Scientists from the University of Colorado (UCB) found that understanding that it originates in the brain helps cope with chronic back pain. During PRT psychotherapy sessions, two-thirds of patients told this by doctors reported a significant reduction in their pain, the paper’s authors write in the journal JAMA Network Open.
More than 150 adults with moderate chronic back pain participated in the study. They were divided into two groups: one received PRT psychotherapy, the second received standard treatment and placebo injections. PRT psychotherapy involves learning about how the brain affects pain in the body, alleviating fear of pain, and discussing negative emotions.
Two-thirds of PRT psychotherapy patients reported no or almost complete pain relief, but only 20% of people in the placebo group reported pain.
“Our study suggests that discussing the causes of pain with patients and helping them understand that pain is located in the brain may help reduce pain,” the authors said.
Before PRT treatment, only 10% of participants believed that pain was mind or brain related. However, after the PRT, this figure increased to 51%. Moreover, the more convinced the person was that the pain was the result of processes in the brain, the more the pain was reported to decrease.
“Conversations with patients often focus on biomedical causes of pain. The role of the brain is rarely discussed. We found that very few people believe their brain has something to do with their pain. Scientists have emphasized that this can be detrimental when it comes to recovery planning, as this view can determine a person’s choice between surgery and psychological treatment.” .
Previous scientists named Optimal number of steps per day for hypertensive patients.