Is Pain All in Your Brain?

Did you know that pain is created in your brain?

Yes, that ache or discomfort you feel is something your brain decides you should experience, often because it perceives a problem. In fact, your brain can trigger pain even if there is only the slightest hint of a potential threat to your body, not necessarily because there is actual tissue damage. This means that you can feel pain even when your body isn’t physically injured!

Interestingly, the reverse is also true: even when there is real tissue damage, your brain might not trigger the sensation of pain. This is what we call the "paradox of pain"—the pain you feel doesn’t always match the severity or even the location of a problem, if there’s one at all. Science has shown us that pain is ultimately created by the brain, not necessarily by the condition of the body.

Pain can be very helpful!

It’s our brain’s way of telling us that something isn’t right. Maybe we’ve overdone it during exercise, or we’re bending in ways that strain our body, or we’ve suffered an injury that needs time to heal. In these cases, pain is your body’s way of protecting you, helping you avoid further harm while your body recovers.

But what happens when pain persists even after the injury has healed? Or worse, what if the pain spreads to other areas of the body where no injury exists? This is when pain becomes unhelpful—it becomes its own problem. The brain has, in essence, learned to feel pain, even when it’s no longer necessary. This is due to something called neural plasticity, the brain's ability to adapt and change based on what it’s focused on.

Here's something fascinating

The more you focus on pain, the more the brain reinforces that experience, potentially making it worse. This is why focusing on what makes you happy, what’s going well, and what you’re grateful for can actually help in the healing process.

Positivity can help “retrain” the brain away from focusing on pain.

Chiropractic care can also play a role in this process. Studies show that chiropractic adjustments not only help with back pain, neck pain, and some types of headaches, but they also change brain function. Chiropractic care has a neuroplastic effect on the brain, meaning that adjustments can change the way your brain perceives pain. When chiropractors adjust your spine, it helps improve the communication between your brain and body. This allows your brain to more accurately understand what’s happening in your body and, ultimately, control pain better.

This is why your chiropractor may not always adjust the exact spot where you feel pain. Instead, they focus on areas of your spine and body that aren’t moving as they should. By adjusting these areas, your chiropractor helps your brain gain a clearer picture of what’s going on in your body, reducing the miscommunication that can lead to persistent or unnecessary pain.

So, if you’re experiencing pain—whether it’s recent or long-standing—consider visiting your family chiropractor. By improving your brain-body connection, we can help your brain “switch off” unnecessary pain and help you get back to living pain-free.

For more information or to schedule a visit, reach out to us at Lane Cove Chiropractic, where we focus on helping your brain and body work together for optimal health.

For more information and to watch an informative video on Pain in the Brain click here.

Dr Mark has a special interest in helping recreational athletes of all ages perform better and prevent injury. Correct breathing and postural alignment are critical for top performance and injury prevention and is an integral part of “The Over 40 Athlete System” that Mark has developed.

Dr Julie has a special interest in helping mothers and “mothers to be”. Her Post Graduate qualifications in Paediatric Chiropractic and as an ex-midwife give her a unique ability to help pregnant women, new mums and their young children.

Yours in Health,

Dr's Mark & Julie