Pain Reprocessing Therapy

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a psychological approach designed to help people with persistent or chronic pain by changing how the brain interprets pain signals. It is most often used for pain that continues without clear ongoing tissue damage or where pain responses have become learned and amplified over time.

PRT combines education, body awareness and emotional techniques to help reduce fear and retrain pain pathways.

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Pain Reprocessing Therapy is based on the idea that some chronic pain is driven by the brain and nervous system continuing to generate danger signals even when the body is no longer injured. Rather than ignoring pain, PRT helps people understand it differently and respond to it in ways that reduce fear, hypervigilance and pain-related distress.

What happens in Pain Reprocessing Therapy?

Sessions usually involve learning about neuroplastic or brain-generated pain, exploring how fear and attention affect symptoms, and practising techniques such as somatic tracking. Somatic tracking involves noticing pain sensations with curiosity and safety, rather than alarm.

A therapist may also help you work with stress, emotional patterns and avoidance behaviours that may be reinforcing the pain cycle.

What can Pain Reprocessing Therapy help with?

Chronic back pain and musculoskeletal pain
Fibromyalgia and widespread pain
Tension-related symptoms and persistent discomfort
Pain-related fear and avoidance
Stress-linked symptom patterns

How it differs from physical treatment

PRT does not assume pain is “imaginary”. Instead, it views pain as real but sometimes maintained by the brain's protective processes. It may be used alongside medical care, especially once serious underlying causes have been ruled out.

Important to know

Pain Reprocessing Therapy is generally most appropriate for persistent pain patterns where medical assessment suggests there is no ongoing structural danger. A qualified clinician can help determine whether this approach is suitable for your situation.

History of Pain Reprocessing Therapy

Pain Reprocessing Therapy is a modern approach influenced by research into neuroplastic pain, pain neuroscience education and mind-body treatment models. It has gained attention in recent years as interest has grown in brain-based approaches to persistent pain.

Typical conditions that use Pain Reprocessing Therapy

Condition	Evidence	Notes
Back pain (lower)	strong	Pain reprocessing therapy for back pain.
Chronic pain	strong	Pain reprocessing therapy for low back pain.
Fibromyalgia support	strong	Pain reprocessing therapy for fibromyalgia.
Neuralgia support	strong	Pain reprocessing therapy for neuralgia.
Pelvic pain	strong	Pain reprocessing therapy for pelvic pain.
Osteoarthritis support	moderate	Pain reprocessing therapy for OA.
Sciatica	moderate	Pain reprocessing therapy for sciatica.