“In chronic pain, the neurons get stuck in a rut of abnormal patterns of activity, becoming underactive or overactive.'”
– John J. Ratey, MD
Why the focus on how lifestyle choices impact the brain? The brain senses “ongoing danger and the pain pathways are reinforced instead of inhibited…the pain signaling has relentlessly wired the brain to enhance pain pathways”—keeping the pain turned on.
It’s now an accepted fact that “we only experience pain when the electrical signals reach the thinking part of our brains.” This is why neuroscientists subscribe to the idea that pain takes place in a person’s mind. Before it was given any credibility, Dr. Brand believed that if we can learn to control the thinking stage of pain, “we will most likely succeed in keeping pain in its proper place, as servant and not master.” So, what is the mind’s secret to pain control?
At least 16 places in the brain have been identified as pain-signaling sites, 9 of which are in the “thinking” part of the brain. Only about 5% of nerve cells normally process pain sensations, but in chronic pain, 15-25% of the cells are dedicated to pain. The chronic-pain brain has “learned” pain and devoted more pathways for pain perception. This is “neuroplasticity”—a change in the brain’s anatomy.
Logically, the same principles of neuroplasticity that make the brain more “sensitive” to pain can be used to change brain pathways back to normal function and anatomy—essentially un-devoting pathways to pain perception. By using thoughts, images, sensations, memories, soothing emotions, movement, and beliefs to harness the power of our brains, we can “use the conscious part of our brain to modify the experience of our lives.” As Dr. Ratey says, “practice makes new brain.”
What fires together wires together
The more we do something in a particular way—speak a foreign language, practice a piano piece, remember to floss, focus on gratitudes—the more neurons are devoted to strengthening those connections. And the more the neurons fire together, the more likely it is they will fire together in the future. It’s why young children seem to effortlessly learn two languages simultaneously and why we never forget how to ride a bike. It’s also how we get into habits—good or bad—and why we choose to make lifestyle choices that help us manage our pain.
