Pain Pathophysiology: Understanding How Chronic Pain Works in Your Body
Living with chronic pain can be both physically and emotionally exhausting. Many of our patients ask, “What’s actually happening in my body when I feel this pain?”
What Happens When Pain Becomes Chronic?
Pain is the body’s warning system – it tells you when something is wrong and needs attention. Sometimes, however, this system can malfunction, causing pain that continues even after an injury has healed or without any clear physical damage. When this pain lasts longer than 6 months, it is called chronic pain, and it happens because of specific changes in your nervous system.
Three Ways Your Pain System Can Change Over Time:
- Your Body’s Volume Control Gets Turned Up
Imagine your nervous system has a volume knob for pain signals. With chronic pain, this knob gets stuck on “high.” Your brain and spinal cord become overly sensitive, turning even mild sensations into painful experiences. Activities that shouldn’t hurt – like light touch or gentle movement – can trigger significant discomfort.
- Pain Sensors Become Extra Sensitive
The pain sensors throughout your body can also become more sensitive than normal. Think of them as motion detectors that start going off with the slightest movement rather than only when there’s real danger.
- Your Brain Creates “Pain Highways”
Your brain is constantly adapting and creating pathways based on experience. With chronic pain, it develops strong “pain highways” that become the default route for signals. Over time, these pathways become so established that pain messages travel more easily and frequently.
The Echo Effect
When you experience repeated pain signals, your spinal cord can develop an “echo effect” where it continues sending pain messages to your brain even after the painful stimulus has stopped. This is like how an echo continues after the original sound has ended.
Your Immune System Gets Involved
Your body’s immune system, which normally fights infection, can accidentally contribute to chronic pain. Certain immune cells can release chemicals that irritate your nerves and keep pain signals firing.
Three Different Types of Chronic Pain
- Pain from Tissue Damage
This is the most straightforward type of pain, coming from actual injury to muscles, bones, or organs. It’s usually well-defined and responds to standard pain treatments.
- Nerve Pain
When the nerves themselves are damaged or not working properly, they can send incorrect pain signals. This often feels different from regular pain – it might burn, shock, or tingle. Many traditional pain medications don’t work well for this type.
- Pain Without Clear Physical Damage
Sometimes extensive testing shows no clear physical cause for pain, yet the pain is very real. Conditions like fibromyalgia fall into this category. This happens because the pain processing system itself has changed.
Balanced Pain Treatment
Understanding how chronic pain works helps us develop better treatments:
- Some medications work by calming down your oversensitive nervous system
- Physical therapy can help retrain your brain and nervous system
- Interventional procedures can interrupt the abnormal pain signals
- Psychological approaches help manage the brain’s response to pain
- Lifestyle changes can reduce inflammation and immune system irritation
At Edgewood Spine and Pain Management we look at the specific mechanisms causing your pain to create a personalized treatment plan. We don’t just mask symptoms – we address what’s actually happening in your body.
Hope for Healing
Chronic pain isn’t just “all in your head,” but it also involves complex changes throughout your nervous system. The good news is that your nervous system can change again in positive ways. With the right approach, many people experience significant improvement in their pain and quality of life.
If you’re struggling with chronic pain, our team is here to help you understand what’s happening in your body and develop a plan to address it. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
