The Brain Creates Pain
What people often call stored trauma isn’t held in the muscles or fascia. Instead, it’s patterns in the brain (neurotags): networks of neurons that link sensation, emotion, meaning, and protection. We may consciously feel these patterns in our body, but the brain creates pain.
IASP
In 2020, the IASP redefined it as,
“An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.”
- Pain is always a personal experience that is influenced to varying degrees by biological, psychological, and social factors
- Pain and nociception are different phenomena. Pain cannot be inferred solely from activity in sensory neurons.
- Through their life experiences, individuals learn the concept of pain.
- A person’s report of an experience as pain should be respected.
- Although pain usually serves an adaptive role, it may have adverse effects on function and social and psychological well-being.
- Verbal description is only one of several behaviors to express pain; inability to communicate does not negate the possibility that a human or a nonhuman animal experiences pain.
What is Pain
In 2020, the International Association of Pain (IASP) redefined pain as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling, “An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.”
This reminds us of several important truths. Pain is always a personal experience. Biological, psychological, and social factors shape it. It is not the same as nociception, and cannot be measured by the tests that measure signal activity.
This part is really important to people who have chronic pain. You don’t need a scan or test to prove you have pain. It is a lived experience, not an assessment made by a doctor or physician. All pain is real. If you are hurting right now, I want you to know that I will always believe you when you say you are hurting.
Additionally, while pain is supposed to serve a protective role, it sometimes happens when there is no danger. Discovering Safety Within and pain management coaching honor these ideas, and with guided learning and instruction, I will help you develop the skills to give yourself peace, ease, and pain relief.
The Brain Creates Pain
Pain is not a simple signal traveling from the body to the brain. It is created through the coordinated activity of many areas of the brain.
Without the brain’s ability to interpret incoming information, the body’s raw data would remain a confusing mix of sensations. The brain acts like a conductor, bringing together networks of neurons (neurotags) to evaluate what the information means and determine whether you will experience an emotion, sensation, or pain.
You are not a passive receiver of pain, because the brain constructs each experience. By learning to recognize and balance your brain’s perception of danger and safety, you can influence how you feel.
Does Pain Hurt?
Yes. Pain is, by definition, unpleasant. The hurt is real. It is not imagined or “all in your head.” When you say you are in pain, you deserve to be believed.
The intensity of your discomfort is not a direct measure of the severity of an injury. Two people with similar injuries can experience different degrees of pain. Your discomfort can be influenced by how rested you are, the context, and past experiences.
For example, someone who previously injured their knee and went through a long, painful recovery may feel more intense pain from a minor strain than someone else who has no history of knee pain or problems. Prior experiences shape how your brain interprets signals from the area, so even a less severe injury can feel more threatening and produce more severe pain.
Learn more about pain by reading Pain Is an Output.
How Does Pain Hurt
Pain hurts because the brain constructs it as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. Sensors in the body detect potentially harmful stimuli and send information to the spinal cord and brain.
The brain weighs it alongside other inputs: your emotional state, expectations, past experiences, sense of safety and threat, and the meaning you give to the experience. When the brain decides that protection is needed, it produces the experience of pain.
This is why pain can continue after an injury has healed, spread, and intensify during stress even when you are not being physically hurt.
Learn more about how pain hurts by reading the mechanism of pain.
Why Does Pain Hurt
Pain hurts because it is designed to protect you. The unpleasant sensation is meant to motivate you to change what you are doing, rest, investigate the area, seek help, or avoid further harm. A pain system that did not hurt would fail to keep you safe.
In most cases, this protective function is useful. When it becomes overprotective, it can produce pain that doesn’t match the threat level. Learn more about how chronic pain is an overprotective parent.
How Does Pain Affect the Body?
Although pain is produced by the brain, its effects are felt throughout the body. Physically, ongoing pain often leads to muscle guarding, changes in movement, reduced activity, and shifts in posture. Sleep can become lighter or less replenishing. Fatigue is common, and the nervous system can become more sensitive, so that ordinary sensations begin to feel threatening.
Emotionally and socially, persistent pain can reduce confidence in movement, increase hypervigilance, and increase the perception of danger even with ordinary activities.
These effects are real, but not fixed, because the patterns that produce them can change.
Learn more about how pain affects the body by reading about multiple protective systems.
Take the Next Step
If this way of understanding pain resonates with you and you would like support in applying it to your own experience, pain management coaching can help. Together we can explore how your pain patterns work, build practical skills for greater safety and ease, and create a path that fits your life.
Disclaimer
Information provided on this website, including educational materials, pain neuroscience explanations, treatment suggestions, and any other content shared during sessions, classes, or coaching, is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
You should always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical concerns. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information you receive here.
Jennifer Brand Spa
Pain Management at 2717 Hwy K, O’Fallon, MO 63368