"When living with chronic pain, over time, the brain becomes hypersensitive to pain signals, which increases pain. Pain is a danger signal. When something happens, such as touching a hot surface or twisting your ankle, nerve endings in the body send a signal to your brain, and the brain interprets this signal as pain. In this way, all pain is regulated by the brain."
"Pain is not always the result of structural damage in the body; rather, it is the result of a misfiring pain alarm. With chronic pain, the brain often creates a false alarm. It is telling you, "Danger!" when you are actually safe. You can recalibrate this alarm to be more accurate by changing how you relate and respond to pain."
When living with chronic pain, the brain becomes hypersensitive to pain signals, which increases pain intensity. Pain functions as a danger signal when nerve endings send signals that the brain interprets as pain. The brain can misinterpret neutral or safe signals as threatening, producing pain without corresponding tissue damage. Chronic pain often reflects a misfiring pain alarm rather than structural injury. Perceived threat about the sensation and its impact on life generates fear and heightens brain alertness, amplifying pain. Pain can be recalibrated by changing how one relates and responds to sensations, treating pain as a sensation and operating from a place of safety.
Read at Psychology Today
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