Imagine living a pain-free life again

Pain Reprocessing Therapy

Scientifically proven effective treatment for chronic pain.

Effective

98% of patients experience significant pain relief. 66% achieve complete or nearly complete pain resolution.

Long lasting

Research shows that pain relief following Pain Reprocessing Therapy lasts at least one year.

Fast pain Relief

Patients undergoing Pain Reprocessing Therapy report feeling better after just a few sessions.

What is Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)?

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a cutting-edge, evidence-based treatment for chronic pain that is based on the latest scientific understanding of how the brain processes and responds to pain. It’s an innovative method for treating chronic pain, focusing on long-term relief.

Pain and The Brain

How Does Pain Reprocessing Therapy Work?

Chronic pain is now understood to be a condition that is caused by changes in the way the brain processes and responds to pain signals.

These changes can occur as a result of initial tissue damage or medical conditions, but they can also be triggered by psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, and depression. This type of chronic pain is now referred to as neuroplastic pain.

One of the key changes that occur in the brain of chronic pain patients is an increase in fear and avoidance. This means that people with chronic pain start to become afraid of activities or situations that they think might make their pain worse. They then start to avoid these activities or situations, which can lead to a vicious cycle of increasing fear and avoidance. This is known as the pain fear cycle.

Pain Reprocessing Therapy takes advantage of the new understanding of chronic pain to provide an effective, long-lasting treatment that can achieve a complete resolution of even long-standing chronic pain.

Pain Reprocessing Therapy works by retraining the brain to deactivate pain.

Beyond pain

5-Step Process of Pain Reprocessing Therapy

Step 0
Assessment

Before the programme begins, you will undergo a comprehensive assessment to check for underlying physical sources of pain. If necessary, you may be referred for additional tests or scans.

Step 1
Learn About Pain

We will explore how the latest neuroscience findings about chronic pain (how the pain is created and maintained by the brain and the pain-fear cycle) relate to your pain.

Step 2
Gather Evidence

We will then explore your pain. We will look for evidence that the pain you are experiencing is not due to any physical tissue damage but rather stems from incorrect pain processing in the brain.

Step 3
Appraise Pain Sensations

Next, using the somatic tracking technique, we will help you appraise your pain sensations in a new way. We will teach you how to recognise that pain is not always a sign of danger and that it is possible to experience pain without any actual threat to your health or well-being.

Step 4
Address Threats

Once you have started to appraise your pain sensations in a new way, we will help you to address the threats that are driving the pain-fear cycle. This may involve addressing any underlying physical or psychological conditions that are contributing to the chronic pain.

Step 5
Develop positive Emotions

Finally, we will help you to develop positive emotions towards your pain. This is an important step in breaking the pain-fear cycle and achieving a complete resolution of chronic pain.

The Evidence

Research Findings On Pain Reprocessing Therapy

In a randomized controlled trial published by JAMA Psychiatry in 2021, 151 people with mild to moderate chronic back pain were recruited and randomized to receive one of three treatments: Pain Reprocessing Therapy (9 sessions administered over 4 weeks), placebo and usual care.

All patients were asked to rate their pain intensity before starting the treatment. Four weeks later, participants rated their pain levels again and underwent fMRI scans to examine their brain activity.

At the end of four weeks, 66% of people who underwent PRT said they were either pain-free or nearly pain-free. In contrast, only 20% of those receiving placebo injections and 10% of those getting usual care reported similar improvements.

Patients-reported improvements in pain intensity were supported by fMRI scans. The brains of people who underwent Pain Reprocessing Therapy had significantly decreased activity in the areas that were responsible for pain processing and increased activity in the areas associated with positive emotions.

Remarkably, when the researchers followed up one year later, the improvements in pain were maintained without further therapy.

Other studies, currently in publication, show similar results.

This suggests that Pain Reprocessing Therapy is an effective way to break the pain cycle and achieve a complete resolution of chronic pain.

Ashar YK, Gordon A, Schubiner H, et al Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain. Jama Psychiat 2022;79:13–23. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.2669.

What Conditions can Pain Reprocessing Therapy Help?

Pain Reprocessing Therapy is beneficial for conditions associated with centralized pain, offering new hope for those who suffer from this complex type of pain, including:

Chronic low back pain
Neck pain
Osteoarthritis pain
Fibromyalgia pain
Other types of chronic musculoskeletal pain
Headaches and migraines
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Over 30 Years of Experience in Pain Management

Advanced Pain Reprocessing Therapy Practitioner

Alan Szmelskyj

DO, MSc, Adv Dip Clin Hyp, FRSPH

Alan has been practising for over 30 years at two clinics in Huntingdon and Cambridge, UK. He also offers virtual consultations online. He has authored many scientific publications and lectures nationally and internationally.

Alan has always been interested in the neuroscience of chronic pain, particularly with respect to patients who do not respond to standard treatments. This interest led him to train in new pain management approaches, such as hypnotherapy for pain and Pain Reprocessing Therapy.

Alan is one of only a few therapists in the UK who are trained in Pain Reprocessing Therapy with Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center and holds an Advanced Pain Reprocessing Therapy qualification.

Alan Szmelskyj

Osteopath, Hypnotherapist, Pain Reprocessing Therapy Specialist

Discover how we treat chronic pain effectively with Pain Reprocessing Therapy.

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