Pain Reprocessing Therapy for Chronic Widespread Pain: a SCED Study

"Each PRT session will take 45-60 minutes and includes psychoeducation about the association between pain and the brain, mindfulness, and exposure- and acceptance-based concepts. Through PRT, participants will learn about how pain can emerge from 'stuck patterns' in neural circuits in the brain. Through reflections of their own pain experiences, the patient explores evidence for whether this applies to their own pain. Patients will acquire corrective experiences in which their brain learns not to respond with pain (false alarm) in situations that are safe. One central reprocessing exercise is 'somatic tracking', in which participants explore their pain sensations in a context of safety. This includes interoceptive exposures and situational exposures to activities they fear will trigger pain. Exploring these sensations and situations through a lens of safety and curiosity allows the participants to reinterpret bodily sensations previously associated with threat or pain, as safe."