Do you have Neuroplastic Pain? | Pain Reprocessing Co

Is your pain or symptom neuroplastic?

Read the criteria below and check which apply to you. You do not need to meet all of the criteria to for your pain or symptom to be neuroplastic, but the more you check the higher the likelihood your pain could be eliminated or greatly reduced through pain reprocessing.

FUNCTIONAL CRITERIA

This means that the symptoms do not fit with and aren’t explainable by known structural conditions.

INCONSISTENT CRITERIA

This means that the symptoms vary in ways that a structural condition would not.

TRIGGERED CRITERIA

This means that the symptoms are brought on by stimuli that would not actually cause the symptom physically but they activate the brain to generate the symptom.

Sympoms begin without an injury

If symptoms started with an injury, they lasted after the injury healed (all injuries heal, scars don't cause pain)

Symptoms occur in a symmetic pattern (mirror image on right/left side)

Sympoms occur on one whole side of the body or on half of the face, head, or torso

Sympoms spread over time to different parts of the body

Sympoms occur in many different parts of the body at the same time

Sympoms that have the quality of tingling, burning, electric, numb, hot or cold

Sympoms shift from one location in the body to another

Symptoms are more or less intense depending on the time of day, or occur first thing in the morning or in the middle of the night

Symptoms occur after, but not during, activity or excercize

Sympoms occur when one thinks about them or when someone asks about it

Sympoms occur when stress increases or if one thinks about stressful situations

Sympoms are minimal or non-existent when engaged in enjoyable or distacting activities, such as when on vacation

Symptoms are minimal or non-existent after some kind of therapy, such as massage, Chriopractic, Reiki, acupuncture, an herbal or vitamin supplement

Sympoms are triggered by things that are not related to the actual symptom, such as foods, smells, sounds, light, computer screens, menses, changes in weather

Symptoms are triggered by the anticipation of stress, like pror to school, work, a doctor's visit, a medical test, a visit to a relative, or a social gathering, or duing these activities

Symptoms are triggered by simply imagining engaging in the triggering activity, such as bending over, turning the neck, sitting, or standing

Sympoms are triggered by light touch or innocuous stimuli, such as the wind or cold

These types of personalities are more likely to develop neuroplastic pain.

PERSONALITY TRAITS

Perfectionstic

People pleaser

Self-critical

History of anxiety or depression

History of childhood trauma (even mild traumas)

Family history of chronic pain

Hypersensitivity syndromes (to touch, smells, sounds, foods, medication)

Restless Leg Syndrome

Long Covid

Central Sensitization

This list has been compiled by physicians David Clarke, MD, and David Schechter, MD, at the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association

Patellofemoral syndrome

Tempromandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)

Trigeminal neuralgia