Pain reprocessing therapy (PRT).
Transforming the treatment of chronic pain – What is Pain Reprocessing Therapy?
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is an advanced treatment designed specifically for chronic pain that challenges the traditional assumptions about why pain persists. Unlike conventional methods focusing solely on physical symptoms, PRT addresses pain through the lens of neuroscience, that all pain stems from the brain. Neutral messages from the nervous system are sent up to the brain and a danger alarm signal is triggered. Sometimes this is a misinterpretation of signals and its leads to pain or other alarm symptoms like anxiety or fatigue.
Imagine if your car’s alarm system went haywire and started flashing warnings and loudly beeping every time you approached a speed bump, even though your car was in perfect condition. This is somewhat akin to what happens in cases of chronic pain where the “pain alarm system” (the brain) is alerting you to injuries that don’t exist or are no longer present.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and emotional awareness and expression therapy (EAT) are like skilled mechanics who specialize not only in fixing cars but also in rewiring faulty alarm systems. They help recalibrate the brain’s response to pain by addressing not just the physical symptoms but also the emotional and psychological triggers, turning off unnecessary alarms and restoring a sense of normality.
How does PRT Work?
PRT employs a structured approach to help patients reinterpret and manage their pain differently:
1. The initial assessment is important, so I know about your pain symptoms and the history of the problem. Together we gather evidence and decide if PRT is the best approach for you. If we know the pain is neuroplastic, then we also know that the pain can be reversed.
2. Education: In each session you will learn about the brain’s role in pain and why pain can persist even in the absence of an injury. It includes the latest neuroscience and how it is applicable to you. At each stage you’re in control and learning more about your symptoms and how and why they might be presenting in the body. We explore this together.
3. Reinterpretation: In therapy we use technique called somatic tracking which shifts the perception of pain from a threat or injury signal to a false alarm. The goal here is not to reduce the pain immediately but rather to be able to observe it from a different perspective. It can be difficult at first, but this is where with my years of experience I can guide you and build confidence.
4. Emotional Processing: Together at a pace that suits you we explore and address emotional factors like fear, stress, anxiety, or trauma that may be a part of the symptoms you are experiencing. Often there are emotional barriers that you might not even be aware of that are contributing to your pain.
5. Moving towards the life you want to live. I help you re-engage with life. Gradually and safely returning to activities previously avoided. This is at a pace that suits you, remembering that we all have a unique set of experiences. Sometimes this will involve revisiting some of the earlier stages and perhaps adapting techniques so that they best suit you. It’s also not uncommon to have adjustment periods where symptoms return; but I will be there by your side to help you through this.
Conditions That Benefit from PRT
+ Chronic back and neck pain.
+ Fibromyalgia.
+ Migraine and chronic headaches / dizziness.
+ Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Anxiety.
+ Chronic pelvic pain.
+ Tempero Madndibular Joint pain (TMJ).
+ Tinitus.+ Fatigue and Long COVID
Why Choose PRT (Pain reprocessing therapy)?
PRT offers a potent alternative to traditional pain management, aiming not just to alleviate symptoms but to eliminate chronic pain by helping the brain process pain signals more accurately. Many patients who undergo PRT experience significant reductions in pain and improvement in life quality, gaining freedom from the constraints of chronic pain.
Here is a link to a study which found PRT to be so helpful. (research paper)
Another study in 2021 showed how effective Pain Reprocessing therapy was in treating low back pain versus usual care and a placebo.
This one also demonstrates it’s effectiveness: Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy Achieves Greater Pain Reduction than Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Older Adults with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Preliminary Randomized Comparison Trial
There is also a film which was produced hilighting the effectiveness of this treatment for chronic pain.
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A brilliant therapist
she put me at ease
great empathy for my life
What does therapy with me look like?
During the sessions, we look at all aspects of yourself, considering your emotions, attitudes and beliefs about things (there is no judgement here) and the physical struggles you might be feeling in your body. We will consider the relationship between the two and develop awareness of the nature of that connection to release tension, emotion and pain.
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