Understanding Chronic Pain

About This Tool

This interactive 3D tool is designed for pain management psychoeducation. It helps clients understand how chronic pain works in their body, how pain signals travel from the site of injury through the spinal cord to the brain, and how the brain processes pain across multiple regions simultaneously.

Most importantly, it illustrates the critical difference between the avoidance trap — where avoiding pain leads to deconditioning and a worsening cycle — and the acceptance path — where acknowledging pain and continuing meaningful activity leads to the brain recalibrating its alarm system over time.

The tool features a rotatable 3D human figure with a visible nervous system, brain, and spinal cord. Clients can interact with it on their phone or tablet, making it ideal for use during sessions or as a between-session resource.

What It Shows — Five Sections

1. Overview — Introduces the nervous system as an alarm system, explains nociceptors, and describes how chronic pain involves sensitisation of this system.

2. Pain Signals — Animated visualisation of pain signals travelling from the lower back up the spinal cord to the brain. Clients tap "Watch Signal Travel" to see glowing particles race along the nerve pathway.

3. Brain Processing — Shows how three key brain regions activate in sequence when pain arrives: the somatosensory cortex (gold — maps location and intensity), the amygdala (red — triggers fear and emotional response), and the prefrontal cortex (blue — evaluates meaning and makes decisions). Each region lights up on the 3D brain with a matching label and description.

4. The Avoidance Trap — Explains the pain–fear–avoidance–brief relief cycle and shows it as an interactive diagram. Illustrates how avoidance leads to deconditioning, increased sensitivity, and a shrinking world.

5. The Acceptance Path — Presents the alternative: noticing and accepting pain, continuing with meaningful activity, allowing the brain to recalibrate, and expanding one's world. Shown as a clear downward-flowing pathway diagram.