The “Good Day Fear” No One Talks About in Chronic Pain
If you’ve been dealing with chronic pain for a while, you might expect to feel nothing but relief when a good day finally shows up.
But many of my clients tell me something surprising:
“Rick… when my pain improves, I actually feel anxious.”
If that’s happened to you, there is nothing wrong with you — and it doesn’t mean your progress isn’t real.
In Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), we understand that the nervous system is built around prediction and protection. When your brain has been producing pain signals for months or years, it starts to expect that pattern. Pain becomes familiar. Predictable. Even, in a strange way, “safe” to the nervous system.
So when you suddenly have a lower-pain day, your brain can register it as uncertainty.
Not danger — but unfamiliar territory.
This can trigger what I call “good day fear.”
You might notice thoughts like:
“What if it comes back?”
“This probably won’t last.”
“I don’t trust this improvement.”
Here’s the key insight: this reaction is actually part of the rewiring process.
When pain decreases, your brain is experiencing something called a prediction error. The old pain pathway expected one outcome… and got a different one. That mismatch is exactly how neuroplastic change happens.
The goal is not to brace against the good day.
The goal is to meet it with calm confidence.
When you notice improvement:
Acknowledge it gently
Stay emotionally neutral or positive
Avoid scanning your body to “check” if the pain is gone
Continue normal movement and life activities
You’re teaching your nervous system a powerful new lesson:
“It’s safe for my body to feel better.”
Over time, these moments of safety compound. The brain learns. The alarm system quiets. And the good days start to last longer.
If you’ve been feeling anxious when your pain improves, take heart — you may be further along in the healing process than you think.
Ready to take the next step? Fill out our contact form to set up your free consultation today.