Rewiring the Brain: A New Way Out of Chronic Pain
- Leah Kostamo
- May 15
- 3 min read
Updated: May 15
The experience of chronic pain can be bewildering. Often, doctors can’t find a structural problem, medications lose effectiveness, and the pain seems to take on a life of its own, like the small dark blog in Robert Munsch’s book. It grows and grows until it controls a person’s life and one’s own body becomes the enemy. But what if the root of some experiences of chronic pain isn’t in the body—but in the brain?
That’s the groundbreaking insight behind The Way Out, a book by psychotherapist Alan Gordon, founder of the Pain Psychology Center in Los Angeles. Drawing from his own experiences with chronic back pain, lots of clinical work, and the latest in neuroscience, Gordon lays out a hopeful, science-backed approach to healing pain by retraining the brain.
The Problem: Pain as a False Alarm
According to Gordon, chronic pain can persist even after an injury has healed—or arise with no injury at all—because of a process called neuroplastic pain. In these cases, the brain gets stuck in a “pain loop,” misinterpreting safe signals from the body as threats. Think of it like a smoke alarm that keeps going off even when there’s no fire.
Over time, the nervous system becomes hypersensitive. It learns pain. Just as the brain can learn fear or anxiety, it can also learn pain—and that means it can unlearn it too.
The Solution: Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)
Gordon’s approach, called Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), is a five-step method that teaches the brain to reinterpret signals from the body and calm its alarm system. The process is not about ignoring pain, but changing your relationship to it. Here are the key principles:
Education – Understanding that your pain is not a sign of damage but a false alarm is the first step toward change. This knowledge alone can be deeply relieving and even reduce symptoms immediately.
Somatic Tracking – This is a mindfulness-based technique where you gently observe your pain without fear, while reminding yourself that it’s safe. The goal is to break the association between sensation and danger.
Addressing Fear – Fear amplifies pain. Gordon teaches patients to shift from a fearful mindset to one of curiosity, confidence, and even compassion toward their bodies.
Reappraisal – When pain flares, you learn to reframe it as a harmless signal rather than a red alert. “There’s no danger here,” becomes a healing mantra.
Gratitude and Joy – Surprisingly, pleasure and play can also help reverse chronic pain. Bringing moments of joy into your day sends the brain a powerful message: the danger has passed.
A Personal, Empowering Approach
What makes Gordon’s work so compelling is his emphasis on compassion—for yourself, your pain, and your healing journey. He’s not telling you the pain is “all in your head” in a dismissive way. Instead, he’s saying: the pain is real—and your brain created it. That’s not your fault, but it is something you can change.
Recovery from chronic pain through this lens is not just possible—it’s common. Many people using PRT report dramatic improvements, sometimes even full recovery, after years of suffering.
Final Thoughts
If you've been living under the dark shadow of chronic pain, Pain Reprocessing Therapy offers more than hope—it offers a roadmap. Alan Gordon’s work shines a compassionate light on a misunderstood condition, showing that healing isn’t just about fixing the body—it’s about calming the brain, restoring trust, and reclaiming your life.
Some free resources are listed below. In addition, PRT therapists, like Leah Kostamo at Verity, can journey with you in a more personalized way.
Resources:
Book, The Way Out: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/617809/the-way-out-by-alan-gordon-and-alon-ziv/9780593086858
Free 21 day Pain Reprocessing Therapy program: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
PRT website with free resources and support groups: https://www.painreprocessingtherapy.com/
A clinical study conducted at the University of Colorado Boulder demonstrated that Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is currently among the most effective treatments for chronic pain. The research involved 150 individuals suffering from chronic back pain, who were divided into three groups: one group received PRT sessions twice weekly over a four-week period, another group continued with standard care, and the third group was given openly administered placebo injections. Remarkably, 98% of those who underwent PRT reported improvements in their condition, with 66% becoming either completely or nearly pain-free by the end of the study. Follow-up data showed that most of these improvements persisted a year later. The full findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.
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