Chronic back pain may also affect how you hear the world.

A new study finds people with chronic back pain process everyday sounds differently -- as harsher and more intense.

Researchers compared 142 adults with chronic back pain to 51 people without the condition.

While their brains were being scanned, the participants listened to various sounds and rated how unpleasant they felt.

The results: People with chronic pain reacted far more strongly on average. And the scans revealed why.

Heightened activity showed up in areas that process the loudness of sound and its emotional impact, including the auditory cortex and the insula.

At the same time, regions that help regulate reactions—like the medial prefrontal cortex—were less active.

The researchers also tested possible treatments and found
Pain Reprocessing Therapy was the most effective.

It not only reduced the heightened brain response to sound but also increased activity in regions that help regulate unpleasant experiences.

The senior author says these findings suggest “the brain plays a central role in driving chronic pain by amplifying a range of sensations.”

More research is needed to determine whether this heightened sensitivity occurs in other chronic pain conditions or affects other senses like light, smell, or taste.

Source: Annals of Neurology

Author Affiliations: University of Colorado Anschutz

Chronic Back Pain Can Make Everyday Sounds Hard to Tolerate

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