Did you know that pain is your brain’s way of alerting you to potential problems in your body? Pain is actually a helpful signal that tells you to stop certain activities that could be harmful. When we listen to these pain signals, we give our bodies the chance to recover and heal. But for some, pain can linger long after an injury has healed, turning into what is known as chronic pain. At this point, the pain no longer serves a purpose, and instead of being informative, it becomes its own issue, trapping people in a “pain cycle.”
This cycle develops through a process called neural plasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and learn new patterns. Just as the brain can learn helpful skills, it can also learn pain, which can make recovery challenging. Fortunately, there are ways to break this cycle. Simple changes, such as staying active, eating well, getting adequate sleep, and even imagining pain-free movement, can help the brain unlearn these pain patterns.
At the forefront of alternative approaches for managing chronic pain is chiropractic care. Recent studies show that chiropractic spinal adjustments may help reset the brain’s response to pain. Specifically, adjustments may alter the function of the pre-frontal cortex, the part of the brain heavily involved in the pain cycle. By changing the way the brain adapts and processes sensory and movement information, chiropractic care may help prevent the brain from “learning” chronic pain.
What does the research say?
Research using a method called the cold-pressor test—where participants immersed their hands in icy water while their brain activity was recorded—showed promising findings. Those who received a chiropractic adjustment before the test did not experience the usual pain habituation (or getting used to the pain) that typically occurs. Scientists suggest this indicates that chiropractic care may help prevent the brain adaptations that contribute to chronic pain, effectively “resetting” the brain’s response to painful stimuli.
This reset effect might explain why chiropractic care has been shown to benefit people with neck pain, back pain, and even certain types of headaches. Through regular adjustments, chiropractic care could help the brain adapt in a way that breaks the pain cycle and promotes natural pain management.
If you’re dealing with chronic pain, remember that it’s never too late to break the cycle. Try to stay positive, make healthy lifestyle choices, and consider visiting your chiropractor to support your brain and body in the journey to relief.
