Beyond the Back: Using PRT for IBS, Migraines, and More
When people first discover Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), it’s often through the lens of chronic back pain. It makes sense—back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek coaching.
However, the science of neuroplasticity isn't limited to the spine. If your brain can create or amplify pain in your lower back, it can do the same with your digestive system, your head, and your joints.
At its core, PRT treats neuroplastic pain: pain that persists even after tissues have healed, or pain that exists without a structural cause. This happens because the brain has "learned" to be in a state of high alert, misinterpreting safe signals from the body as dangerous.
Different Symptoms, Same Source
Whether it’s the cramping of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), the throbbing of a migraine, or the widespread tenderness of fibromyalgia, the underlying mechanism is often Central Sensitization. Your nervous system has become hyper-reactive.
Think of your brain like a high-tech home security system. In a healthy state, the alarm only goes off when a window is broken. In a sensitized state, the alarm screams every time a leaf blows past the front door. Whether that "alarm" manifests as a stomach ache or a headache depends on which neural pathways your brain has conditioned over time.
How PRT Helps "Functional" Disorders
Functional disorders are conditions where the function of the body is impaired, even though the structure looks fine on an MRI or a blood test. This is where PRT shines:
• IBS and Digestive Distress: The "gut-brain axis" is a two-way street. When the brain perceives a state of threat, it can alter gut motility and sensitivity. PRT helps you lean into those sensations with a sense of safety, teaching the brain that these "danger" signals are actually false alarms.
• Migraines: For many, migraines are triggered by the fear of the migraine itself. PRT breaks the cycle of "fear-pain-fear" by using somatic tracking to observe the sensations without the emotional reactivity that fuels the fire.
• Fibromyalgia: By addressing the systemic high-alert status of the nervous system, we can begin to lower the overall "volume" of pain across the entire body.
Shifting the Focus
The goal of coaching isn't just to "fix" a symptom; it’s to change your relationship with your nervous system. When you realize that your IBS or migraines are "output" signals from a brain trying to protect you, the symptoms lose their power. You move from a state of victimhood to a state of agency.
If you’ve been told your tests are "normal" but you’re still in pain, it’s time to stop looking at the tissues and start looking at the wiring.