Neuroplastic Pain is getting more and more attention as it seems to be the key to solving the pain puzzle for many people.
I'm going to tell you what it is.
But first, a story.
This story is taken from a book called "The Way Out: A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain" by Alan Gordon.
The pain started on my fortieth birthday. It was a big milestone, and I wasn't where I thought I would be in life. I was divorced and single, my kids were getting older, and I had an underlying fear that I would be alone for the rest of my life.
Of course, at the time, I didn't realize that turning forty was what did it. I thought my back hurt because I had gardened too much the day before. Over the next few years, I tried everything: I saw a chiropractor. I tried a physical therapist. Tried yoga. Tried a different kind of yoga hoping it would get deeper into my muscles. Then I kind of gave up and said, "This is just a part of me now."
Being in pain is depressing. My whole mindset changed. Before the pain started, I was a positive, optimistic, outgoing, love-to-have-fun person. But after, it was hard to even smile sometimes. Everything was a grey fog.
I have a pretty high threshold for pain. There's not a whole lot that scares me. I wouldn't say I was fearful of the pain. It was more like I felt beat down. I tried all these different things but it was like brick wall after brick wall, dead end after dead end. I just felt defeated.
When I learned about neuroplastic pain, I started seeing the pain in a new way. At first I was hopeless, because I didn't think it was going to change. But eventually, when I had the tools, I realized I was in control and it doesn't have to be that way. I went from feeling like I was at the pain's mercy to feeling like I had the power back. - Lindsay
Neuroplastic pain is pain that persists after an injury has healed or pain that has no clear physical cause.
For so many people, the pain persists after this physical cause has been resolved. I see it almost every day.
That is why I am pursuing other methods of addressing this kind of pain. I am taking a course right now to learn how to help resolve neuroplastic pain.
Before the end of the year, I will be incorporating this approach into treatment plans. I'm very excited about this and know it will help so many people.