A science-backed, slightly sarcastic explanation of pain, plasticity, and how chiropractic care fits in

Have you ever thought,

“Why does this still hurt even though nothing is ‘wrong’ anymore?”

First of all: congratulations, your nervous system is doing exactly what it was designed to do but is a little too enthusiastic.

Chronic pain is not just a “tissue problem.”
It may also be a brain problem. Brain problem? That may sound scary but let’s clarify:

It does not mean your pain you experience is imaginary. What it may mean is your brain adapted really well to pain.

Let’s talk about why.

Pain Is a Brain Experience (Even When It Starts in the Body)

Pain does not live in your back, neck, or shoulder.

Pain lives in the brain (even though your brain does not have pain receptors).

Your tissues send information → your nervous system processes it → your brain decides how threatening it is → then you feel pain.

In acute injuries, this system is helpful. In chronic pain, the system may get a bit dramatic.

📚 Research from Apkarian et al., Nature Reviews Neuroscience shows that people with chronic pain experience measurable changes in brain structure and function, particularly in areas responsible for:

pain perception
emotion
movement control
attention

Your brain doesn’t just feel pain — it learns it.

Neuroplasticity: When the Brain Learns the Wrong Lesson

Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to change. In many situations, this is usually great because it helps you learn new skills, habits, and movement patterns.

Unfortunately, with chronic pain the brain can learn to:

amplify pain signals
perceive normal movement as threatening
keep pain going long after tissues have healed

Those learned behaviors are called central sensitization. In a nutshell, central sensitization turns the volume up on your pain and it stays there.

📚 NIH- and PubMed-indexed research by Flor et al., Pain; Moseley, Pain confirms:

chronic pain alters cortical maps
movement-related brain regions become less efficient
fear and pain circuits become tightly linked

So no, you are not “weak.” Your nervous system is just overprotective.

Why Conditions and Imaging Often Don’t Match Pain

Just because someone does not have pain in a given area, does not mean there isn’t something happening behind the scenes. This is where people get confused.

For instance someone can have disc herniations, disc degeneration, arthritis, etc and feel fine while another person can have a normal MRI result but feel miserable.

📚 Large population studies show that many imaging findings are common in pain-free individuals (Brinjikji et al., AJNR).

Pain ≠ damage.
Pain = perception + context + nervous system sensitivity.

So Where Does Chiropractic Care Fit In?

While Chiropractic care does not “erase pain from the brain,” it can influence the nervous system that feeds the brain information. Let’s discuss how.

🧠 Improved Sensory Input

Spinal joints are loaded with mechanoreceptors. Adjustments and manual therapy provide novel, non-threatening sensory input, which may help recalibrate how the nervous system processes movement.

📚 Studies show spinal manipulation can influence sensorimotor integration and cortical processing (Haavik & Murphy, Brain Sciences).

🧠 Restoring Movement Confidence

Pain changes how people move. Avoidance may reinforce the threat. Restoring safe, comfortable movement helps teach the brain:

“Hey, this movement might not be dangerous after all.”

🧠 Reducing Pain → Allowing Relearning

Retraining movement when everything hurts may be impossible. Reducing pain improves participation in movement, rehab, and daily life. This supports healthier brain-body feedback loops.

🧠 Education (Yes, This Blog Counts)

Understanding pain reduces fear. Pain hurts but it’s also good in the way because pain tells the brain that something is up.

📚 Pain neuroscience education has been shown to improve outcomes in chronic pain (Moseley & Butler, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther).

Knowledge is analgesic.

The Big Takeaway

Chronic pain is not a character flaw or a weakness. You’re not “failing to heal.” Your nervous system learned a lesson too well and can learn a better one.

Movement, education, reassurance, and appropriate manual care all help rewrite that story.

Your brain is adaptable. Your pain system is trainable.

Don’t worry, you are not broken.

References

Apkarian AV, et al. Chronic pain and the brain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
Flor H, et al. Cortical reorganization in chronic pain. Pain.
Moseley GL. Pain, fear, and the brain. Pain.
Brinjikji W, et al. Imaging findings in asymptomatic populations. AJNR.
Haavik H, Murphy B. Sensorimotor integration and spinal manipulation. Brain Sciences.
Moseley GL, Butler DS. Pain neuroscience education. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther.

For Educational Purposes Only

The information provided in these articles is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Reading these articles does not establish a doctor–patient relationship. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding individual health concerns or treatment decisions.

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