Take Our Quiz: Do You Experience Chronic/Neuroplastic Pain?

Chronic/neuroplastic pain affects millions of people worldwide, and many struggle with worry over whether their discomfort stems from something structural. Only a medical evaluation can determine whether a structural defect or damage is causing your pain, but when no specific cause is found, your pain is most like neuroplastic. The good news is that most, if not all, neuroplastic pain responds to Pain Reprocessing Therapy.

Back pain is frequently neurooplastic.

Recognizing that your chronic pain is neuroplastic early can make a significant difference in managing symptoms and improving quality of life, as well as responding to treatment for a full recovery. But even if you've had neuroplastic pain for years, it is still possible to recover and reclaim your life. This post will guide you through understanding chronic/neuroplastic pain, help you identify if you might be experiencing it, and offer practical steps to take next.

What Is Chronic or Neuroplastic Pain?

Chronic or neuroplastic pain is pain that lasts longer than three months or beyond the usual healing time for an injury. Unlike acute pain, which signals immediate harm and fades as the body heals, chronic pain persists and can interfere with daily activities, sleep, and emotional well-being. Over time, different areas of the brain begin to register and create pain signals, even when the original injury has healed.

Chronic pain can arise from various causes, including:

• Injuries or trauma that heal but continue to feel painful

• Conditions like CRPS, arthritis or fibromyalgia

• Nerve damage

• Unknown reasons, where no clear cause is found

  
  

It’s important to understand that chronic pain is not just a physical sensation. It often has a strong mental health component, leading to anxiety, depression, and/or social withdrawal.

Signs You Might Have Chronic Pain

If you’re unsure whether your pain is chronic/neuroplastic, consider these common signs:

• Pain lasting more than three months

• Pain that persists despite treatment or medication

• Pain that affects your ability to work, sleep, or enjoy activities

• Pain that moves to other parts of your body

• Emotional changes like irritability or sadness linked to pain

• Pain that fluctuates in intensity but never fully disappears

For example, someone with chronic lower back pain might find it difficult to sit for long periods or sleep comfortably. Over time, this can lead to frustration and fatigue, which worsen the pain experience.

Take Our Quiz: Assess Your Pain

Answer the following questions honestly to get a better sense of your pain:

1.       How long have you been experiencing your current pain?

a.       Less than 3 months

b.       More than 3 months

2.       Has your doctor completed diagnostic testing without finding a definite cause for your pain or illness?

a.       Yes

b.       No

c.       It's unclear

3. Have you noticed changes in your mood or sleep patterns since the pain started?

a.       No

b.       Yes, mild changes

c.       Yes, significant changes

4.       Have you tried treatments or medications that did not fully relieve your pain?

a.       No, my pain responds to treatment well

b.       Yes, I tried several treatments that helped at first but then the pain came back

c.       Yes, I tried several treatments but got no relief from my pain

5.       Does your pain come and go, or is it constant?

a.       Constant, it hurts all the time

b.       Comes and goes, sometimes I don’t hurt much at all

c.       Comes and goes, from bad to worse

6.        Is your pain always in the same spot on your body or does it spread and move to other parts of your body?

a.       It is always in the same place

b.       It sometimes move to the other side of my body (symetrical pain)

c.       It sometimes spreads to other parts of my body

7.       If an activity makes your pain worse, does it hurt while doing that activity or later?

a.       It hurts when I am engaged in a triggering activity

b.       It hurts after I stop doing a triggering activity

8.       Did your pain start during a particularly stressful time in your life?                  

a.       No

b.       Yes

9.       If a child you care about was living in the same kind of home as you grew up in, would you be concerned or upset?

a.       No

b.       Yes

10.   Do you have certain personality traits such as perfectionism, self-criticism, over-conscientiousness, a high sense of responsibility?

a.       No

b.       Yes

Look back at your answers and count how many times you answered a, b, or c.

a.       __________    b. __________   c. _________

If you answered with mostly “a”, it is likely that you are not experiencing chronic/neuroplastic pain. You may still be healing from an injury, or you might have a structural issue, or you might have an autoimmune condition. You will want to discuss your pain with a medical doctor to determine the underlying cause of your pain.

If you answered with mostly “b”, you are most likely living with chronic/neuroplastic pain. The good news is this type of pain responds well to Pain Reprocessing Therapy. Contact me or another Pain therapist to discuss how this type of treatment could help you.

If you answered with mostly “b” and “c”, you almost definitely are living with intense chronic/neuroplastic pain. Take advantage of the complimentary session I offer to see if working with a Pain Therapist will help.