How to Identify Neuroplastic Pain: A Guide to Understanding Mind-Body Pain
Pain is one of the most common—and most misunderstood—medical symptoms. For decades, chronic pain has been treated primarily as a physical issue: a result of injury, disease, or structural damage. However, recent breakthroughs in neuroscience have reshaped our understanding of pain. We now know that not all pain originates in the body. In fact, many chronic pain conditions are not due to physical injury at all, but are instead the result of a powerful process called neuroplastic pain.
In this post, we'll explore what neuroplastic pain is, how it develops, and most importantly, how to identify it—so you can begin the journey toward healing.
What Is Neuroplastic Pain?
Neuroplastic pain refers to pain that is real, but not caused by structural damage or ongoing injury. Instead, it is generated by the brain and nervous system through a process called neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to change its wiring and function in response to experiences, emotions, and beliefs.
Neuroplastic pain is often called:
Mind-body pain
Psychophysiologic pain
TMS (Tension Myositis Syndrome, a term popularized by Dr. John Sarno)
Central sensitization
Functional pain
The key concept: The brain can create, amplify, or sustain pain signals even after an injury has healed—or even if no injury ever occurred.
This does not mean the pain is "imagined" or "all in your head." Neuroplastic pain is very real. But its source lies in the nervous system, not in damaged tissues.
Why the Brain Creates Pain
Pain is a survival mechanism. When the brain perceives danger or threat, it creates pain to protect the body—even if the threat isn't physical.
This threat could be:
Emotional stress
Repressed anger or fear
A traumatic memory
Beliefs about being broken or damaged
Anxiety or perfectionism
Over time, the brain can become conditioned to respond to normal movements or sensations with pain. Like a software glitch, it misfires, interpreting safe activities as dangerous.
This explains why someone can have:
Back pain with no spinal damage
Migraines without neurological disease
Irritable bowel with normal digestive function
Fibromyalgia with no tissue injury
In each case, the nervous system is hypersensitized, not the body.
How to Identify Neuroplastic Pain
Now let’s explore how you can identify whether your pain is neuroplastic in origin. Below are ten key signs—drawn from clinical research, neuroscience, and patient recovery stories.
1. Your Pain Is Chronic (Lasting More Than 3–6 Months)
Most tissue injuries heal within a few weeks or months. If your pain has lasted beyond the typical healing window, it's less likely that structural damage is the cause.
Chronic pain is often maintained by brain circuits rather than tissue injury.
If you’ve had pain for months or years without a clear diagnosis or treatment that helps, neuroplastic pain may be a factor.
2. Your Medical Tests Are Normal (or Don’t Explain the Pain)
You’ve had MRIs, X-rays, blood work, and consultations—but no clear cause is found. Or you’re told things like:
“It’s mild arthritis” (which most people have without pain)
“It might be inflammation”
“There’s some disc degeneration” (which is normal with age)
If doctors can't pinpoint a structural cause—or if the findings don’t match the severity of your pain—neuroplastic mechanisms may be driving it.
3. Your Pain Moves, Varies, or Doesn’t Follow a Clear Pattern
Pain that:
Moves from one location to another
Is worse at unpredictable times
Occurs on both sides of the body
Doesn’t match a nerve or anatomical distribution
This suggests the issue is not physical damage, but a pattern in the brain.
Neuroplastic pain is often inconsistent or migratory—because it’s not tied to tissue damage.
4. Your Pain Gets Worse with Stress, Emotion, or Thoughts
Do you notice pain flaring up when you're:
Stressed or anxious?
Having an argument?
Facing a deadline?
Thinking about your pain or injury?
Emotions and thoughts can trigger pain through the brain-body connection.
If emotional states consistently impact your pain, this is a hallmark of neuroplastic pain.
5. You’ve Had Multiple Pain Syndromes Over Time
If you've experienced more than one of the following:
Chronic back/neck pain
Tension headaches or migraines
TMJ/jaw pain
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue
Interstitial cystitis
Pelvic pain
Non-cardiac chest pain
These are often related and share a common root in central nervous system sensitization.
A history of overlapping or shifting diagnoses suggests a neuroplastic pain pattern.
6. Movement and Exercise Don’t Always Correlate with Pain
You might find that:
Some days you can walk for miles, other days you can't get out of bed.
A specific stretch hurts one week but not the next.
Your pain doesn’t match your activity level.
This inconsistency implies the brain’s expectations and fear may be influencing the pain more than the body’s condition.
If your pain doesn’t reliably respond to physical factors, it may be brain-generated.
7. You're a High-Achiever, Perfectionist, or People-Pleaser
Many people with neuroplastic pain have certain personality traits, such as:
Being very responsible or self-critical
Avoiding conflict or difficult emotions
Holding themselves to high standards
Bottling up stress or anger
These traits can increase internal pressure, emotional suppression, and stress—factors known to trigger or worsen neuroplastic pain.
If you recognize yourself in this description, it may help explain your pain patterns.
8. Pain Started During a Stressful Life Event (Not a Physical Injury)
Did your pain begin:
During a breakup, job loss, or grief?
After moving, parenting stress, or trauma?
Without any clear injury?
When pain arises in the absence of physical trauma, it often reflects emotional overload or unresolved psychological conflict.
Emotional events can act as the original “injury” in neuroplastic pain.
9. You’ve Tried Physical Treatments Without Success
Have you spent time (and money) on:
Physical therapy
Chiropractic
Surgery
Massage
Injections
…with little or no long-term relief?
That’s because neuroplastic pain isn’t rooted in tissues. Physical treatments may temporarily help, but they don’t address the brain pathways creating the pain.
Lack of response to structural treatments points to a mind-body origin.
10. You Feel Better After Learning About Neuroplastic Pain
This is one of the clearest indicators. When people with neuroplastic pain learn that their symptoms are brain-generated and reversible, they often feel:
Hopeful
Empowered
Less afraid of movement
Even temporarily better
The brain begins to recalibrate its danger signals, reducing pain.
If education about neuroplastic pain gives you relief or clarity, that’s strong evidence that this framework applies to you.
Case Example: Sarah’s Story
Sarah, a 35-year-old graphic designer, developed chronic lower back pain after a long period of work stress and emotional burnout. MRIs showed minor disc issues, but doctors said it didn’t explain her pain. She tried months of PT and painkillers with no lasting relief.
After learning about neuroplastic pain, she began exploring her perfectionism, fear of failure, and difficulty expressing emotion. She worked with a mind-body therapist, practiced somatic tracking (a technique to observe pain without fear), and began resuming physical activities.
Within months, her pain dramatically reduced—not because she fixed her body, but because she retrained her brain.
What To Do If You Suspect Neuroplastic Pain
If several of the signs above apply to you, there’s a good chance your pain is neuroplastic. The good news? Neuroplastic pain is reversible. Here’s how to begin:
Educate Yourself
Read books like The Way Out by Alan Gordon or Unlearn Your Pain by Dr. Howard Schubiner.Reassure Your Brain
Use tools like somatic tracking and pain reprocessing therapy to teach your brain that your body is safe.Address Emotional Suppression
Explore repressed emotions, past trauma, or chronic stress through journaling, therapy, or emotional awareness exercises.Stop the Search for Structural Causes
Once you’re confident your pain is neuroplastic, focus on retraining your brain—not fixing your body.Seek Support
Therapists and online communities like the Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms can guide you through recovery.
Final Thoughts
Neuroplastic pain is one of the most hopeful medical discoveries of the last 20 years. It shows us that chronic pain is not always a life sentence. In many cases, the problem isn’t that you’re broken—but that your brain has learned to protect you in the wrong way.
By identifying the patterns and recognizing the signs of neuroplastic pain, you can begin to reclaim your body, your mind, and your life.