Living beyond Pain by Linda S. PhD Mintle

Author:Linda S. PhD Mintle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Health and Wellness/Pain Management;Chronic pain—­Alternative treatment;Chronic pain—Psychosomatic aspects;Mind and body;HEA036000;HEA028000
ISBN: 9781493419265
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2019-08-26T16:00:00+00:00

Emotions and the Brain

Emotions and chronic pain are interconnected in the brain. Nerves fire and chemicals are secreted in complex physical interactions. Neurotransmitters send information about pain and emotions between nerves. The area of the brain that forms and registers emotions surrounds the pain-processing center, and both these centers activate the same regions of the brain and carry the same neural signatures. Basically, pain and emotions share brain real estate. This is why pain is both a physical and an emotional experience.

Remember that pain is processed in the brain, so what you feel and how you interpret it will establish patterns in the brain. Those patterns influence your present moment and mood, and if emotional patterns are negative, you could have more pain.

To better understand how the brain and emotions work together, let’s take a closer look at the central nervous system, specifically the brain. It is made up of two types of tissue: white matter and gray matter. Gray matter is involved in processing information in the brain. It includes multiple regions of the brain that involve sensory perception, speech, memory, decision-making, self-control, muscle control, and emotions. White matter is more like the subway of the brain, transporting functional information and connecting different regions of gray matter to one another. With chronic pain, gray matter can experience a reduction in volume.2 This happens naturally as a person ages, but it also happens with chronic pain.3 A reduced volume of gray matter is associated with how our senses and emotions process pain. Chronic pain structurally changes the brain—making pain worse. While we don’t quite understand all the changes in brain structures, we do believe that this reduction of gray matter due to chronic pain is likely reversible with treatment.4 Treatment that includes a focus on changing negative thoughts and emotions helps the brain structurally.5

When your emotions have trouble quieting down, it is like your brain is stuck in full throttle. What develops is a hypervigilance to pain and pain-related information. And if you anticipate that a painful experience could result, you want to avoid it.

Since what we emotionally feel influences how we physically feel, negative emotions, like anger, sadness, and depression, can fuel pain. And pain can fuel those emotions. It works both ways. So assessing and working on your emotional well-being is one way to help with chronic pain. As we learn more about this intimate connection between emotions and pain, remember that our discussion is not meant to blame you but rather to empower you to take charge of your emotions and develop a positive mind-set. Change your feelings, change your brain—and change your pain.

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