Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)
What it is: A therapeutic method developed by Alan Gordon and colleagues, PRT helps patients “unlearn” chronic pain by reattributing the signals to harmless processes in the brain. This is achieved through techniques like somatic tracking, cognitive reappraisal, and exposures, all aimed at reducing fear-based brain activity https://www.painreprocessingtherapy.com/
Strong evidence:
A JAMA Psychiatry randomized controlled trial found 66% of participants became pain-free or nearly so after a 4-week PRT intervention—compared with 20% in placebo and 10% in usual care. Results held at one-year follow-up Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial - PMC
Brain science behind it: Functional MRI scans showed reductions in activity within brain regions associated with pain processing in PRT patients
Key techniques:
Detailed assessment to confirm non-structural pain.
Education to reframe pain as a reversible brain process.
Somatic tracking and exposure-based reappraisal exercises to shift beliefs and neural responses
NICHE Pain Care has practitioners trained in Empowered Relief and Pain Reprocessing Therapy. The inclusion of Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) at NICHE Pain Care is a great enhancement—it's a neuroscience-driven, evidence-based approach for chronic pain that emphasizes brain retraining rather than managing symptoms.
