The True Nature of Pain Created by the Brain: 5 New Facts from Modern Neuroscience on Healing Through Movement
The True Nature of Pain Created by the Brain: 5 New Facts from Modern Neuroscience on Healing Through Movement
Introduction: Is Your Pain Actually a “Brain Habit”?
“My tests come back normal, yet my jaw feels heavy.”
“I’ve had a tooth pulled because it hurt, but the pain is still there.”
At Tokyo International Dental Clinic Roppongi, we utilize advanced diagnostics, microscopes, and CT scans. However, we occasionally encounter patients whose pain persists despite no visible abnormalities in their teeth or gums. In these cases, we look beyond the mouth and turn our focus to the complex network of the brain and nerves.
Modern neuroscience has revealed that chronic pain is often not just a “warning of tissue damage” but a “maladaptive learning of the brain.” Today, I would like to explain the paradigm shift in pain treatment through five “New Realities” that every patient suffering from chronic pain should know.
1. Pain is Not Just a Symptom—It is the Disease Itself
In the past, chronic pain was viewed merely as an “extra” symptom following an injury or illness. However, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) has officially redefined chronic pain as an independent disease.
Specifically, “Chronic Primary Pain”—where pain persists without a clear external cause—is recognized as a condition where the pain-processing system itself has changed. The era of dismissing pain as “all in your head” just because an X-ray is clear is over. Your pain is a medically explainable disease involving functional changes in the nervous system.
2. The Third Type: “Nociplastic Pain”—When the Alarm Won’t Stop
Medical science used to categorize pain into two types: Nociceptive (tissue damage) and Neuropathic (nerve damage). In 2016, a third mechanism was introduced: Nociplastic Pain.
Think of this as “Central Sensitization”—a situation where the body’s alarm system has malfunctioned, ringing loudly even when there is no intruder. The brain’s sensitivity becomes dialed up so high that even a light breeze or a gentle touch is interpreted as “intense pain.” This “sensitivity error” is the true identity of many chronic pains.
3. Movement is a “Natural Painkiller” Produced by Your Brain
The old advice of “rest when it hurts” is now outdated. Modern research has proven that movement triggers Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia (EIH)—a powerful pain-relieving effect.
When muscles contract, the brain opens a “internal tap” of relief. It releases endogenous opioids (like endorphins) and endocannabinoids (responsible for the “runner’s high”) that block pain signals from within. Moving your body literally turns your brain into a high-end pharmaceutical factory.
4. VR (Virtual Reality) and “Imagery” Can Rewire Pain Circuits
For those in too much pain to move, there is still hope. A 2024 study by Niwa et al. reported that simply using VR to visualize movement can produce pain-relieving effects (EIH) similar to actual physical exercise.
The key is activating the “motor regions” of the brain. By reorganizing the brain’s sensory-motor network, you can switch off the “pain circuit” even without intense physical activity. This is a beacon of hope for patients who are paralyzed by the fear that “moving will hurt.”
5. Chronic Pain is “Faulty Learning”—Therapy is “Brain Retraining”
Chronic pain persists because the brain has “learned” to produce pain autonomously. The goal of modern physical and exercise therapy is to guide the brain toward “reparative plasticity.”
Movement stimulates the secretion of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which acts like fertilizer for the brain, helping to rebuild healthy neural circuits. We aren’t just training muscles; we are re-educating the brain to shift from “Pain Mode” to “Movement and Reward Mode.”
Conclusion: From “Suppressing Pain” to “Changing the Brain”
The latest neuroscience teaches us that pain should not be treated as an enemy to be suppressed, but as a system to be re-educated. Chronic pain is often the result of your brain trying too hard to protect you and simply getting the “direction of learning” slightly wrong.
At Tokyo International Dental Roppongi, we strictly diagnose whether oral pain is odontogenic (originating from the teeth) or non-odontogenic (such as nociplastic pain originating from the brain or nerves).
Letting go of the fear of movement and rewiring your brain’s “pain circuits” is the first step toward recovery. Are you ready to take that step with us?
Dr. Hiroshi Miyashita
Director, Tokyo International Dental Clinic Roppongi
Specialist in Periodontics and Dental Diagnostics
