The BEST WAYS To Heal Chronic Pain & Trauma WITHOUT Medication | Howard Schubiner
Dr Rangan Chatterjee・98 minutes read
Chronic pain research is groundbreaking, highlighting the role of neural circuits in conditions like migraines; understanding the brain's involvement is essential for effective treatment and healing. Personal experiences demonstrate how changing self-talk and mindset can impact physical abilities, emphasizing the importance of addressing emotional triggers and utilizing innovative therapies for chronic pain management.
Insights
- Chronic pain can be generated by the brain due to stress and emotions, not necessarily linked to physical issues, highlighting the importance of understanding neural circuits in pain perception.
- Emotional pain can manifest as physical pain, and dismissing emotional pain as "all in your head" is both cruel and ignorant, emphasizing the significance of validating emotional experiences in chronic pain management.
- The brain's role in predicting and generating pain experiences is crucial, with retraining the brain and addressing emotional processing essential in alleviating chronic pain, showcasing the need for a comprehensive, empathetic approach in chronic pain care.
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Recent questions
What is chronic pain and its causes?
Chronic pain is a condition lasting an extended period, often due to neural circuits rather than structural issues. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain can be linked to stress and emotions activating these circuits, not necessarily a physical problem in the body. Understanding the brain's role in pain perception is crucial, as it decides whether to generate pain signals, even without physical injury. Common chronic pain conditions like primary headaches may not stem from structural disorders but neural circuit activation. Emotional pain can manifest as physical pain due to the brain's ability to create experiences, emphasizing the importance of validating emotional pain rather than dismissing it as "all in your head."
How can chronic pain be managed effectively?
Chronic pain can be managed effectively by addressing the root cause rather than just managing symptoms. Techniques like pain reprocessing therapy, mindfulness meditation, and yoga can help individuals observe and reframe their pain, shifting their perception and response to it. Interrupting the cycle of pain and fear through these methods can aid in managing and alleviating chronic pain. It is crucial to balance being good and kind with standing up for oneself and learning to say no when necessary, as adaptive techniques like being a people pleaser and perfectionist can lead to internal pressure and contribute to chronic pain.
What role does emotional processing play in chronic pain?
Emotional processing plays a significant role in chronic pain, as unprocessed emotions stored in the body can lead to pain generation, creating a vicious cycle of pain and fear. Therapists and behavioral health professionals are better equipped to care for chronic pain patients due to their focus on emotional processing. Personality traits developed in response to childhood experiences can influence the likelihood of suffering from chronic pain, highlighting the importance of emotional awareness and expression therapy in healing. Balancing compassion, understanding, and careful investigation are key in addressing chronic pain, stripping away fear and unhelpful labels.
How can individuals retrain their brains to alleviate chronic pain?
Individuals can retrain their brains to alleviate chronic pain by engaging in techniques like pain reprocessing therapy, mindfulness meditation, and yoga. These practices help individuals observe and reframe their pain, shifting their perception and response to it. The brain generates pain, and retraining it is essential to eliminate pain and aid in healing. Interrupting the cycle of pain and fear through these methods can help individuals manage and alleviate chronic pain, emphasizing the importance of understanding the brain's role in predictive processing and addressing chronic pain.
What are some alternative approaches to managing chronic pain?
Alternative approaches to managing chronic pain include stress movement therapy, mindfulness meditation, and yoga. These practices can help individuals observe and reframe their pain, shifting their perception and response to it. Personal experiences and unique responses to life's challenges shape individuals' behaviors and coping mechanisms, highlighting the importance of emotional awareness and expression therapy in healing. Taking a compassionate and comprehensive approach to chronic pain can lead to significant improvements, as seen in individual cases, emphasizing the power of the brain, social connections, and lifestyle impacts on daily life.
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Understanding The Causes of Pain and Pain Management
Summary
00:00
"Understanding Chronic Pain: Brain's Role and Validation"
- Chronic pain research is considered groundbreaking, benefiting both practitioners and patients globally.
- Pain is a protective mechanism created by the brain, often not indicative of a structural issue in the body.
- Chronic pain, unlike acute pain, is not necessarily linked to a physical problem but can be due to neural circuits activated by stress and emotions.
- Common chronic pain conditions include primary headaches, affecting millions in the U.S., with most cases not stemming from structural disorders.
- Understanding the brain's role in pain perception is crucial, as it decides whether to generate pain signals, even in the absence of physical injury.
- Emotional pain can manifest as physical pain due to the brain's ability to create experiences, as seen in cases like chronic headaches.
- Validation of emotional pain is essential, as dismissing it as "all in your head" is both cruel and ignorant.
- Sympathy for physical injuries is more common than for emotional pain, which is often hidden but equally valid.
- Chronic pain conditions like migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and pelvic pain can be linked to past emotional traumas and stress.
- Chronic pain encompasses any pain lasting for an extended period, often due to neural circuitry rather than structural issues.
17:04
"Chronic Pain: Neural Circuits Over Structural Causes"
- TMJ pain is often neural circuit-based or mind-body type pain, not necessarily structural.
- Conditions like costochondritis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pelvic pain, and fibromyalgia are often misdiagnosed due to non-structural pain.
- 88 out of 220 patients with chronic neck and back pain were found to have non-structural pain, challenging common diagnoses.
- Anxiety, depression, fatigue, and eating disorders can be produced by the brain under stress.
- MRI scans often show abnormalities in people without pain, with percentages increasing with age.
- Misinterpreting MRI results as the cause of pain can lead to unnecessary treatments like medication, injections, or surgery.
- Surgery for neck or back pain lacks evidence of effectiveness and can worsen conditions due to fear-induced neural circuits.
- Healthcare professionals' influence on patients' beliefs can exacerbate conditions by reinforcing erroneous diagnoses.
- Personal experience with chronic pain highlights the role of neural circuits and fear in perpetuating pain.
- Neural circuits can be conditioned to react to various stressors, leading to chronic pain even after physical healing.
33:17
"Uncovering Root Cause: Healing Chronic Pain"
- Pain became chronic due to activated neural circuits reinforced over time
- Fear and self-doubt arose affecting daily activities like lifting, leading to chronic pain
- Explored various therapies due to inability to play sports, sit for long periods, or drive
- Discovered biomechanics expert Gary Ward who identified and corrected foot pronation issue
- Immediate relief in lower back after simple five-minute exercise for right foot
- Quality of life improved significantly, allowing a return to sports and long drives
- Emotional trigger for chronic pain linked to father's illness and responsibilities
- Realization of fulfilled obligation to care for father led to immediate relief in back pain
- Chronic pain signals are the brain's way of alerting to underlying issues or emotions
- Understanding the root cause of pain can lead to healing and improvements in overall life
50:02
Overcoming Pain: Mindset and Mental Health
- David Goggins, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, emphasizes that when you feel like you can't continue, you're only 40% through your capacity.
- Tim Knox, an exercise physiologist, discusses the concept of "the governor," a mental barrier that makes you feel like you can't go on during physical exertion.
- Self-talk plays a crucial role in physical performance, with positive affirmations leading to better outcomes.
- A personal anecdote illustrates how changing one's self-talk and mindset can impact physical abilities, even in situations previously associated with pain or strain.
- Pain reprocessing therapy involves changing the narrative around pain, understanding it as a neural circuit issue that can be reversed.
- In a study on chronic back pain, 75% of participants were pain-free after one month of pain reprocessing therapy.
- Elliot Kipchoge, a marathon runner, exemplifies how smiling and positive self-talk can help endure pain during physical exertion.
- Pushback against the concept of pain reprocessing therapy is common, with misunderstandings about the reality of pain and its treatment.
- Chronic pain conditions, such as back pain, are closely linked to rising rates of anxiety and depression in society.
- Studies show a correlation between stress levels, anxiety, and rates of back pain, highlighting the importance of addressing mental health in chronic pain management.
01:05:38
Psychological factors outweigh physical causes in pain.
- Posture matters but not significantly in causing chronic pain; other factors like fear, stress, and worry play a more significant role.
- Typing alone does not cause repetitive strain injury (RSI); societal factors like fear and stress contribute more significantly.
- In the 80s, an epidemic of RSI in Australia was fueled by increased awareness and media coverage, leading to higher diagnosis rates.
- Cultural differences influence how stress and emotions manifest physically; back pain rates vary across societies.
- Workplace mistreatment by management is a significant factor in musculoskeletal pain development, more so than physical activity.
- Childhood adverse events significantly impact the success of back surgeries; those with more adverse events have lower success rates.
- Language granularity affects how pain is expressed and understood; different cultures may lack specific terms for certain conditions.
- Surgeons acknowledge the importance of empathy and listening in treating chronic pain, emphasizing the need for emotional support.
- Therapists and behavioral health professionals are better equipped to care for chronic pain patients due to their focus on emotional processing.
- The brain's predictive processing can lead to real pain experiences, as illustrated by cases of no pain with a nail in hand and severe pain with no injury.
01:21:46
Healing Chronic Pain Through Brain Retraining
- In the second case, a man injured in the Vietnam War experienced pain from a shrapnel wound that eventually healed, but the pain resurfaced 20 years later due to a triggered response from a past neural circuit.
- Understanding how the brain works in predictive processing is crucial in addressing chronic pain, which is often not taught in medical school.
- The brain generates pain, and retraining the brain is essential to eliminate it and aid in healing.
- The book "Unlearn Your Pain" is recommended for patients struggling with chronic pain, offering practical exercises and research-based information.
- Resources for professionals include the book "Hidden from View" and training sessions available through organizations like Serpa.org.
- Emotions and unprocessed emotions stored in the body can lead to pain generation, creating a vicious cycle of pain and fear.
- Interrupting this cycle through techniques like pain reprocessing can help individuals manage and alleviate chronic pain.
- Mindfulness meditation plays a role in this process by helping individuals observe and reframe their pain, shifting their perception and response to it.
- Yoga and deep breathing practices can also aid in changing the perception of pain by calming the autonomic nervous system and providing a sense of control.
- Personality traits developed in response to childhood experiences can influence the likelihood of suffering from chronic pain, highlighting the importance of emotional awareness and expression therapy in healing.
01:38:20
Balancing Compassion and Self-Advocacy in Pain Management
- Adaptive techniques like being a people pleaser and perfectionist can lead to putting oneself last, causing internal pressure.
- It is crucial to balance being good and kind with standing up for oneself and learning to say no when necessary.
- Personal experiences and unique responses to life's challenges shape individuals' behaviors and coping mechanisms.
- Chronic pain is a prevalent issue that requires understanding and addressing the root cause rather than just managing symptoms.
- Pain medications are essential for alleviating suffering, especially in severe cases like metastatic cancer, but should be used judiciously.
- Forced reductions of pain medications can trigger the nocebo effect, increasing fear and making tapering off medication harder.
- Individualized assessments are vital in determining the appropriate approach to managing chronic pain, considering each person's unique circumstances.
- Compassion, understanding, and careful investigation are key in addressing chronic pain, stripping away fear and unhelpful labels.
- Taking a compassionate and comprehensive approach to chronic pain can lead to significant improvements, as seen in individual cases.
- Reassessing and reevaluating accumulated diagnoses and labels can help in focusing on creating health and addressing the root causes of pain and suffering.
01:54:06
"Stress therapy leads to pain-free recovery"
- A patient experienced significant pain relief after engaging in stress movement therapy, becoming pain-free within six weeks and eventually off all medication two years later.
- The power of the brain, social connections, and lifestyle impacts our daily lives immensely, highlighting the importance of alternative approaches to managing suffering, with a call for healthcare professionals to explore and share these methods to benefit more individuals.
