It Hurts To Sit. Is this Neuroplastic Pain? If So, Will Pain Reprocessing Therapy Help?

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a psychological approach primarily aimed at treating chronic pain that is thought to be maintained by neural pathways rather than ongoing tissue damage. PRT focuses on altering the brain’s perception of pain by teaching the individual to reinterpret the pain signals as non-threatening.

If tailbone pain is neuroplastic, meaning it is maintained or amplified by changes in the brain’s neural pathways rather than by ongoing tissue damage, Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) could potentially be effective.

Neuroplastic pain occurs when the brain continues to send pain signals even after the original injury or cause of pain has healed, often due to central sensitization or maladaptive pain processing.

PRT aims to rewire the brain’s response to pain by helping individuals reinterpret their pain signals as non-threatening. The therapy involves techniques like mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, and somatic tracking, which help reduce fear and anxiety associated with pain, thereby diminishing the brain’s overreaction to these signals.

In cases where tailbone pain has become chronic and is believed to be driven by these neuroplastic changes, PRT could help reduce or eliminate the pain by retraining the brain to stop generating these pain signals. However, it’s important to have a thorough evaluation by a healthcare provider to confirm that the pain is neuroplastic and that PRT is an appropriate treatment.

In summary, PRT could be effective for tailbone pain if the pain is thought to be maintained or amplified by neural mechanisms rather than purely physical causes.