The reality of imagination in recovery from chronic pain

Chronic pain is widely believed to be due to a physical abnormality in the body. Although it is now recognised that the sensitisation of neural circuits are involved in the perpetuation of chronic pain, physical treatments tend to be aimed at addressing the symptoms rather than the neural circuits themselves.

It is now accepted that psychosocial factors can affect pain, although there is still resistance to the fact that they can actually trigger pain in the first place. Combine the belief that chronic pain is due to a physical cause with the old belief that the brain is static and unchanging, then it becomes clear why treatment options in the conventional medical world are aimed at suppression or management of chronic symptoms, rather than resolving them.

It is now accepted that psychosocial factors can affect pain, although there is still resistance to the fact that they can actually trigger pain in the first place. Combine the belief that chronic pain is due to a physical cause with the old belief that the brain is static and unchanging, then it becomes clear why treatment options in the conventional medical world are aimed at suppression or management of chronic symptoms, rather than resolving them.

Chronic pain is basically a result of the activation and sensitization of neural pain circuitss that have become learned. These might be active continuously, or they might be unconsciously triggered; at certain times, with specific movements or activities, or even due to a thought that has generated a feeling and therefore an emotion.

Basically we become unconsciously conditioned with these chronic pain pathways, just as we might become conditioned to anything our conscious mind has been subjected to. This includes any habit that has become learned, whether that’s smoking, or a fearful reaction to a spider, having maybe seen a parent freak out during your childhood when they were faced with one.

We also now know that the brain is what’s known as ‘neuroplastic’. In other words, it is dynamic and in a constant flow of change, affected by everything happening around us and even due to our thoughts.

Imagination versus Reality

Numerous studies have now shown that neurophysiologically the same

changes occur in brain and nervous system whether you imagine something or actually do it. This was demonstrated in one study where 3 teams of basketball player’s shooting skills were assessed at the start and end of a month.

One group went to the court and practiced for an hour every day, another group did nothing and the third group sat at home and imagined themselves practising for an hour every day. There was very little difference in the improvement in both groups that practiced daily, whether actively or in their imagination, yet of course the group that did nothing were worse. This short video also demonstrates this concept well.

So if that’s the case and chronic pain is merely caused by the activation of pain pathways and we can re-programme our mind with our thoughts and our imagination, then no wonder practicing visualisation (or imagination) is such an effective tool in being able to recover from chronic pain.

Imagining yourself being pain free can become reality

Visualisation is one of the tools used in the SIRPA^TM programme and is a very powerful one when used consistently, especially when reinforced with positive emotions. In your past you will have certain memories that come to mind more easily and these usually are the ones where there were powerful emotions involved, whether they were positive or negative. For example; the death of a loved one, the bombing of the twin towers or falling in love. So use this to your advantage to create even bigger impact from your visualisation (future memory), really ‘feel’ how wonderful it is to be doing what you are doing without any pain.