pain challenging such beliefs is an important step in the process.
Learning to move and gradually getting back into activities that have been avoided can act to show our brain and body that, when we are smart and patient, it is possible to move without causing harm.
Tuning into our body, focusing on sensations like temperature, motion, body position and touch can help to draw attention towards normal and less threatening messages from the body.
None of this is to say that “it’s all in your head” – far from it. If you have read my articles before, you will know that I believe that there is no true separation between body and mind – where one goes the other will follow. So, if you have a painful knee or shoulder that needs some strengthening or flexibility, that is going to be an important part of the process of recovery.
Recovering from persistent pain involves adaptations within the brain as well as the body. Working with a healthcare professional like an informed physiotherapist who empowers you and guides you on this journey can be helpful. Know that your brain can learn and adapt, know that this takes time and regular effort, but also know that it is well worth it.
