For people living with chronic back pain, even a simple movement can trigger a sudden surge of pain. Now, scientists have discovered that these painful episodes activate a surprising part of the brain, one closely connected to our sense of identity and how we think about ourselves.
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine found that movement-triggered pain in people with chronic low back pain (cLBP) activates a brain network that normally becomes less active during ordinary pain. The discovery suggests that persistent back pain may become deeply intertwined with a person's sense of self, potentially helping explain why conventional pain treatments often provide limited relief.
According to the World Health Organization, low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. When pain persists for more than 12 weeks, it is considered chronic. For many patients, everyday movements can provoke sudden flare-ups that make an already difficult condition even harder to manage.
Although the brain plays a central role in how pain is experienced, researchers have struggled to identify the precise brain circuits responsible for pain triggered by movement.
Source: ScienceDaily - Psychology — Read the full article on the original site ↗