Beyond “All in Your Head”: How Your Nervous System Generates Real Pain
Few phrases hurt more than: “It’s all in your head.”
If you’ve heard this from providers, family, or even your own inner critic, it might feel like people are saying:
- “You’re making it up.”
- “You’re being dramatic.”
- “You should just get over it.”
At Rhubarb Holistic Health in the Twin Cities, we work with people who’ve been dismissed like this for years. The truth is more nuanced—and much more hopeful.
All Pain Is Real—And All Pain Starts in the Brain
Every sensation of pain—whether from a fresh injury or long-term chronic symptoms—is processed in the brain. That doesn’t mean pain is imaginary. It means the brain is the organ that creates the experience of pain.(1)
When you stub your toe, it’s not your toe that “feels”—it’s your brain interpreting the signal and generating pain to get your attention.
In chronic pain, especially when scans are normal or the pain has outlasted healing, the brain may start sounding a false alarm. This is what we call neuroplastic pain.
The Difference Between “Imaginary Pain” and Neuroplastic Pain
“Imaginary pain” implies:
- You’re making it up
- You could stop if you tried harder
- It’s purely psychological or voluntary
Neuroplastic pain means:
- Your pain is real and felt in your body
- The brain has learned pain pathways that keep firing
- The nervous system is overprotective, not malicious
Brain imaging studies have shown that people with chronic pain activate real pain-processing areas in the brain—even when there’s no ongoing tissue damage.(1)
So no, your pain is not “just in your head.” It is in your nervous system—and that’s exactly why it can change.
Common Clues That Pain May Be Brain-Generated
Here are some patterns we often see in clients from Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding Twin Cities communities:
Pain That Moves or Changes Without a Clear Physical Reason
One week it’s your right hip, the next week your neck, then suddenly a headache pattern shows up. The symptoms don’t follow one simple injury.
Pain That Flares With Stress, Sleep Loss, or Emotions
Your pain seems tightly linked with:
- Stressful work weeks
- Family conflict
- Anxiety, guilt, or resentment
- Big life changes
This doesn’t mean the pain is “just stress”—it means your brain is tying together emotional danger and physical danger.
You’ve Had Extensive Workups Without a Clear, Ongoing Cause
You’ve done the rounds:
- Multiple specialists
- Normal or reassuring imaging
- Treatments that help temporarily but don’t last
At some point, it’s reasonable to ask: “Could my nervous system be part of this?”
Why Being Told “It’s All in Your Head” Hurts So Much
Most people with chronic pain are not resistant to psychological or brain-based explanations. They’re resistant to being dismissed.
What hurts is when:
- Your pain story isn’t listened to
- Your fears aren’t taken seriously
- You’re offered “just relax” without guidance
A brain-based understanding of pain should feel clarifying and compassionate, not shaming.
At Rhubarb Holistic Health, we focus on education plus validation:
- Your pain is real.
- Your emotional experience matters.
- Your brain and body are doing their best to protect you.
How Pain Reprocessing Therapy Honors Your Experience
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is not about convincing yourself “it’s all in your head.” It’s about:
- Understanding why your nervous system stays on high alert
- Learning skills to create safety in your body and mind
- Gently testing and updating your brain’s predictions about danger
Research has shown PRT can significantly reduce chronic back pain by helping people reinterpret pain as safe when appropriate and guiding them through new, safe experiences of movement and sensation.(2)
You Deserve to Be Believed—and Supported
If you’re living with chronic pain in Minneapolis–St. Paul and you’re tired of feeling dismissed or confused by your symptoms, you’re not alone.
There is a way to:
- Take your pain seriously
- Acknowledge the role of the brain and nervous system
- Move toward more safety, ease, and possibility
You don’t have to pick between “it’s all physical” and “it’s all in your head.” Your pain lives in your whole system—and that means there are multiple paths to support.
Sources
- Painreprocessingtherapy.com. Neuroplastic Pain.
- National Library of Medicine: Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
