The True Root Cause of Chronic Pain and How To Manage it Using the Latest Science with Dr. Howard Schubiner
Feb 12, 2024
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Dr. Howard Schubiner, a psychologist specializing in treating chronic pain, joins Dhru Purohit to discuss the true root cause of chronic pain and how to manage it using the latest science. They debunk common misconceptions about pain, explore the impact of stress and emotions on pain perception, and introduce a revolutionary perspective on chronic pain treatment. They also delve into the connection between trauma and chronic pain, the importance of emotional awareness and expression therapy, and the brain's ability to heal and change through neuroplasticity.
All pain is generated in the brain, regardless of physical injury, and understanding the root cause is crucial for unlearning chronic pain.
The conventional approach to pain management focuses on managing pain rather than addressing its underlying causes, highlighting the limitations of current models.
Pain reprocessing therapy and emotional awareness and expression therapy are effective in treating chronic pain, allowing individuals to retrain their brains and make positive changes in their lives.
Deep dives
Understanding the Brain's Role in Pain Perception
Research shows that all pain is generated in the brain, regardless of the presence of a physical injury. Stress and emotions can activate the same brain regions as physical injuries, indicating that all pain is real. Dr. Howard Schubener discusses the importance of unlearning pain by identifying its root cause. He explains that chronic pain is often linked to adverse childhood experiences, trauma, and emotional factors. Understanding these connections allows individuals to recognize that pain is a protective alarm system, and with the right tools, they can retrain the brain to alleviate or even eliminate chronic pain.
The Broken System of Pain Management
The conventional biomedical and bio-psycho-social models of pain management have limitations. These models often focus on managing pain rather than addressing its underlying causes. Limited understanding of the brain's role in pain perception and lack of awareness regarding the impact of emotional and psychological factors contribute to the broken system. Additionally, financial incentives and overemphasis on structural abnormalities shown in medical imaging can further perpetuate ineffective pain management. Understanding the limitations of current approaches is crucial for individuals seeking lasting relief from chronic pain.
Treatment Approaches: Pain Reprocessing Therapy and Emotional Awareness
Pain reprocessing therapy (PRT) and emotional awareness and expression therapy are effective treatment approaches for chronic pain. PRT involves changing the brain's response to pain by cultivating a positive mindset, practicing gratitude, and reframing pain as a protective message rather than a sign of damage. By combining mental exercises with real-life experiences, individuals can train their brains to associate pain with safety and reduce fear-based responses. Emotional awareness and expression therapy help individuals identify and address emotional factors that contribute to chronic pain. By developing self-compassion, setting boundaries, and reducing self-criticism, individuals can alleviate pain by making positive changes in their lives.
Empowering Individuals on the Path to Healing
Although seeking professional support is valuable, many individuals can take steps on their own to understand and address their chronic pain. Educating oneself about the brain's role in pain perception, exploring personal experiences and possible triggers, and practicing mental exercises can offer significant relief. Dr. Howard Schubener's comprehensive resources, including his books and materials, provide guidance and tools for individuals to embark on their own journey towards unlearning chronic pain. Empowering individuals with knowledge and understanding of their pain can lead to significant improvements in their physical and emotional well-being.
Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy
Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy, developed by Mark Lumley and the speaker, focuses on the importance of expressing emotions in safe and healthy ways. The therapy emphasizes the idea that holding in emotions can be toxic and contribute to chronic pain. The speaker shares a personal story of experiencing back pain after a work-related disappointment. Through emotional expression techniques, such as screaming in the car and imagining releasing anger, the speaker was able to let go of the anger and move towards compassion and forgiveness. The therapy aims to address the underlying emotions causing pain and change how individuals treat themselves.
Chronic Pain as a Mind-Body Disorder
The speaker argues that chronic pain, fatigue, and other symptoms can be mind-body disorders rather than solely physical issues. The brain's role in pain and fatigue is highlighted, where emotions and life events can trigger or turn off pain within seconds. While inflammation is often considered a factor in pain, the speaker suggests that it is a small factor and may not be present in many cases. The speaker supports self-care and healthy lifestyles but cautions against solely focusing on inflammation as a root cause. The importance of understanding and addressing the emotional and psychological aspects of pain is emphasized to achieve pain reversal.
Chronic pain impacts millions of people, and yet traditional methods focus solely on pain management, failing to address the root cause of the pain. Today’s guest is here to share a groundbreaking approach to treating pain, revealing that the brain creates pain as a signal of an underlying emotional issue that needs to be addressed, and treatment can be achieved by rewiring our brains.
Today, on The Dhru Purohit Show, Dhru sits down with Dr. Howard Schubiner to discuss why chronic pain is more prevalent and how it is connected to our brains. Dr. Schubiner explains why the current approach to pain management is flawed and why Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy has been clinically proven to be more effective in treating chronic pain compared to traditional forms of treatment. He also explores how adverse childhood experiences can trigger chronic pain later in life and how we can rewire our brains, ultimately changing our response to pain.
Dr. Howard Schubiner is an internist, pediatrician, and the Mind-Body Medicine Center director at Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan. He is a clinical professor at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and has authored more than 100 publications in scientific journals and books, including three books, Unlearn Your Pain.
In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Schubiner dive into (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):
Why back pain has doubled in the last twenty years (2:24 / 2:24)
What is pain in the body (5:36 / 5:36)
The current approach to pain and pain management is broken (11:13 / 8:55)
The Symptom Perception Model and its effectiveness (18:30 / 16:09)
Incentives that lead to failure in the system (20:03 / 17:45)
Why MRIs don’t provide a complete picture of the pain (25:00 / 23:07)
Adverse childhood experiences and the relationship to pain (31:50 / 28:00)
Awareness of how the brain generates pain (37:15 / 33:09)
Tools for assessing and combating pain (44:51 / 40:54)
Pain reprocessing therapy: Changing your response to the pain (51:38 / 47:46)
What is Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (59:50 / 56:00)
Next steps on addressing chronic pain (1:21:00 / 1:17:13)
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