Chronic back pain activates brain network linked to sense of self

Chronic back pain can activate the same brain network involved in daydreaming, recalling memories and thinking about oneself, ERR reports, citing a recent study.

Researchers at the University of California analysed brain scans of people with chronic back pain. Participants made movements that triggered their usual pain, and researchers scanned their brains before and after. For comparison, they irritated participants’ calf muscles to cause brief pain. The pattern was so unexpected that the researchers checked the data three times.

Acute pain, such as stubbing a toe or touching a hot stove, typically pulls attention away from a person’s inner thoughts and towards the source of danger. Chronic pain appears to work differently: over time, it can become closely tied to a person’s sense of self, emotions and inner life, forming part of their everyday mental background.

The findings could help explain why traditional painkillers do not relieve chronic pain for some people, while psychological approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy can help. The study was published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia.