This is a vital concept in understanding a specific type of chronic pain. This is chronic pain that does not have an underlying physical cause. This can be:
- when you have ongoing discomfort from an injury that has healed
- when you have a malfunction in your pain system
It’s important to understand here – the ache is real. And the reason that it’s so powerful is that your brain has amplified it. In order to keep a close watch on an area your brain believes may be in danger, it has created a ‘pain hotline’ – a designated neural pathway straight from the sore area to the pain receptors in your brain.
It’s like holding a magnifying glass to the sore area, or turning up the volume on a sound you don’t like.
There are strategies you can employ to help turn off the hotline.
1. Understand how sensations of discomfort are percieved in your brain
2. Try to recover your natural movement patterns. Movements when you are anticipating a twinge or pang are usually stiff and full of tension, and can perpetuate soreness.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi,
I’m trying to understand whether deep thigh pain (described as pain in bone), in my eleven year old daughter is stemming from a pain syndrome without underlying problem, and if so, how to go about treating. She remains active and tries hard to use the leg, but cannot put any weight on the leg without severe pain. Pain is present all the time, simply worse when putting weight on it. There is also one focal spot lower mid thigh, that with deep pressure is particularly painful. Pain has been present for nine months and continues to get slowly progressively worse. MRI and xray done early on were both negative.
Thank you.
One other thing to add to my earlier comment on my eleven year old daughter with leg pain. There was no accident or injury that caused the pain.