How to start brain retraining? Step 1 - LEARN

As brain retraining is a paradigm shift and will conflict with many of the beliefs that we currently hold about our health and wellbeing. You can learn about it in your own time and in your own way which will allow you to explore the topic without expectation or timelines. You can also do an online course or meet with a coach or practitioner. There are many approaches to brain retraining coming from different perspectives (ie. neuroscience, physiotherapy, pain science, sociology, psychology) and different formats for learning (for example audio, video, coursework, journaling.)

There are many excellent resources - books, websites, you tube videos, podcasts - that you can explore to find what makes sense for you. Please check the resource pages for suggestions.

Topics to explore

• how our perception of pain is processed by the brain

  • you don’t need to fully understand every system involved but you do need to understand that pain is complex, all pain originates in the brain and the there are many factors that influence our perception of pain

• the brain is hardwired to be on the alert for danger and will use symptoms like pain to alert us if danger is perceived

• acute symptoms (physical and emotional) can evolve into chronic and get stuck in a neural ‘circuit’ that includes lowered threshold, hyper-vigilance and heightened sensitivity

• acute pain does not look the same as chronic pain on fMRIs (functional FMR)

• our senses influence pain

• our thoughts, feelings and beliefs influence pain

• childhood experiences set the foundation for how we process information including pain

• using conscious thought processes to change the neural circuits related to pain

• AND THE BIG ONE - brain/neural plasticity means that the brain can learn and change

  Give it time. Read a bit and then allow yourself time to ponder. You do not have to accept all the ideas shared by the voices in this area. Some will resonate and others you may not.