“Learned pain as a leading cause of chronic pain” by SoerenMind
Epistemic status: Amateur synthesis of medical research that is still recent but now established enough to make it into modern medical textbooks. Some specific claims vary in evidence strength. I’ve spent ~20-30 hours studying the literature and treatment approaches, which were very effective for me. Disclaimer: I'm not a medical professional. This information is educational only, not medical advice. Consult healthcare providers for medical conditions. Key claims This post builds on previous discussions about the fear-pain cycle and learned chronic pain. The post adds the following claims: Neuroplastic pain - pain learned by the brain (and/or spinal cord) - is a well-evidenced phenomenon and widely accepted in modern medical research (very high confidence). It explains many forms of chronic pain previously attributed to structural causes - not just wrist pain and back pain (high confidence). Other conditions include everything from pain in the knees, pelvis, bowels, neck, and the brain [...] ---Outline:(00:41) Key claims(02:03) My personal experience with with chronic pains and sudden relief(03:59) What is neuroplastic (learned) pain?(04:54) Strength of evidence(05:45) Why we learn pain(08:05) Diagnosing neuroplastic pain(10:28) Case study: my diagnosis(12:13) Belief barriers(13:36) Treatment Approaches(17:05) Resources(19:07) Appendix: Chronic fatigue, dizziness, nausea etcThe original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: April 10th, 2025 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/QGwSkMKpDgTsDpPNA/learned-pain-as-a-leading-cause-of-chronic-pain --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.