Predictive Processing and Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a common condition in which sufferers experience pain for over 3 months. The causes of chronic pain are often difficult to discern, as many cases are not associated with physical damage. A predictive processing (PP) perspective proposes that chronic pain results from the brain's erroneous predictions derived from strong emotional and/or fearful reactions to pain. Individuals with anxiety disorders are more likely to react with fear to general stimuli, and therefore may be more likely to develop chronic pain under this model. The current healthcare model for this condition, which focuses on treating symptoms with pain-killers, displays limited efficacy at reducing pain and disability. Conversely, treatment modalities that account for the PP perspective, such as Pain Neuroscience Education, are successful at reducing both pain and disability in chronic pain sufferers. Treatment methods that account for PP's impact in the development of chronic pain conditions should therefore be prioritized in the mainstream healthcare system.