Why does pain stick around long after the injury has healed? An interactive model showing how pain signals travel, why the brain’s pain system gets sensitised over time, and how acceptance-based approaches can shift the loop where avoidance usually deepens it.
Drag to rotate the figure, tap a region or pathway for details.
Acute pain is information — “something’s wrong, attend to it”. Chronic pain is what happens when the nervous system keeps sending that signal long after the original problem has healed (or even when there was never a clear injury to begin with). The system has gotten good at producing pain, the way a muscle gets good at a movement you’ve practiced.
That’s not the same as “the pain is in your head”. The pain is real. It just isn’t accurately reflecting tissue damage anymore — and the strategies that work for acute injuries (rest, avoid, protect) often deepen the chronic version rather than easing it. The model walks through that loop, and shows where acceptance-based approaches intervene.
I use this in sessions with WorkCover clients and anyone living with chronic pain — sometimes the biggest shift is just seeing why your body is doing what it’s doing.
Whether through WorkCover or privately, I work with adults living with chronic pain — focused on acceptance, function, and quality of life rather than chasing a fix.