Before discussing the role of Neuroplasticity in chronic pain management it is important to have a working definition of the term. Neuroplasticity (variously referred to as brain plasticity or cortical plasticity or cortical re-mapping) refers to the changes that occur in the organization of the brain as a result of learning and experience. A surprising consequence of neuroplasticity is that the brain activity associated with a given function can move to a different location within the brain as a consequence of normal experience or brain damage/recovery.

In my article Chronic Pain and the Hijacked Brain I discuss how the pain system gets turned on and cannot be turned off.  I call this the “hijacked” brain or what is often referred to as Neuroplasticity (also called brain plasticity, cortical plasticity or cortical re-mapping).  A surprising consequence of neuroplasticity is that the brain activity associated with a given function can move to a different location as a consequence of normal experience or brain damage/recovery.  In the case of chronic pain this can mean that pain signals keep occurring despite lack of a trigger or tissue damage.

Research published in Pain Physician Journal (2006) indicated that 90 percent of people in the US receiving treatment for pain management are prescribed opiate medication. Of that number 9 percent to 41 percent had opiate abuse/addiction problems.

According to research published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 933:175-184 (2001) titled “Spinal Cord Neuroplasticity following Repeated Opioid Exposure and Its Relation to Pathological Pain;” convincing evidence has accumulated that indicates there are neuroplastic changes within the spinal cord in response to repeated exposure to opioids. Such neuroplastic changes occur at both cellular and intracellular levels. Since so many people living with chronic pain are using opiates these neuroplastic changes need to be better understood.

To learn more about chronic pain management please check out our website at www.addiction-free.com and go to our Publications page and check out my book Managing Pain and Coexisting Disorders: Using the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System. If you want to learn more about neuroplasticity and chronic pain management you can find my article Chronic Pain and the Hijacked Brain that you can download for free on our Ariticles page.

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