Chronic pain – often called Fibromyalgia – is a condition that affects millions of people around the world. Unlike acute pain, which is a temporary response to an injury or illness, chronic pain persists for months or even years. While chronic pain is often triggered by injury, stress, trauma or illness, recent research has shown that the brain plays a significant role in its development and persistence. This article will explore the connection between the brain and chronic pain and discuss how brain retraining can be an effective healing modality.
What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts for more than 12 weeks. Common types of chronic pain include back pain, joint pain, and headaches. Unlike acute pain, which serves as a warning sign that something is wrong with the body, chronic pain is often a result of changes in the nervous system that cause pain signals to be triggered long after an injury or illness has healed.
What causes chronic pain?
According to Ashok Gupta, a neuroplasticity expert, one of the main causes of chronic pain is amygdala and insula hypersensitivity and nervous system dysregulation. The amygdala is a small almond-shaped structure in the brain that is responsible for processing emotions, including fear and anxiety. The insula is an area of the brain that may be responsible for storing immune reactions. When the amygdala and insula become overactive, it leads to a state of hyperarousal in the nervous system and inflammation from the immune system, which then causes chronic pain. This can occur as a result of injury, stress, trauma, or illness.
How to heal chronic pain?
Fortunately, brain retraining can be an effective treatment for chronic pain. This is a process that involves changing the way the brain responds to pain signals by rewiring neural pathways. It can help to reduce amygdala hypersensitivity and nervous system dysregulation, thereby reducing chronic pain.
One of the most effective brain retraining programs for chronic pain is The Gupta Program. This first-of-its-kind program was developed by Ashok Gupta, who suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and pain for several years before healing himself and many others. The Gupta Program is based on the principles of neuroplasticity and uses a combination of mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and brain retraining exercises to help people recover fully from chronic pain and other conditions.
To learn how brain retraining can help you repair your nervous system and reduce pain symptoms, sign up to The Gupta Program’s free trial.
