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The Way Out: A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain
A groundbreaking mind-body protocol to heal chronic pain, backed by new research.Chronic pain is an epidemic. Fifty million Americans struggle with back pain, headaches, or some other pain that resists all treatment. Desperate pain sufferers are told again and again that there is no cure for chronic pain.Alan Gordon, a psychotherapist and the founder of the Pain Psychology Center in Los Angeles, was in grad school when he started experiencing chronic pain and it completely derailed his life. He saw multiple doctors and received many diagnoses, but none of the medical treatments helped. Frustrated with conventional pain management, he developed Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a mind-body protocol that eliminated his own chronic pain and has transformed the lives of thousands of his patients.PRT is rooted in neuroscience, which has shown that while chronic pain feels like it's coming from the body, in most cases it's generated by misfiring pain circuits in the brain. PRT is a system of psychological techniques that rewires the brain to break out of the cycle of chronic pain.The University of Colorado-Boulder recently conducted a large randomized controlled study on PRT, and the results are remarkable. By the end of the study, the majority of patients were pain-free or nearly pain-free. What's more, these dramatic changes held up over time. The Way Out brings PRT to readers. It combines accessible science with a concrete, step-by-step plan to teach sufferers how to heal their own chronic pain.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
1,059 people are currently reading
5,634 people want to read
About the author
Alan Gordon
1Ìýbook28ÌýfollowersAlan Gordon, LCSW, is the founder and executive director of the Pain Psychology Center, where he oversees a team of twenty-five therapists. Gordon developed Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a protocol for treating chronic pain, and completed a neuroimaging study on the efficacy of PRT in conjunction with the University of Colorado-Boulder. He was featured on CBS's The Doctors, where he conducted the first fMRI case study of a patient eliminating chronic pain. He is an adjunct assistant professor at USC and has presented on the topic of pain treatment at conferences and trainings throughout the country.
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December 4, 2022Know someone who suffers from chronic pain? The last thing you want to tell him is it's all in his head. Pain is real. And it's wherever you're feeling it.
That said, it's in your head.
Why? Because your brain is the conductor of all body pain. When it's doing its job, it saves your life by telling you HOT! or OUCH! or RETREAT! And if you legitimately injure yourself, it cautions you to SLOW DOWN and take restorative action.
But what if you've been tested six ways to Monday and medical science comes up empty? Then you get hit with catch-all conditions like "fibromyalgia" or "myofascial pain syndrome" or even, in the case of backs, a slipped disk. Having pain and being told by a doctor you have SOMEthing is a comfort of sorts, after all. Too bad it's not a comfort for your pain.
This book is about neuroplastic pain. If you see a copy in the bookstore, go directly to the appendix, where you'll find a section called "How to Determine If You Have Neuroplastic Pain." Without the explanatory paragraphs, here are the headings explaining possible clues that the source is HEAD and not BODY. Any one or more could qualify you, but many with chronic pain will check numerous boxes:
1. Pain originated during a time of stress
2. Pain originated without injury (note: though some neuroplastic pain starts with an injury that won't stop hurting after the normal curing time has expired)
3. Symptoms are inconsistent (in some, worse in morning; in others, worse in the evening)
4. Large number of symptoms.
5. Symptoms spread or move.
6. Symptoms triggered by stress.
7. Triggers that have nothing to do with your body.
8. Symmetrical symptoms (i.e. same part of body, opposite side, can experience pain at different times or at the same time)
9. Delayed pain (e.g. hours later, the day after)
10. Childhood adversity
11. Common personality traits: perfectionism, conscientiousness, people-pleasing, anxiousness, self-critical nature (once again, nice guys finish last)
12. Lack of a physical diagnosis (or, diagnosis is one of the "catch-alls" that doctors grasp for when all else comes up empty)
Alan Gordon, head honcho at the Pain Psychology Center, wants you to know that it's not in your head, but it's your head that has to be treated. Your brain is going off like a false alarm, thinking it's protecting you when, in fact, it's hurting you. The brain, a lifelong learner, is in a loop and getting better and better at looping.
The way out? Pain Reprocessing Therapy. Which is a bunch of things, really, but chiefly somatic tracking, which sounds a lot like mindfulness (thank you, Buddha!) of your pain along with a lot of positive thoughts and the repeated mantra that there is NOTHING wrong with your body -- your tissues, muscles, back, spine, stomach, wrists, etc. They are FINE. You are SAFE.
The goal is to get your brain off high alert, to almost hypnotize it into understanding it is in a SAFE STATE and, as all the tests have proven, you don't have a killer disease, and everything is COOL. That means weeks of tracking your pain from a higher plane, noticing it, but not allowing it to panic you, feed your fear, up your stress, and thus reinforce its power (read: your brain's faulty loop).
To use a metaphor from the book, your job is to play Toto pulling the curtain on the Wizard of Oz. Chronic pain is the huge head, the bombastic noise, the jets of steam. Accepting that it's the confused and overprotective brain amounts to revealing that neuroplastic pain is really a little man pulling levers and pushing buttons, making you think he's something he's not.
So, yeah. Psychology. The brain. And you as Happy Warrior vs. your chronic, inexplicable pain. And movement. Gentle, gradual upgrading of movement (gentle yoga? qi gong? PT stretchbands?). And breathing exercises that CALM you while you're observing your pain like a wise one.
Will it work for you (or some sufferer you know)? If you've tried everything, what are your alternatives? Apparently the science from fMRI images of the brain (before and after PRT) and studies at the University of Colorado Boulder say yes, in many cases, it *does* work.
With or without the help of a therapist. Some people, using techniques offered in the book, make gradual progress on their own. Others need more guidance. From professionals. If you're a hard case in need of a therapist trained in PRT, it will cost you, bringing not neuroplastic but REAL pain to your wallet, but that's the American way.
Deep breath. Credit card. Repeat if you think it's worth the possibility of freedom.
Dec. 2022 Update: I just read Dr. John Sarno's book, , and am surprised it was never mentioned in Gordon's book. In fact, although Sarno uses the term Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) instead of "neuroplastic pain," and although he focuses more on the back than on the body all over, the information's the same.
Negative points, then, for The Way Out. Variation on the same key, really, and kind of bogus that Sarno wasn't credited for saying the same thing already in a different way.
That said, it's in your head.
Why? Because your brain is the conductor of all body pain. When it's doing its job, it saves your life by telling you HOT! or OUCH! or RETREAT! And if you legitimately injure yourself, it cautions you to SLOW DOWN and take restorative action.
But what if you've been tested six ways to Monday and medical science comes up empty? Then you get hit with catch-all conditions like "fibromyalgia" or "myofascial pain syndrome" or even, in the case of backs, a slipped disk. Having pain and being told by a doctor you have SOMEthing is a comfort of sorts, after all. Too bad it's not a comfort for your pain.
This book is about neuroplastic pain. If you see a copy in the bookstore, go directly to the appendix, where you'll find a section called "How to Determine If You Have Neuroplastic Pain." Without the explanatory paragraphs, here are the headings explaining possible clues that the source is HEAD and not BODY. Any one or more could qualify you, but many with chronic pain will check numerous boxes:
1. Pain originated during a time of stress
2. Pain originated without injury (note: though some neuroplastic pain starts with an injury that won't stop hurting after the normal curing time has expired)
3. Symptoms are inconsistent (in some, worse in morning; in others, worse in the evening)
4. Large number of symptoms.
5. Symptoms spread or move.
6. Symptoms triggered by stress.
7. Triggers that have nothing to do with your body.
8. Symmetrical symptoms (i.e. same part of body, opposite side, can experience pain at different times or at the same time)
9. Delayed pain (e.g. hours later, the day after)
10. Childhood adversity
11. Common personality traits: perfectionism, conscientiousness, people-pleasing, anxiousness, self-critical nature (once again, nice guys finish last)
12. Lack of a physical diagnosis (or, diagnosis is one of the "catch-alls" that doctors grasp for when all else comes up empty)
Alan Gordon, head honcho at the Pain Psychology Center, wants you to know that it's not in your head, but it's your head that has to be treated. Your brain is going off like a false alarm, thinking it's protecting you when, in fact, it's hurting you. The brain, a lifelong learner, is in a loop and getting better and better at looping.
The way out? Pain Reprocessing Therapy. Which is a bunch of things, really, but chiefly somatic tracking, which sounds a lot like mindfulness (thank you, Buddha!) of your pain along with a lot of positive thoughts and the repeated mantra that there is NOTHING wrong with your body -- your tissues, muscles, back, spine, stomach, wrists, etc. They are FINE. You are SAFE.
The goal is to get your brain off high alert, to almost hypnotize it into understanding it is in a SAFE STATE and, as all the tests have proven, you don't have a killer disease, and everything is COOL. That means weeks of tracking your pain from a higher plane, noticing it, but not allowing it to panic you, feed your fear, up your stress, and thus reinforce its power (read: your brain's faulty loop).
To use a metaphor from the book, your job is to play Toto pulling the curtain on the Wizard of Oz. Chronic pain is the huge head, the bombastic noise, the jets of steam. Accepting that it's the confused and overprotective brain amounts to revealing that neuroplastic pain is really a little man pulling levers and pushing buttons, making you think he's something he's not.
So, yeah. Psychology. The brain. And you as Happy Warrior vs. your chronic, inexplicable pain. And movement. Gentle, gradual upgrading of movement (gentle yoga? qi gong? PT stretchbands?). And breathing exercises that CALM you while you're observing your pain like a wise one.
Will it work for you (or some sufferer you know)? If you've tried everything, what are your alternatives? Apparently the science from fMRI images of the brain (before and after PRT) and studies at the University of Colorado Boulder say yes, in many cases, it *does* work.
With or without the help of a therapist. Some people, using techniques offered in the book, make gradual progress on their own. Others need more guidance. From professionals. If you're a hard case in need of a therapist trained in PRT, it will cost you, bringing not neuroplastic but REAL pain to your wallet, but that's the American way.
Deep breath. Credit card. Repeat if you think it's worth the possibility of freedom.
Dec. 2022 Update: I just read Dr. John Sarno's book, , and am surprised it was never mentioned in Gordon's book. In fact, although Sarno uses the term Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) instead of "neuroplastic pain," and although he focuses more on the back than on the body all over, the information's the same.
Negative points, then, for The Way Out. Variation on the same key, really, and kind of bogus that Sarno wasn't credited for saying the same thing already in a different way.
August 25, 2021
4.5 - As someone who has been dealing with TMS (mind-body) symptoms for the better part of the last year, I was both excited and kind of nervous about reading this book. If you have mind-body symptoms, you have probably tried just about EVERYTHING to rid yourself of them, and if you are like me, you have struggled to make sense of what's going on or make progress. Well meaning doctors may have scared you, or confused you, or you may have become somewhat of a doctor yourself via google - and in the end turned into a scared, in pain mess, who is now wondering if you will be able to get out of this. You might constantly live in the fear panic cycle, or maybe you have developed a pattern of 'fixing' or maybe you are just trying to figure out the 'why'. Whatever the case may be, I think this book can at the very least clearly spell out the patterns, habits, and path forward to finally provide you some relief, and maybe like it did for me, provide you a whole new perspective on your symptoms.
Alan takes concepts that I had heard of a million times (STOP worrying, pressuring, self criticism) and explained them in a way that didn't make me feel guilty or worse for my current state of affairs. He explains how these traits/thoughts/feelings impact you, in a way that you don't have to have a copy of the DSM-5 or an anatomy textbook handy. I was worried that buying the book would potentially lead me down the path of trying to 'fix' my symptoms yet again, and I am not sure if it was the ease of the tone used in the book (conversational, like a quirky friend), but I actually felt like the techniques (somatic tracking, leaning into positive sensations, even avoidance when you need it!) were things that yes, maybe would help my symptoms go away eventually, but really, were ways that I could be kind to and nurture myself when I was deep in the fear cycle.
Mind Body recovery always seemed so daunting to me; so many rules, find your buried emotions, don't think of the pain (but also don't use distraction), love yourself... a never ending list of 'things' to do. This book simplifies it. Focus on making yourself feel safe. That's it. Determine the best way based on the provided techniques, which have been scientifically proven to help you feel safe. This book helps you take a good, loving, kind look at yourself and know that you deserve to feel safe in your body again.
Alan takes concepts that I had heard of a million times (STOP worrying, pressuring, self criticism) and explained them in a way that didn't make me feel guilty or worse for my current state of affairs. He explains how these traits/thoughts/feelings impact you, in a way that you don't have to have a copy of the DSM-5 or an anatomy textbook handy. I was worried that buying the book would potentially lead me down the path of trying to 'fix' my symptoms yet again, and I am not sure if it was the ease of the tone used in the book (conversational, like a quirky friend), but I actually felt like the techniques (somatic tracking, leaning into positive sensations, even avoidance when you need it!) were things that yes, maybe would help my symptoms go away eventually, but really, were ways that I could be kind to and nurture myself when I was deep in the fear cycle.
Mind Body recovery always seemed so daunting to me; so many rules, find your buried emotions, don't think of the pain (but also don't use distraction), love yourself... a never ending list of 'things' to do. This book simplifies it. Focus on making yourself feel safe. That's it. Determine the best way based on the provided techniques, which have been scientifically proven to help you feel safe. This book helps you take a good, loving, kind look at yourself and know that you deserve to feel safe in your body again.
May 10, 2022
Do you suffer from chronic pain? Have you had numerous tests, lab work, CT scans, MRIs, and doctors have said there is structurally nothing wrong with you? Does your pain consume your thoughts- when you feel a twinge of pain, do you obsess over whether or not it's going to get worse? Has it significantly impacted your quality of life to the point of disability? Then this book will absolutely change your life.
Last year, I went for a run. Things were looking up, I had just gotten my second COVID vaccine, I was starting a new job with a new schedule, I had finished grad school. That run altered the course of my life... or so I thought. I was in and out of the ER with facial and head pain that started during the run and would not subside. It took 3 weeks, 2 urgent care visits, numerous meds, and 2 ER visits to finally break the pain. I was pain free for 2 days, then it came back again and I have been dealing with it for a year. Scans showed nothing wrong- no brain lesions or tumors, no inflamed blood vessels, no swollen sinuses, no pinched nerves. Structurally, I was fine. So the ER doctors reluctantly diagnosed me with atypical intractable migraine.
I usually get terrible, terrible migraines about once or twice a year that send me to the ER, so it made sense that maybe I was now suffering from chronic migraine. I went to the neurologist and tried anti-CGRPs, triptans, and currently am on an SNRI that has boosted my mood enough to actually consider reading a book like this and be open to the possibility that it could help. I've been very pessimistic and depressed throughout this entire ordeal, as I imagine nearly anyone would if they were struggling with constant pain for a year, and meds have done very little to help.
When I tell you this book changed my life, I am not exaggerating. I read it over the course of 5 days, and my pain has consistently been at a level 1-2. I have been completely functional and barely bothered by my pain the past few days. It's hard to admit my pain is "all in my head" (which is a pun in more ways than one), and while I do believe I have migraine disease, I don't believe that every single day of my bizarre facial/head pain is migraine, I believe it is neuroplastic pain.
What is neuroplastic pain? This book will explain it better than I ever could, but basically it is pain that results from your brain sending danger signals that cause or exacerbate pain. There is not a structural cause, it is just your dumb brain doing what dumb brains do. But the best part about it? IT'S REVERSIBLE. It feels like magic. I would have scoffed and thrown this book if I didn't know better, but there is *actual science* to back it up. fMRIs have consistently shown differences in the brain before and after people go through pain reprocessing therapy. It's wild stuff. Truly.
Our brains also try to make associations in order to make sense of the pain. My brain convinced me it was the run or the COVID vaccine that caused this pain to start. After reading this book, I don't think either are true. I think I was in a period of high stress (living through a pandemic, putting pressure on my newly bigger body to exercise beyond my capacity, changing from a part-time job to a full-time job, stressing over finances and finding a librarian position now that I had a Master's... you get the picture). And as the pain continued, I started to fear it would never go away. This started me on a pain-fear cycle and reinforced to my brain that I was in danger. CONSTANTLY.
I am now meditating, doing yoga, and retraining my brain to stop obsessing over my pain and whether or not it's going to get worse. And............... it's working. I can't believe it. I am truly indebted to Alan Gordon, and I am sharing the amazing concept of pain reprocessing therapy with everyone I know who is suffering from similar chronic pain issues without a structural cause.
Give it a chance. It's a quick read, contains numerous studies and scientific information, and humor is interspersed throughout since Gordon did have a brief stint in comedy. It will keep you entertained and, best of all, HOPEFUL!
Last year, I went for a run. Things were looking up, I had just gotten my second COVID vaccine, I was starting a new job with a new schedule, I had finished grad school. That run altered the course of my life... or so I thought. I was in and out of the ER with facial and head pain that started during the run and would not subside. It took 3 weeks, 2 urgent care visits, numerous meds, and 2 ER visits to finally break the pain. I was pain free for 2 days, then it came back again and I have been dealing with it for a year. Scans showed nothing wrong- no brain lesions or tumors, no inflamed blood vessels, no swollen sinuses, no pinched nerves. Structurally, I was fine. So the ER doctors reluctantly diagnosed me with atypical intractable migraine.
I usually get terrible, terrible migraines about once or twice a year that send me to the ER, so it made sense that maybe I was now suffering from chronic migraine. I went to the neurologist and tried anti-CGRPs, triptans, and currently am on an SNRI that has boosted my mood enough to actually consider reading a book like this and be open to the possibility that it could help. I've been very pessimistic and depressed throughout this entire ordeal, as I imagine nearly anyone would if they were struggling with constant pain for a year, and meds have done very little to help.
When I tell you this book changed my life, I am not exaggerating. I read it over the course of 5 days, and my pain has consistently been at a level 1-2. I have been completely functional and barely bothered by my pain the past few days. It's hard to admit my pain is "all in my head" (which is a pun in more ways than one), and while I do believe I have migraine disease, I don't believe that every single day of my bizarre facial/head pain is migraine, I believe it is neuroplastic pain.
What is neuroplastic pain? This book will explain it better than I ever could, but basically it is pain that results from your brain sending danger signals that cause or exacerbate pain. There is not a structural cause, it is just your dumb brain doing what dumb brains do. But the best part about it? IT'S REVERSIBLE. It feels like magic. I would have scoffed and thrown this book if I didn't know better, but there is *actual science* to back it up. fMRIs have consistently shown differences in the brain before and after people go through pain reprocessing therapy. It's wild stuff. Truly.
Our brains also try to make associations in order to make sense of the pain. My brain convinced me it was the run or the COVID vaccine that caused this pain to start. After reading this book, I don't think either are true. I think I was in a period of high stress (living through a pandemic, putting pressure on my newly bigger body to exercise beyond my capacity, changing from a part-time job to a full-time job, stressing over finances and finding a librarian position now that I had a Master's... you get the picture). And as the pain continued, I started to fear it would never go away. This started me on a pain-fear cycle and reinforced to my brain that I was in danger. CONSTANTLY.
I am now meditating, doing yoga, and retraining my brain to stop obsessing over my pain and whether or not it's going to get worse. And............... it's working. I can't believe it. I am truly indebted to Alan Gordon, and I am sharing the amazing concept of pain reprocessing therapy with everyone I know who is suffering from similar chronic pain issues without a structural cause.
Give it a chance. It's a quick read, contains numerous studies and scientific information, and humor is interspersed throughout since Gordon did have a brief stint in comedy. It will keep you entertained and, best of all, HOPEFUL!
September 18, 2023
Ostensibly a new approach to pain treatment, but overall it's a flimsy, superficial, reductionist outlook on chronic severe pain, characterizing it as a mistake made by the brain, in response to a person's fear & bad thinking habits. The author, a purported former chronic pain sufferer, & adherent to his own pain-management procedures, ought to command authority & credibility; but his writing-style is infused w/so many goofy, cornball jokes, that it's hard to take him seriously. Midway thru the book (after a lame reference to the sideshow-act "Dr Phil"), we encounter an episode where the author tells of how he bolted out of a college seminar one day, driving on impulse from the West Coast to NYC to meet Lorne Michaels, expecting to get hired on-the-spot as a cast member of SNL (?!?). ('scuse me?). It was then that I realized: this guy is probably nuts (as in quite possibly mentally ill?). Who, other than a bipolar person, in mania mode, drops it all for a wild goose-chase of this proportion? There are many success stories about people who leave the beaten path for a dream; but none of them thought they could "cold-call" Lorne Michaels successfully, w/out any showbiz credentials, or preparation (the author hadn't even bothered to plan ahead enough to figure out that he'd need a pass to get into the 30 Rock building .. hello!?). Reading his book starts to make sense after this: the guy is a student of economics & management consulting in college, who at some point after abandoning his stand-up comedy goal, switches his credentials to earn an LCSW, then proceeds to become an author who's an "expert" in the field of pain-management. We're just part of his carelessly planned seesaw ambitions path, which he's apparently embarked upon w/zeal, but no substance whatsoever. His book-writing delivery is reminiscent of an infomercial: kicking-off w/a large baiting effort, promising astounding results, vaguely referencing things he'll tell you about "later," while meanwhile leaving you searching for something of substance & value in the book. What it all apparently boils down to is: (A) your pain is in your head (B) manicure your thinking & the pain will eventually go away, even if it continues to return & you have to do it all over again, multiple times (way to cover himself, hey!?). That's the program (w/a lot of fluffery in between pages, w/his many anecdotal sidebars about people he's helped). I have no idea how this book got any of its high reviews (or even got published for that matter); but I suspect the reviews may have been either "bot-generated" or offered by his friends & relatives who are probably trying to help him to launch successfully. Something smells fishy & the whole thing actually kinda screams "fraud." I had high hopes for this book & read it during an especially bad nite of pain w/ensuing insomnia; but after 3 chapters still had nothing solid to work with & ended up simply taking pain medicine. Thanks a lot Alan!!@&
October 28, 2021
Life changing. I’m not being dramatic.
March 12, 2023
I LOVED this. Total. Gamechanger.
I’ve been struggling with back pain for 18 months now. I’ve given all my money to a whole bunch of specialists. I’ve been doing all the right exercises, and no one can seem so figure out why I’m still hurting so much.
I’m not a novice when it comes to self-awareness, processing emotions, and figuring out my traumas and triggers. But for some reason I was still having back pains.
And then I started reading this book.
For one, it’s super funny. I loved the humor in it. It was a joy to read.
And after 3 weeks of applying the mindfulness and having this mantra in my head with positive thoughts, I can now say that 50% of my pain is already gone.
This book helped me understand how my fear of the pain was keeping me in pain.
Now that I’m constantly telling myself that I am completely fine and that I don’t need to be on high alert all the time, I can just feel it helping.
And when I have an off day, I can just tell myself that it’s just a bump in the road. No need to panic.
I’m now totally convinced I will be pain-free in the future. Not yet, but I’m working on it.
This book was so much fun to read that I can see myself re-reading this in the future, when I need a reminder.
I’ve been struggling with back pain for 18 months now. I’ve given all my money to a whole bunch of specialists. I’ve been doing all the right exercises, and no one can seem so figure out why I’m still hurting so much.
I’m not a novice when it comes to self-awareness, processing emotions, and figuring out my traumas and triggers. But for some reason I was still having back pains.
And then I started reading this book.
For one, it’s super funny. I loved the humor in it. It was a joy to read.
And after 3 weeks of applying the mindfulness and having this mantra in my head with positive thoughts, I can now say that 50% of my pain is already gone.
This book helped me understand how my fear of the pain was keeping me in pain.
Now that I’m constantly telling myself that I am completely fine and that I don’t need to be on high alert all the time, I can just feel it helping.
And when I have an off day, I can just tell myself that it’s just a bump in the road. No need to panic.
I’m now totally convinced I will be pain-free in the future. Not yet, but I’m working on it.
This book was so much fun to read that I can see myself re-reading this in the future, when I need a reminder.
September 6, 2021
Dr. Alan Gordon and Alon Ziv in their compelling book “Way Out�, introduce the concept of Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a radical approach to eliminating chronic pain instead of just managing the discomfiture by taking recourse to conventional remedies such as surgeries, physiotherapy and opioids intake. Complementing their contentions with real life examples and empirical analyses. Gordon and Ziv argue that it is not a mere pipe dream for billions of sufferers across the globe to rid themselves from the vice like grip of chronic pain. Dr. Gordon himself is a ‘convert� to PRT. Ailing from chronic pain himself, he was a walking embodiment of aches and twinges. In addition to back, neck and knee pains, he also suffered from heel pain tongue pain, eye pain, tooth pain toe pain (three different toes!), hip pain, stomach pain, wrist pain, foot pain, leg pain TMJ heartburn, vertigo, tinnitus and itching fatigue. “I got so many MRI scans of my back, my friends joked that my spine was turning into a magnet.� I felt my own injured hip (following a nasty automobile accident four years later) act truant by the time I finished listing Dr. Gordon’s litany of woes, above.
When every other form of orthodox treatment only succeeded in bestowing upon Dr. Gordon a false and fleeting illusion of ‘cure�, he fortuitously was handed a book on the brain-body connection to pain. Even though initially the book was met with extreme skepticism, it paved the way for Dr. Gordon to conduct his own spectacular research into the neuroscience of pain. The result, a revolutionary approach to solving the pernicious effects of pain. Alan Gordon now leads a team of twenty-five therapists at the Pain Psychology Center (of which he is the founder and Director too). Gordon has also completed a groundbreaking neuroimaging study on the efficacy of PRT in conjunction with the University of Colorado-Boulder.
The first step in treating chronic pain is to ascertain its cause. While to the cynic, this may read like fundamentals of medicine 101, there is an underlying method to the madness. Usually, signals are generated and transmitted by the body to the brain, which in turn processes them. For example, ff the body experiences an injury, the brain generates the feeling of pain. “But sometimes the system goes haywire. Sometimes the “pain switch� in our brains can get stuck in the on position and cause chronic pain. We call this neuroplastic pain. Normal pain is caused by damage to the body. But pain that persists after an injury has healed, or pain that has no clear physical cause, is usually neuroplastic pain.� For a permanent evisceration of any chronic pain, it is thus imperative to ‘rewire the brain� so that neuroplastic pain is not mistaken for an otherwise common structural pain.
So what is neuroplastic pain? It is a false alarm created by the brain of the sufferer. The brain misinterprets normal messages from the body as if they were dangerous. The body is fine, but the brain creates pain anyway. Gordon, along with an authority in pain management, Dr. Tom Wager and Dr. Wager’s research assistant, Yoni Ashar conducted comprehensive empirical analysis and studies on hundreds of patients to corroborate this incredible fact. They also realised that it would be possible to rewire the neurons in the brain in such a way so that they recognise the typical characteristics and tell tale signals of neuroplastic pain and cease from creating any form of pain.
The insidious trifecta of worry, self-criticism and self-imposed pressure combine in the most adverse of fashion, according to Gordon to exacerbate the degree of neuroplastic pain. However employing the technique of “somatic tracking� according to Gordon and Ziv enables the patient to concentrate instead on the nature of the chronic pain itself and thereby observe it from the “outside in.�
This unique sense of perspective lends a degree of stability and infuses a refreshing feeling of safety and ultimately leads to the alleviation of sustained discomfiture. A combination of mindfulness and therapy, somatic tracking imbibes the philosophy popularized by Jon Kabat-Zinn, who helped popularize mindfulness in the West. Neuroscientists have proved that mindfulness increases feelings of safety by deactivating the brain’s fear circuits. This disrupts the pain-fear cycle and helps your brain interpret signals properly. Somatic tracking dispatches messages of safety to the brain. Also known as safety reappraisal, this technique has been shown by scientists to significantly decrease fear.
In addition to observing pain and sending safety, there is according to Gordon a third element of somatic tracking. This involves observing our physical sensations with lightness and curiosity. “Paying attention with lightness is an important component of somatic tracking. Scientists study positive affect by having subjects look at happy images, watch funny videos, or listen to joyful music. Experiments like this show that when people’s moods are lightened, they are better at overcoming pain-related fear.�
But Gordon and Ziv warn their readers to be prepared for the occasional ‘relapse� of a neuroplastic pain episode. This is a result, they aver of wafting back into bad habits induced by a sense of complacency and over confidence. However, the relapse in itself according to the duo ought not to cause much disillusionment. The trick is to overcome the relapse by employing the same tactics that caused the neuroplastic pain to disappear in the first place, and originally. There are 3 stages to every relapse; Panic, Forcing it Down (practicing somatic tracking with a ferocity and vehemence that defeats the very purpose) and finally the conquering of the relapse by the patient by getting a grip over herself and practicing the technique of somatic tracking in a relaxed, unforced and flowing manner.
The authors before closing their engrossing book rightly bemoan the complete disdain given to the concept of understanding pain, in medical curricula across the globe. “Medical students spend thousands of hours learning everything from anatomy to genetics. So how much of the medical school curriculum is devoted to pain? In the United States, it’s eleven hours. Not eleven hours per class. Not even eleven hours per year. Eleven hours of pain content in the entire four-year curriculum. The rest of the world doesn’t fare much better. In Europe, it’s twelve hours. In the U.K., it’s thirteen. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are on the high end, with twenty hours dedicated to pain. Eleven hours?! Twenty hours?! Of all the stories, studies, and statistics that I’ve presented in this book, this is the most mind-boggling. In school, I spent at least thirty hours learning the periodic table of the elements. I have used that knowledge exactly zero times. And yet future doctors are spending less time than that studying something that afflicts more than a billion people worldwide!�
The Way Out � an experiment towards probable excelsis.
When every other form of orthodox treatment only succeeded in bestowing upon Dr. Gordon a false and fleeting illusion of ‘cure�, he fortuitously was handed a book on the brain-body connection to pain. Even though initially the book was met with extreme skepticism, it paved the way for Dr. Gordon to conduct his own spectacular research into the neuroscience of pain. The result, a revolutionary approach to solving the pernicious effects of pain. Alan Gordon now leads a team of twenty-five therapists at the Pain Psychology Center (of which he is the founder and Director too). Gordon has also completed a groundbreaking neuroimaging study on the efficacy of PRT in conjunction with the University of Colorado-Boulder.
The first step in treating chronic pain is to ascertain its cause. While to the cynic, this may read like fundamentals of medicine 101, there is an underlying method to the madness. Usually, signals are generated and transmitted by the body to the brain, which in turn processes them. For example, ff the body experiences an injury, the brain generates the feeling of pain. “But sometimes the system goes haywire. Sometimes the “pain switch� in our brains can get stuck in the on position and cause chronic pain. We call this neuroplastic pain. Normal pain is caused by damage to the body. But pain that persists after an injury has healed, or pain that has no clear physical cause, is usually neuroplastic pain.� For a permanent evisceration of any chronic pain, it is thus imperative to ‘rewire the brain� so that neuroplastic pain is not mistaken for an otherwise common structural pain.
So what is neuroplastic pain? It is a false alarm created by the brain of the sufferer. The brain misinterprets normal messages from the body as if they were dangerous. The body is fine, but the brain creates pain anyway. Gordon, along with an authority in pain management, Dr. Tom Wager and Dr. Wager’s research assistant, Yoni Ashar conducted comprehensive empirical analysis and studies on hundreds of patients to corroborate this incredible fact. They also realised that it would be possible to rewire the neurons in the brain in such a way so that they recognise the typical characteristics and tell tale signals of neuroplastic pain and cease from creating any form of pain.
The insidious trifecta of worry, self-criticism and self-imposed pressure combine in the most adverse of fashion, according to Gordon to exacerbate the degree of neuroplastic pain. However employing the technique of “somatic tracking� according to Gordon and Ziv enables the patient to concentrate instead on the nature of the chronic pain itself and thereby observe it from the “outside in.�
This unique sense of perspective lends a degree of stability and infuses a refreshing feeling of safety and ultimately leads to the alleviation of sustained discomfiture. A combination of mindfulness and therapy, somatic tracking imbibes the philosophy popularized by Jon Kabat-Zinn, who helped popularize mindfulness in the West. Neuroscientists have proved that mindfulness increases feelings of safety by deactivating the brain’s fear circuits. This disrupts the pain-fear cycle and helps your brain interpret signals properly. Somatic tracking dispatches messages of safety to the brain. Also known as safety reappraisal, this technique has been shown by scientists to significantly decrease fear.
In addition to observing pain and sending safety, there is according to Gordon a third element of somatic tracking. This involves observing our physical sensations with lightness and curiosity. “Paying attention with lightness is an important component of somatic tracking. Scientists study positive affect by having subjects look at happy images, watch funny videos, or listen to joyful music. Experiments like this show that when people’s moods are lightened, they are better at overcoming pain-related fear.�
But Gordon and Ziv warn their readers to be prepared for the occasional ‘relapse� of a neuroplastic pain episode. This is a result, they aver of wafting back into bad habits induced by a sense of complacency and over confidence. However, the relapse in itself according to the duo ought not to cause much disillusionment. The trick is to overcome the relapse by employing the same tactics that caused the neuroplastic pain to disappear in the first place, and originally. There are 3 stages to every relapse; Panic, Forcing it Down (practicing somatic tracking with a ferocity and vehemence that defeats the very purpose) and finally the conquering of the relapse by the patient by getting a grip over herself and practicing the technique of somatic tracking in a relaxed, unforced and flowing manner.
The authors before closing their engrossing book rightly bemoan the complete disdain given to the concept of understanding pain, in medical curricula across the globe. “Medical students spend thousands of hours learning everything from anatomy to genetics. So how much of the medical school curriculum is devoted to pain? In the United States, it’s eleven hours. Not eleven hours per class. Not even eleven hours per year. Eleven hours of pain content in the entire four-year curriculum. The rest of the world doesn’t fare much better. In Europe, it’s twelve hours. In the U.K., it’s thirteen. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are on the high end, with twenty hours dedicated to pain. Eleven hours?! Twenty hours?! Of all the stories, studies, and statistics that I’ve presented in this book, this is the most mind-boggling. In school, I spent at least thirty hours learning the periodic table of the elements. I have used that knowledge exactly zero times. And yet future doctors are spending less time than that studying something that afflicts more than a billion people worldwide!�
The Way Out � an experiment towards probable excelsis.
August 27, 2021
This was recommended to be by an excellent pain psychologist as part of my treatment program after lots of useless appointments with lots of health professionals with (what felt like) no hope. I read this (or rather listened to it) in 2 days. I immediately felt hopeful and also laughed out loud more than a few times. Nerve pain (especially with no known physical cause) is terrifying. The author explained the recent science and brought it to life from someone who clearly lived the (suffering)experience. I will be spreading the word to mental health professional colleagues, fellow chronic pain suffers, and anyone who I come across who can relate or wants to help a loved one.
September 11, 2021
Groundbreaking book. I came across this through the Curable App, which I’m also really enjoying. This book is a practical guide to pain reprocessing therapy.
When pain becomes chronic, it is the result of your brain getting good at sending pain signals even when you’re body has healed. The good news is that all pain originates in the brain, which means you can retrain your brain into no longer sending frequent pain signals and break free of the pain-fear cycle. This book teaches you how to do just that with lots of education, tools and exercises.
So interesting and highly recommend this to anyone who has felt hopelessly at the whim of chronic pain.
When pain becomes chronic, it is the result of your brain getting good at sending pain signals even when you’re body has healed. The good news is that all pain originates in the brain, which means you can retrain your brain into no longer sending frequent pain signals and break free of the pain-fear cycle. This book teaches you how to do just that with lots of education, tools and exercises.
So interesting and highly recommend this to anyone who has felt hopelessly at the whim of chronic pain.
Read
February 11, 2023I will be coming back to this a lot over the coming months. The hope and optimism I have been feeling since starting in this new direction have been a very welcome breath of fresh air. Now to keep doing the work.
January 21, 2022
Reading this actually gave me hope
July 1, 2023
This book is a MIRACLE for chronic pain sufferers. I want to wrap it up in my arms and take it ballroom dancing. 🥰🥰🥰
June 27, 2023
I find this absurdly light and quick read difficult to review.
It's a very lean book and doesn't go in for much beyond a LOT of testimonials � which give it a bit of an infomercial/latest craze flavour. I'll admit to following Gordon's Instagram page, and while the snippets of info are great for that limited focus, it doesn't translate well into a compelling, cohesive, or comprehensive book.
As I read in another's accurate review, this book could have, and indeed should have, been a pamphlet advertising his services.
It's a very lean book and doesn't go in for much beyond a LOT of testimonials � which give it a bit of an infomercial/latest craze flavour. I'll admit to following Gordon's Instagram page, and while the snippets of info are great for that limited focus, it doesn't translate well into a compelling, cohesive, or comprehensive book.
As I read in another's accurate review, this book could have, and indeed should have, been a pamphlet advertising his services.
February 20, 2023
Highly recommend for chronic pain. Thanks to the way this book is written and my previous experience with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and reframing techniques, I was able to immediately reduce my chronic pain. Full review on Storygraph
October 5, 2023
As a Clinical Mental Health Counsellor, a Chronic-Pain Patient, and a researcher, I give this 2stars.
The first part of the book is essentially pseudo-science...in the sense that it sort of looks like science, but is actually "science-ish" and is very poor science. This section reads more like reductionist marketing and the overall conclusion is false and misleading, which can lead to delayed care and harm. Unfortunately this plays into stereotypes of chronic pain which can further hold patients back from getting the care they need. Like with all things, it is about careful differential diagnosis and individual differences.
The second half of the book is better---the actual descriptions of their method are nice and useful. It feels very much borrowed from "Buddha Brain". The post script at the very end which describes a check list for neuroplastic pain has some useful elements while other points are again, pseudoscience.
In plain language: In true science there are different types of pain. Let's say three types...chronic tissue pain (nociceptive) such as inflammation, heat, chemical (infections), compression etc, chronic peripheral nerve pain, or neuroplastic pain (more in the brain but still real) or central sensitaization. There are actual scientific criteria to assess for these different types of pain. The author of this book suggests that all or most of pain post 6 months is neuroplastic. This is simply incorrect. There are many chronic nerve and inflammatory conditions which are not neuroplastic and there are many ways to assess properly for this. He does not cover this at all. This adds to the pain science literature perpetuating this reductionist myth.
Like other pain science authors he conflates some (in this case, one poorly done) study on back pain with all types of pain. He makes big claims which reveal his business marketing background.
So the first part of the book is wildly misleading and can lend some practitioners (I worry ) to over psychologize their patients. That is a big problem. (blame the victim). But the second part where he describes his technique for neuroplastic pain is very useful and nicely done.
So if I could recommend an edit the first part of the book would say that "some" cases of pain are neuroplastic, and "some" are not, and how to assess for that...and then go on to describe the neuroplastic methods---with tons of disclaimers about when it may not be appropriate, and with caution about not psychologizing very real concerns.
Another thing I appreciate is pointing out the risk of over-emphasizing biological interventions for pain--so patients are well served by not over trusting on the biology side (many surgeries etc) or on the psychology side (delayed care) but being cautious, researching, conservative etc.
So yes there is value here, but buyer beware.
The first part of the book is essentially pseudo-science...in the sense that it sort of looks like science, but is actually "science-ish" and is very poor science. This section reads more like reductionist marketing and the overall conclusion is false and misleading, which can lead to delayed care and harm. Unfortunately this plays into stereotypes of chronic pain which can further hold patients back from getting the care they need. Like with all things, it is about careful differential diagnosis and individual differences.
The second half of the book is better---the actual descriptions of their method are nice and useful. It feels very much borrowed from "Buddha Brain". The post script at the very end which describes a check list for neuroplastic pain has some useful elements while other points are again, pseudoscience.
In plain language: In true science there are different types of pain. Let's say three types...chronic tissue pain (nociceptive) such as inflammation, heat, chemical (infections), compression etc, chronic peripheral nerve pain, or neuroplastic pain (more in the brain but still real) or central sensitaization. There are actual scientific criteria to assess for these different types of pain. The author of this book suggests that all or most of pain post 6 months is neuroplastic. This is simply incorrect. There are many chronic nerve and inflammatory conditions which are not neuroplastic and there are many ways to assess properly for this. He does not cover this at all. This adds to the pain science literature perpetuating this reductionist myth.
Like other pain science authors he conflates some (in this case, one poorly done) study on back pain with all types of pain. He makes big claims which reveal his business marketing background.
So the first part of the book is wildly misleading and can lend some practitioners (I worry ) to over psychologize their patients. That is a big problem. (blame the victim). But the second part where he describes his technique for neuroplastic pain is very useful and nicely done.
So if I could recommend an edit the first part of the book would say that "some" cases of pain are neuroplastic, and "some" are not, and how to assess for that...and then go on to describe the neuroplastic methods---with tons of disclaimers about when it may not be appropriate, and with caution about not psychologizing very real concerns.
Another thing I appreciate is pointing out the risk of over-emphasizing biological interventions for pain--so patients are well served by not over trusting on the biology side (many surgeries etc) or on the psychology side (delayed care) but being cautious, researching, conservative etc.
So yes there is value here, but buyer beware.
August 30, 2021
Why do I recommend this book? As a chronic pain patient for over 24 years, I searched high and low for relief from unrelenting fibromyalgia. I consulted doctors of all kinds, underwent all sorts of expensive medical procedures, followed strict diets and protocols and tried almost every pill on the market. Some helped temporarily, but none gave me lasting relief. And then I discovered mind/body medicine. More specifically, I found Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT). I am currently 90% recovered using this approach. So, it is wonderful to have a book on PRT that is easy to understand and that clearly explains how to successfully treat chronic pain. Even better, Alan Gordon and Alan Ziv have a way of writing using personal experiences and lively stories that takes a concept that can be difficult to comprehend and puts it into an approachable narrative that is enjoyable to read. This book will be a game-changer for people who suffer from unrelenting chronic pain.
February 15, 2022
The fibromyalgia diagnosis I received over a decade ago, thinking there was no cure, I just couldn't accept living like that for the rest of my life. I kept thinking, if the pain could be switched on such as it was, then surely there must be a way to switch it off again. And then I found this book and everything made sense. I was learning about mindfulness and emotions and all that at the same time, which I think really helped cement it all. Because it honest-to-goodness worked. So, if your pain gets worse with everything you do, when there's no "pushing through it" like they tell you, then it just might be neuroplastic pain too. And you will not regret reading this book. I can't thank the author enough for sharing what they learned.
April 6, 2022
Good.
Sober.
Empowering.
A brief guide to overcoming chronic “neuroplastic� pain.
Well written and theoretically sound.
Sober.
Empowering.
A brief guide to overcoming chronic “neuroplastic� pain.
Well written and theoretically sound.
December 15, 2021
While there are some reasonable ideas in this book that may be helpful in reducing and managing chronic pain, the book is a bit too chatty and fluffy for my liking. It's already a pretty short book at 150 pages but its significant content could have been effectively reduced to a 15-page pamphlet. It shares this flaw with your typical self-help book. That said, it is certainly worth pursuing this approach as an alternative to drugs and surgery. While I remain skeptical of its success rate, it does seem to make some sense that in some cases retraining your brain might be effective. It finally gets to the point about halfway thru the book, explaining the method for a few pages, and then returns to the cute fluff to stretch it out to a respectable book length. So, my rating of 2 stars applies to its status as a "book" (with a list price of $27 shown). While the few pages of actual ideas presented in the book are worthwhile and valuable reading, I can't recommend it as a full book. You are probably just as well off reading an article on the subject on the web for a few minutes.
October 2, 2023
Edit: retroactively changing this to a 4 because honestly I have started trying this technique and it is working to reduce my pain. Knock on wood.
�
Pretty interesting take on chronic pain as neuroplastic pain: overly worn neural pathways from originally legitimate physical triggers that have become easily triggered to create mentally simulated pain. It feels real but it isn’t. I like the concept, and the solution is basically to gaslight yourself out of pain. Notice the pain but decide that you don’t fear it. I find it easiest to do this while high because my anxiety is lower. Over time, supposedly, you can disconnect fear from feelings of pain, which will reduce their hold over you.
I liked the idea but the book itself could’ve been an article. Really dragged. That said, I will take some tenets of this book and see if they help me with my neck issues.
�
Pretty interesting take on chronic pain as neuroplastic pain: overly worn neural pathways from originally legitimate physical triggers that have become easily triggered to create mentally simulated pain. It feels real but it isn’t. I like the concept, and the solution is basically to gaslight yourself out of pain. Notice the pain but decide that you don’t fear it. I find it easiest to do this while high because my anxiety is lower. Over time, supposedly, you can disconnect fear from feelings of pain, which will reduce their hold over you.
I liked the idea but the book itself could’ve been an article. Really dragged. That said, I will take some tenets of this book and see if they help me with my neck issues.
December 9, 2022
The only topic I wish the authors had touched on is the difficulty feeling safe when current events/economic, social and political climates weigh heavily: a pandemic, cost of living, instability in work and housing etc. How can we send messages of safety to our brains when we may, at any moment, need to find another place to live; when we may not know where we will be working in a month or three months or six months; when we may not know where our next pay check/meal is coming from?
Otherwise, the book is worthwhile for anyone experiencing chronic pain.
Otherwise, the book is worthwhile for anyone experiencing chronic pain.
October 15, 2021
One I'll come back to again and again. I was already on my way along the journey of dealing with pain, but it's so helpful to have a book I can go back to and reference to keep from slipping back into old habits. I learned new things too. I love the compassionate tone, really almost always, it's good to just be kinder to ourselves with anything we're experiencing- including pain. This helped me get more into that mindset and gave me some language and tools to use when pain flares up.
June 28, 2022
Such a good book! I was unsure about buying it as I’ve also got the curable app and have listened to Gordon’s podcast but decided to buy it on my specialist’s encouragement (I have me/cfs). Gordon is so talented at communicating in a gentle, humorous way to deactivate your high alert and hyper vigilant brain. I definitely recommend the book even if you’ve consumed all the other content. I think it’s better than the app tbh.
July 2, 2024
As someone who suffers from chronic pain, this is revolutionary. I've started implementing the strategies in this book and can already feel benefit. More to follow once I have given it more time.
Update: I've been pain-free for 6 months after 6 years of suffering. Thank you, Alan Gordon, for changing my life. I now recommend your book to everyone I meet.
Update: I've been pain-free for 6 months after 6 years of suffering. Thank you, Alan Gordon, for changing my life. I now recommend your book to everyone I meet.
January 3, 2022
I won't spend too much time writing about this book, because it requires the reader to embrace the concept on their own. I wish it had been longer with more scientific info.
May 19, 2022
AUDIBLE AUDIO VERSION, narrated by the main author, Alan Gordon
Rating 4.0
two serious criticisms: Alan doesn't quote any statistics, for example, exactly what percentage of people in the Boulder Study improved and what percentage were pain free after the treatment, what percentage of people were pain free after 6months or 1 year?
The way Alan explains it, EVERYONE WAS CURED AND PAIN FREE YAY YAY YAY! Um, really???
As a Physician and previously chronic pain patient (until back surgery) I highly doubt the percentage was more than 50%.
In fact, if it were even 25% THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLE AND AMAZING AND THIS WOULD BE THE TREAMENT TAUGHT IN MEDICAL SCHOOL and you and I would be bombarded with it in the media...since this book or references to this book are the only places I have heard about Pain Reprocessing Therapy, my BULLSHIT METER kept going DING DING DING DONG!
Secondly, the part were Alan explains exactly what his treatment consists of is far too brief. I listened carefully (even rewinding) and got the drift, but why didn't he include more details of the sessions he did with the Pain Patients? It has to be more than 5 minutes of "mentally examine your pain with lightness and curiosity" and why not include more details of what he tells patients and the progression of their recovery? Why spend 2 hours of explaining what Neuroplastic Pain is and 1.5 hours of how great his treatment works and only 1 hour explaining what the treatment is?
OK, now for the Praise for this book:
It is a great Short book (less than 5 hours of listening time) for those of us who have suffered from Chronic Pain and who are dealing every single f#ck*ng Day with the Aches of Aging.
I wouldn't have rated it 4 out of 5 otherwise. I do recommend this book.
Alan is a nice guy, with a slightly Gay Voice. He does a great job narrating his own book. The Audio version is the way to go with this one. Alan Gordon reminds me of the Happiness Advantage Guy (Shawn Achor). Alan seems similar, an extroverted, enthusiastic, nice guy, droll sense of humor that adds to the presentation. The two books are similar--lighthearted, easy to listen to, and somewhat forgettable.
What I liked: I was able to get the Gist of the Pain Reprosessing. It is basically like CBT with elements of BioFeedback and a strong emphasis on Mindfulness Based Pain Reduction.
For someone like me, (a nerd, quite attuned to my body and emotions and generally geared toward positive thinking), his method could certainly work.
But it takes practice for probably months or even years and doesn't work overnight as he implies.
Here's how it could work:
You reframe your Chronic Pain by telling yourself that your Pain is generated entirely from your Brain, and that your Body is OK. Your spine (or whatever body part is hurting today) is NOT disintegrating. You are going to be OK. It will get better.
If you have a Pain Flare-up sometimes it is out of nowhere which is super scary, othertimes, there is physical and emotional stress going on.
I learned from this book that a Pain Flare is nothing to Freak Out About--I was in the habit of Freaking Out whenever I had physical pain. Thanks to this book, I am doing better at avoiding Freak Outs.
If you can convince yourself that your brain is real but neuroplastic (neurologically generated, psychologically impacted and NOT physical), this allows you to deal with the pain and DIMINISH THE PART OF THE PAIN THAT IS EXACERBATED BY ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, CATASTROPHIC THINKING, AND YOUR BRAIN F*CK*NG WITH YOU.
Certainly if you eliminate your obsession and emotions surrounding your pain, your pain WILL improve. You may still have pain but it won't be 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it won't be to the level that impacts your life AS MUCH.
If you have a younger body (Alan states he had severe pain in his 20's and recovered 100% with his method) it may work for you beautifully.
If you start Mindfulness Pain Reduction training of your Brain early enough, you may be able to heal entirely... until the next injury happens which is inevitable if you use your body and are very active for years on end.
Even for those of us with older bodies over 50, there is some excellent advice and suggestions in this book that I found useful.
Having said this, it only works with patience, Mindfulness TRAINING (easier with a teacher or guide), and yes, Faith and Optimism.
What resonated for me most: I had the insight, listening to this, of how often my Default Mode Network (the part of your brain that perseverates) flips to depression based on the fear "what if this pain lasts forever, I will be disabled", "what if I get rejected again, I won't be able to handle it, I will hate myself even more than I already do", "nothing I do is good enough! I lack ability in so many areas", "what if this relationship ends, I will be devastated...again" and it occurred to me, whether it is feeling extra bad when things go wrong, or feeling sudden severe pain when your body "calls out" to you, much of it is generated in your own head.
Your brain, if you are an Anxious Person, is trying to protect you, by making you constantly think about and worry about every bad thing that COULD Happen to You or someone you love.
Your brain, if you are a Dysthymic (Depressed) Person, is trying to protect you, by making you think constantly and obscess about every bad thing that DID Happen to you.
Your brain, if you have Chronic Pain, is trying to protect you, by perpetuating emotional (neuroplastic) pain after the physical injury has healed.
Basically, your brain means well and wants you to survive and avoid pain.
The Brain is a Future-thinking little Bugger, but its methods often make your life worse instead of protecting you against future problems.
Bottom line: a fantastic fast audio book with many good suggestions for those with chronic pain, aging bodies, and for Healers. Great to listen to while running errands.
Rating 4.0
two serious criticisms: Alan doesn't quote any statistics, for example, exactly what percentage of people in the Boulder Study improved and what percentage were pain free after the treatment, what percentage of people were pain free after 6months or 1 year?
The way Alan explains it, EVERYONE WAS CURED AND PAIN FREE YAY YAY YAY! Um, really???
As a Physician and previously chronic pain patient (until back surgery) I highly doubt the percentage was more than 50%.
In fact, if it were even 25% THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLE AND AMAZING AND THIS WOULD BE THE TREAMENT TAUGHT IN MEDICAL SCHOOL and you and I would be bombarded with it in the media...since this book or references to this book are the only places I have heard about Pain Reprocessing Therapy, my BULLSHIT METER kept going DING DING DING DONG!
Secondly, the part were Alan explains exactly what his treatment consists of is far too brief. I listened carefully (even rewinding) and got the drift, but why didn't he include more details of the sessions he did with the Pain Patients? It has to be more than 5 minutes of "mentally examine your pain with lightness and curiosity" and why not include more details of what he tells patients and the progression of their recovery? Why spend 2 hours of explaining what Neuroplastic Pain is and 1.5 hours of how great his treatment works and only 1 hour explaining what the treatment is?
OK, now for the Praise for this book:
It is a great Short book (less than 5 hours of listening time) for those of us who have suffered from Chronic Pain and who are dealing every single f#ck*ng Day with the Aches of Aging.
I wouldn't have rated it 4 out of 5 otherwise. I do recommend this book.
Alan is a nice guy, with a slightly Gay Voice. He does a great job narrating his own book. The Audio version is the way to go with this one. Alan Gordon reminds me of the Happiness Advantage Guy (Shawn Achor). Alan seems similar, an extroverted, enthusiastic, nice guy, droll sense of humor that adds to the presentation. The two books are similar--lighthearted, easy to listen to, and somewhat forgettable.
What I liked: I was able to get the Gist of the Pain Reprosessing. It is basically like CBT with elements of BioFeedback and a strong emphasis on Mindfulness Based Pain Reduction.
For someone like me, (a nerd, quite attuned to my body and emotions and generally geared toward positive thinking), his method could certainly work.
But it takes practice for probably months or even years and doesn't work overnight as he implies.
Here's how it could work:
You reframe your Chronic Pain by telling yourself that your Pain is generated entirely from your Brain, and that your Body is OK. Your spine (or whatever body part is hurting today) is NOT disintegrating. You are going to be OK. It will get better.
If you have a Pain Flare-up sometimes it is out of nowhere which is super scary, othertimes, there is physical and emotional stress going on.
I learned from this book that a Pain Flare is nothing to Freak Out About--I was in the habit of Freaking Out whenever I had physical pain. Thanks to this book, I am doing better at avoiding Freak Outs.
If you can convince yourself that your brain is real but neuroplastic (neurologically generated, psychologically impacted and NOT physical), this allows you to deal with the pain and DIMINISH THE PART OF THE PAIN THAT IS EXACERBATED BY ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, CATASTROPHIC THINKING, AND YOUR BRAIN F*CK*NG WITH YOU.
Certainly if you eliminate your obsession and emotions surrounding your pain, your pain WILL improve. You may still have pain but it won't be 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it won't be to the level that impacts your life AS MUCH.
If you have a younger body (Alan states he had severe pain in his 20's and recovered 100% with his method) it may work for you beautifully.
If you start Mindfulness Pain Reduction training of your Brain early enough, you may be able to heal entirely... until the next injury happens which is inevitable if you use your body and are very active for years on end.
Even for those of us with older bodies over 50, there is some excellent advice and suggestions in this book that I found useful.
Having said this, it only works with patience, Mindfulness TRAINING (easier with a teacher or guide), and yes, Faith and Optimism.
What resonated for me most: I had the insight, listening to this, of how often my Default Mode Network (the part of your brain that perseverates) flips to depression based on the fear "what if this pain lasts forever, I will be disabled", "what if I get rejected again, I won't be able to handle it, I will hate myself even more than I already do", "nothing I do is good enough! I lack ability in so many areas", "what if this relationship ends, I will be devastated...again" and it occurred to me, whether it is feeling extra bad when things go wrong, or feeling sudden severe pain when your body "calls out" to you, much of it is generated in your own head.
Your brain, if you are an Anxious Person, is trying to protect you, by making you constantly think about and worry about every bad thing that COULD Happen to You or someone you love.
Your brain, if you are a Dysthymic (Depressed) Person, is trying to protect you, by making you think constantly and obscess about every bad thing that DID Happen to you.
Your brain, if you have Chronic Pain, is trying to protect you, by perpetuating emotional (neuroplastic) pain after the physical injury has healed.
Basically, your brain means well and wants you to survive and avoid pain.
The Brain is a Future-thinking little Bugger, but its methods often make your life worse instead of protecting you against future problems.
Bottom line: a fantastic fast audio book with many good suggestions for those with chronic pain, aging bodies, and for Healers. Great to listen to while running errands.
November 11, 2021
Simply put, this book should be required reading for every patient and every single medical student. 11 hours in a 14-year training period for doctors to learn how to treat pain is so bafflingly awful that I would akin it to allowing doctors to torture their patients. The last statistic I read said that 30% of all America lives their life in chronic pain and I would guarantee you that since I read that statistic it has grown. If you live your life in physical pain, and honestly I even think this would help with emotional pain, then you need this book because it will change your life IF YOU USE IT. But the only way you will change your life is if you use the principles as often as you can for as long as you can. I've been using the principles in this book for a little under a year and I'm just now starting to feel like a human being again. My doctor is looking at me like I'm walking miracle. And that is what it feels like after 15 years of constant pain and torture, while being told it's my fault by every doctor that I see (or that it's because I'm fat and lazy or so on and so forth of all the prideful horrific things that Doctors say to you either patients.) There's only one thing I disagree with in this book... That doctors aren't at fault. Because I'm sorry- but with the way they treat their patients, as though their pride is more important than the pain of that patient. Always seeing the patient as a liar. Removing important medications based off of a recommendation that doesn't take into account any patients needs- it is at least in part their fault. I quite literally have PTSD from how doctors have treated me not to mention the pain itself. I refuse to go to doctors unless it is life and death now other than the amount of times that I'm forced to in order to get the medication I need.
I was skeptical. It's okay if you're skeptical. It doesn't change the fact that this book and its principles actually do work. And trust me I tried everything. If it's not working for you you just need to give it more time. I was impatient. I still am. Continuing on without the 100% guarantee that it will work is one of the hardest things in the world to do when you're in constant pain but I'm telling you, as the author says, trust the process. Buy this book. I suppose you could rent it from the library but you're going to want to highlight literally everything. 😂
I was skeptical. It's okay if you're skeptical. It doesn't change the fact that this book and its principles actually do work. And trust me I tried everything. If it's not working for you you just need to give it more time. I was impatient. I still am. Continuing on without the 100% guarantee that it will work is one of the hardest things in the world to do when you're in constant pain but I'm telling you, as the author says, trust the process. Buy this book. I suppose you could rent it from the library but you're going to want to highlight literally everything. 😂
October 24, 2021
(Audiobook) Started this book skeptically!
Heard about the author because of an article in the Washington Post about the Pain Psychology Center and their ways of treating chronic pain. I have been dealing with some pretty gnarly issues for the past couple of years and felt like there’s not a lot left I can do to get back to the active life I enjoyed. An hour into the book my pain started to drift away as I learned how neuroplastic pain enters the body.
My pain has not gone away altogether in a week, btw,
however, when the pain comes now, I am using the techniques from the book to minimize the pain, and it’s absolutely working.
I see a path to being pain-free, and it feels like it’s coming very, very soon. I recommend the audiobook at 1.1x speed. The podcast that Alan Gordon hosts, Tell Me About Your Pain, is a solid companion to the book. He also posts about the principles on his Instagram page.
This is not a book about using crystals or special herbs to heal pain. It’s got a lot of science in it about how legit pain from injury gets stuck inside our bodies and the brain adapts by continuing to send painful signals of pain even once the injury is gone. The book and podcast teaches how to rewire our brains to feel better.
Just when the science feels too heavy, Gordon throws in jokes to keep your attention.
I have also read work by Dr John Sarno, which is similar, but this feels more science-driven and obviously modern, because it came out just a few months ago.
Heard about the author because of an article in the Washington Post about the Pain Psychology Center and their ways of treating chronic pain. I have been dealing with some pretty gnarly issues for the past couple of years and felt like there’s not a lot left I can do to get back to the active life I enjoyed. An hour into the book my pain started to drift away as I learned how neuroplastic pain enters the body.
My pain has not gone away altogether in a week, btw,
however, when the pain comes now, I am using the techniques from the book to minimize the pain, and it’s absolutely working.
I see a path to being pain-free, and it feels like it’s coming very, very soon. I recommend the audiobook at 1.1x speed. The podcast that Alan Gordon hosts, Tell Me About Your Pain, is a solid companion to the book. He also posts about the principles on his Instagram page.
This is not a book about using crystals or special herbs to heal pain. It’s got a lot of science in it about how legit pain from injury gets stuck inside our bodies and the brain adapts by continuing to send painful signals of pain even once the injury is gone. The book and podcast teaches how to rewire our brains to feel better.
Just when the science feels too heavy, Gordon throws in jokes to keep your attention.
I have also read work by Dr John Sarno, which is similar, but this feels more science-driven and obviously modern, because it came out just a few months ago.
February 12, 2024
A great book that organized all the work of Dr. Sarno and others in a more understandable and simplified way. Greatly helped me in my process to change my relationship with chronic headaches. The book provides great perspectives and examples that help you to redefine your attitude.
There are some points of improvement. I would change the order of the chapters. Given that a lot of chronic pain sufferers are in high-alert mode, this chapter and anything that has to do with lowering baseline stress levels should come first. At least, for me my symptoms really started to abate when I lowered my alertness.
In my case, only following the book did not suffice. A huge missing point for me was shifting the focus towards emotions. Becoming more aware of them and expressing them proved to be the key to significantly lower my pain. Which aligns with Dr. Sarno's statement that your pain is a distraction from repressed feelings.
So, it's a good book that was definitely able to explain everything in a concise manner. I would add Emotional Awareness and Expression Theory to make it more rounded.
Good luck with your process! It takes courage and time. Be patient, you are doing the most beautiful work you could do. Work that will benefit you the rest of your life!
There are some points of improvement. I would change the order of the chapters. Given that a lot of chronic pain sufferers are in high-alert mode, this chapter and anything that has to do with lowering baseline stress levels should come first. At least, for me my symptoms really started to abate when I lowered my alertness.
In my case, only following the book did not suffice. A huge missing point for me was shifting the focus towards emotions. Becoming more aware of them and expressing them proved to be the key to significantly lower my pain. Which aligns with Dr. Sarno's statement that your pain is a distraction from repressed feelings.
So, it's a good book that was definitely able to explain everything in a concise manner. I would add Emotional Awareness and Expression Theory to make it more rounded.
Good luck with your process! It takes courage and time. Be patient, you are doing the most beautiful work you could do. Work that will benefit you the rest of your life!
March 2, 2022
This is really a quick and easy read to think about pain differently and has helped me.
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