Chronic Pain Clinic

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) helps individuals recover from chronic pain by retraining the brain to interpret previously threatening sensations or triggers as safe. Chronic pain—especially when not caused by ongoing tissue damage—can develop when neural circuits become sensitized or conditioned to misread harmless signals as threats. PRT rewires these learned pain pathways.^14,15

When the brain no longer interprets sensations or movements as dangerous, the overactive pain response can subside—often leading to a significant reduction or full resolution of symptoms. A randomized controlled trial has shown that Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) can be highly effective in reducing or eliminating chronic pain and related symptoms.¹⁶

We provide Pain Reprocessing Therapy in-person in Toronto and online across Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada.

Psychophysiological disorders and neuroplastic pain both describe real physical symptoms that arise from changes in how the brain and body communicate, rather than from ongoing tissue damage. The primary difference lies in emphasis and terminology. Psychophysiological disorder is rooted in traditional diagnostic and clinical language, while neuroplastic pain reflects modern neuroscience research describing how pain is learned, maintained, and can be unlearned through changes in neural pathways.

Psychophysiological disorder refers to physical symptoms that are influenced or maintained by stress, emotion, or maladaptive coping patterns. Historically, this condition has been described using many related terms, including tension myositis syndrome (TMS), tension myoneural syndrome, somatic symptom disorder, somatoform disorder, conversion disorder, functional neurological disorder (FND), psychosomatic illness, mind–body syndrome, medically unexplained symptoms, and central sensitivity (or sensitization) syndrome. Informed by the widely accepted biopsychosocial model of pain,² this diagnostic framework recognizes that the mind, brain, and body function as an integrated system. When stress, trauma, or prolonged emotional strain repeatedly activate the body’s stress response, it can alter neural, muscular, endocrine, and autonomic nervous system pathways—resulting in real pain, fatigue, and other physical symptoms, even in the absence of structural injury or disease.^17-19

Neuroplastic pain, by contrast, is a neuroscience-based model that explains how chronic pain can develop and persist through learned neural pathways. In this model, pain circuits become sensitized, leading the brain to misinterpret normal or “safe” sensations, movements, or emotions as threatening. Over time, these pathways can reinforce themselves. Importantly, neuroscience research shows that these patterns are reversible and can be unlearned through evidence-based mind–body therapies such as Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and emotion-focused interventions.^16,20

In short, psychophysiological disorder refers to the diagnostic framework, while neuroplastic pain describes the underlying brain-based mechanism. Both terms reflect the same reversible process—real, brain-generated symptoms that can be effectively treated through neuroscience-informed, mind–body therapy.

No—your symptoms are not imagined or “just psychological.” They are real physical experiences. In some cases, however, symptoms may be caused by neuroplastic pain or a psychophysiological (mind–body) disorder rather than by ongoing tissue damage or disease.

In these conditions, the brain’s pain- and threat-processing networks can become sensitized, sending “false alarm” pain or symptom signals even when no injury is present. Symptoms may be triggered or amplified by chronic stress, unprocessed or unresolved emotions, or past trauma, which can make the pain feel both intense and distressing.

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and other evidence-based mind–body treatments help safely retrain these learned neural pathways. Through education, emotional awareness, and nervous system regulation, clients learn to reduce fear-based responses and help the brain recognize that normal sensations and emotions are safe. Over time, this process can calm the nervous system, reduce hypersensitivity, and allow symptoms to gradually resolve.

Yes. Many clients come to Toronto Brain Health after trying multiple medical, physical, or pharmacological treatments without lasting relief. Mind–body therapy takes a different approach—rather than focusing solely on symptom management, it targets the sensitized pain circuits and dysregulated brain–body communication that can perpetuate chronic pain and other physical symptoms.

Chronic pain often evolves into a pain–fear cycle, in which the brain begins to misinterpret normal sensations or movements as dangerous. This can trigger fear, hypervigilance, and avoidance, which in turn reinforce pain and maintain nervous system sensitivity and distress. Mind–body therapies, including Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), aim to interrupt this cycle by helping the brain and nervous system relearn safety and reduce fear-based responses to pain and bodily sensations.

Clinical research—including randomized controlled trials of Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET)—has shown that these evidence-based treatments can lead to meaningful and lasting improvement, even for individuals who have experienced neuroplastic pain or psychophysiological disorders for many years.^16,20 This aligns with our extensive clinical experience working with individuals presenting with chronic pain and persistent physical symptoms.

If you are experiencing persistent pain or physical symptoms that have not improved with standard care, we offer specialized mind–body therapy in Toronto and secure virtual treatment across Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

Yes absolutely. Research shows that many people living with chronic pain have a history of trauma, childhood adversity, or prolonged life stress.^{4, 21-24} These experiences can make the nervous system more sensitive over time, increasing its vulnerability to stress and raising the likelihood of developing persistent pain or physical symptoms later in life.^4,7

We take a trauma-informed approach to chronic pain treatment, recognizing that trauma may be one of several contributing factors, not the sole cause. Therapy is offered in a safe, supportive, and collaborative environment, where emotional connections to symptoms can be explored at a pace that feels manageable. When appropriate, we integrate evidence-based therapies such as Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to help process unresolved emotions, develop perspective, reduce nervous system hyperarousal, and support recovery.