Are you dealing with chronic pain that does not respond to typical treatment? Conditions such as chronic neck or back pain, migraines, pelvic pain, or irritable bowel? Is your provider confused about the severity of your pain? You are not alone. Modern medicine struggles to treat certain kinds of pain and many people fall through the cracks and don’t get the appropriate treatment.

Conventional thinking says pain comes from damage in the body, such as a sprained ankle or broken bone. Pain is protective and the symptoms resolve when the injury heals. But not all pain falls into this definition.

The latest research shows that chronic pain doesn’t necessarily mean tissue damage is present. A pain signaling problem can develop in the brain during the healing process and cause pain to continue even after the damage has healed. This pain, called “nociplastic pain,” is not protective but a false alarm. When this condition is the reason for the pain, a different treatment approach is required. In this book, you will learn about the different types of pain, the symptoms of nociplastic pain, factors that worsen it, and treatment strategies.

Dr. Shana Johnson is a board-certified physician in physical medicine and rehabilitation. She has contributed to WebMD, Psychology Today, and medical news.