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Chronic Lower Back Pain
The Future of Pain Relief: Rewiring the Brain to Overcome Pain 

Understanding the Connection Between Pain, Emotional Pain, and the Body

 

The Overlap Between Emotional and Physical Pain

When we experience emotional pain, our brain processes it in a way that closely mirrors physical pain.

Neuroscience research has demonstrated that the same brain regions—particularly the anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex—are activated during both emotional distress and physical injury.

This revelation helps explain why heartbreak can feel like a punch to the chest and why chronic stress can manifest as chronic pain.

At Next Level Neuro, we teach coaches a neuroscience-based approach that addresses pain holistically.

Since the body views physical and emotional pain the same, applying a neuro-based approach allows us to help decrease all threat to the brain.

*Read The Threat Bucket Here.

By integrating neuro drills, threat assessments, and brain-based movement strategies, our Mentorship program provides coaches the tools to reduce pain at its neurological root, helping clients heal faster and move better.
 


When we experience emotional pain, our brain processes
it in a way that closely mirrors physical pain. 

 

The Body Remembers: How Emotional Pain Manifests Physically


Have you ever felt a lump in your throat when holding back tears?

A weight in your chest during grief?

Tightness in your jaw after an argument?

These physical responses are not coincidences; they are the body’s way of storing emotional experiences.

Neuroscience tells us that emotions have a motor component—meaning they don’t just exist in the mind but also in the muscles and tissues.

When emotions are repressed or unprocessed, they can create chronic tension patterns in the body.

 For example:

  • Unexpressed anger can lead to tension in the neck, jaw, and shoulders.
  • Grief or heartbreak is often felt in the chest, affecting breathing and heart rate.
  • Fear and anxiety can create persistent tightness in the lower back and hip flexors.

Our Mentorship program trains coaches to recognize these pain patterns and use targeted neuro drills to down-regulate the brain’s threat response, leading to relief.

 


Neuroscience tells us that emotions have a motor component—meaning they
don’t just exist in the mind but also in the muscles and tissues. 

 

The Interconnection Between the Brain and the Body

The brain-body connection is far more intricate than most people realize.

Every cell in our body is connected to the nervous system, which means that everything we experience—emotionally or physically—affects our overall state of well-being.

Three key systems illustrate this relationship:

  1. Neural Pathways: The brain communicates with the body through a vast network of nerves. When chronic pain develops, these pathways become hypersensitive, causing the brain to perceive pain more intensely over time.
  2. Circulatory System: Emotional distress triggers the release of stress hormones like cortisol, which can increase inflammation, reduce circulation, and contribute to physical pain.
  3. Immune System: Chronic emotional stress weakens immune function, making the body more susceptible to illness, injury, and prolonged pain responses.

Understanding these mechanisms allows us to take a neurosensory approach to pain relief—one that goes beyond symptom management and addresses the deeper, underlying causes of pain.

 

The Neuroscience of Chronic Pain: Breaking the Pain Cycle

Chronic pain is more than just a lingering injury—it is a neuroplastic rewiring of the brain that amplifies pain signals over time.

This occurs through a process called central sensitization, where the nervous system becomes hyper-responsive to even minor stimuli.

According to research from our Next Level Neuro training materials, there are three key neurological shifts that occur when pain becomes chronic:

  1. Structural and Functional Brain Changes: The pain neuromatrix rewires itself, strengthening pain pathways in the brain.
  2. Hyperactive Amygdala: The brain’s threat detection center becomes more sensitive, interpreting even non-harmful stimuli as painful.
  3. Dysregulated Descending Pain Inhibition: The brain loses its ability to "turn off" pain signals, keeping the body stuck in a state of heightened sensitivity.

To reverse this process, we use neuro drills that reprogram the brain’s response to pain, calming overactive neural circuits and restoring proper movement patterns.

 

 
Chronic pain is a neuroplastic rewiring of the brain 
that amplifies pain signals over time.

 

How Emotional and Physical Pain Reinforce Each Other

Pain and emotions are not separate experiences—they feed into one another in a self-perpetuating loop.

Chronic pain increases stress, and stress amplifies pain.

For example:

  • Someone with persistent low back pain may feel frustration and hopelessness, which triggers more muscle tension and increases pain levels.
  • A person experiencing social rejection may develop chest tightness and difficulty breathing, reinforcing feelings of sadness and isolation.
  • Those suffering from trauma often hold protective tension in their body, leading to pain syndromes like fibromyalgia, CRPS, and allodynia. 

Our training provides assessment and reassessment tools to measure neurological changes and ensure that brain-based interventions effectively break this cycle.

 


Chronic pain increases stress, and stress amplifies pain.

 

The Role of Threat Perception in Pain

One of the most groundbreaking findings in neuroscience is that pain is not an indicator of tissue damage—it is a threat signal from the brain.

This means that even if there is no physical injury, the brain can still generate pain if it perceives a threat.

This is why emotional stress, trauma, and unresolved conflicts can lead to chronic pain syndromes.

At Next Level Neuro, we teach coaches how to decrease the brain’s perceived threat using neuro drills that improve:

  • Proprioceptive Mapping: Enhancing the brain’s body awareness to reduce pain perception.
  • Visual and Vestibular Function: Addressing imbalances that may be contributing to pain.
  • Cognitive and Emotional Regulation: Using prefrontal cortex activation to calm the nervous system and shift pain processing.

 


Pain is not an indicator of tissue damage—it is a threat signal from the brain.

 

Practical Neuro Techniques for Reducing Pain

In our mentorship program, we use a combination of neurosensory techniques to help clients rewire their pain response at the brain level.

 Here are a few of our most effective strategies:

1. Neuro-Based Breathing Drills

Slow, diaphragmatic breathing shifts the body from a threat state (sympathetic nervous system) to a recovery state (parasympathetic nervous system), helping to lower pain levels.

đź’ˇ Try This:

  • Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds
  • Hold for 4 seconds
  • Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds

2. Somatosensory Re-Education

By retraining the nervous system’s interpretation of touch, we can reduce *Allodynia, CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome), and hypersensitivity.

*Allodynia is a condition where the nervous system interprets normally non-painful stimuli (like light touch, temperature changes, or gentle pressure) as painful. It is commonly seen in chronic pain conditions, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, and CRPS.

đź’ˇ Try This:

  • Use a soft brush to gently stimulate the skin around a painful area.
  • Introduce gradual pressure while breathing deeply to signal safety to the brain. 

3. Proprioceptive Drills for Pain Mapping

A blurry body map can increase pain sensitivity. We use targeted movement drills to improve proprioceptive awareness and reduce pain.

đź’ˇ Try This:

  • Close your eyes and trace your fingers over the painful area, noticing how clearly you can feel each part.
  • Perform slow, controlled joint movements while focusing on sensation to enhance brain mapping.

4. Motor Point Activation for Neuromuscular Reset

Stimulating skeletal muscle motor points helps to reset dysfunctional pain patterns and improve movement efficiency.

đź’ˇ Try This:

  • Use tactile pressure over key motor points to activate neural pathways.
  • Pair motor activation with deep breathing to create a neuroplastic reset.

  

The Future of Pain Relief: A Brain-Based Approach

Traditional pain management approaches—like medications, injections, and surgeries—often fail to address the root cause of pain.

By shifting our focus to brain-based pain relief, we can create long-term solutions that help individuals to heal from within.

At Next Level Neuro, our mentorship program equips coaches with the skills to identify and correct pain at its source, using neuroscience-backed techniques that transform lives.

Are You Ready to Help Clients Break Free from Pain?

Join our Mentorship program and learn cutting-edge neuro tools to help your clients move and feel better—faster than ever.

đź”— Click here to apply today!

   

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