Can Your Brain Be Retrained to Stop Chronic Back Pain? The Science of Pain Reprocessing Therapy

Pain Reprocessing Therapy is a cutting-edge, evidence-based psychological treatment designed specifically for people living with chronic neuroplastic pain. Developed by psychologist Alan Gordon and supported by landmark research from the University of Colorado Boulder, PRT helps the brain unlearn pain signals that have become stuck in a loop long after any original injury has healed.

In a clinical trial, 66% of chronic back pain sufferers became pain-free or nearly pain-free after just eight sessions of PRT — results that outperformed both placebo and standard care.

Having personally used this technique to help me get rid of the neck pain I had developed after a car accident 20 years ago, I am now using it with success with my clients who have long term back and neck pain (where it has been assessed as neuroplastic pain.)

So what Is Neuroplastic Pain?

Neuroplastic pain — sometimes called mind-body pain or psychophysiologic pain — occurs when the nervous system becomes sensitised and begins generating pain signals even in the absence of tissue damage. It's not imagined. It's a very real, measurable misfiring of learned neural pathways.

Common signs of neuroplastic pain include:

• Chronic back pain with no clear structural cause where

  medical professionals cannot find a cause and see no reason for the pain.

• Pain that moves, fluctuates, or spreads

• Pain that worsens with stress or emotions

• Previous treatments (injections, surgery, physiotherapy) that haven't worked

• Pain that started during a stressful life period

• The individual has experienced past trauma.

How Does Pain Reprocessing Therapy Work?

PRT works by targeting the root cause of neuroplastic pain — the brain's faulty alarm system. Through a structured programme of sessions, clients learn to:

1. Understand the neuroscience behind their pain — breaking the fear-pain cycle

2. Attend to pain differently — using a technique called somatic tracking to observe pain sensations with curiosity rather than fear

3. Generate safety signals — helping the brain learn that the body is safe, gradually quieting the pain response

4. Address psychological contributors — unresolved stress, trauma, or emotional patterns that may be sustaining the pain signal

Unlike traditional treatments that focus on the body, PRT addresses the neurological and psychological root of chronic pain, making it particularly effective for long-term sufferers who haven't responded to conventional approaches.

Who Is PRT For?

PRT is especially well suited for people who:

• Have experienced chronic back pain for 3 months or longer

• Have had scans showing little or no structural damage relative to their pain levels

• Feel their pain is unpredictable, stress-related, or emotionally influenced

• Feel trapped by long-term pain

• Want a drug-free, non-invasive treatment for chronic pain

Is Pain Reprocessing Therapy Available in the UK?

Yes. As a PRT practitioner, I offer Pain Reprocessing Therapy in Essex and online across the UK. Sessions are tailored to you and delivered in a calm, supportive environment with the science firmly behind every step.

Take the First Step Towards a Life Without Chronic Pain

If you recognise yourself in what you've read — if you've been told your back "should" be better by now — Pain Reprocessing Therapy could be the answer you've been looking for.

Uniquely I combine PRT with Personal Training to help you reduce the fear of movement and start enjoying life. I have personally found PRT to be the only treatment to have worked on my neck pain; despite years of Physiotherapy, Osteopathy, Acupuncture and scans.

I’m Maria Fernandez, a Personal Trainer who specialises in working with people who have back pain.

Get in touch if you’d like to discuss your pain with me.