Chronic pain can feel like a constant weight on your shoulders, never letting up. Stemming from a variety of causes, it disrupts your life, affects your mood, and often leaves you feeling hopeless. But what if you could change how you experience pain—at its core? Pain is often more than just a physical sensation, it involves the mind! As a psychotherapist specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), I’ve seen firsthand how powerful these therapies can be in helping people regain control over their chronic pain.
What Is the Gate Control Theory of Pain?
Think of pain like a door to your nervous system. When you’re injured, the door opens and lets pain signals reach your brain. This is important because it alerts your brain that it needs to stop what is happening before significant injury takes place. Initially, pain is often a protective measure. The problem comes when the door gets stuck in the open position. When it is stuck in the open position, pain becomes a common issue. However, we can learn how to “close that door.” We learn to do this by better understanding the Gate Control Theory, developed by Melzack and Wall in 1965, which suggests that the spinal cord contains a “gate” that can either block or allow pain signals.
This gate isn’t just physically driven—your emotional and mental state can influence it, too. For many people living with chronic pain, the gate stays open, allowing pain signals to continuously flood the brain—even when the injury is long healed. This ongoing pain becomes a cycle that’s hard to break.
That’s where therapies like CBT and EMDR come in. By targeting the psychological and emotional components of pain, these treatments can help “close the gate” and reduce how much pain you feel.
How CBT Can Help Close the Gate on Pain
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is all about how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. When chronic pain is part of your life, it’s easy to develop negative thought patterns that can worsen the pain, such as “I’m always going to feel this way” or “There’s no hope.” These thoughts don’t just make you feel worse—they can actually intensify the pain.
CBT helps you recognize these negative thought patterns and replace them with healthier, more realistic ways of thinking. For example, instead of thinking “This pain is never going to end,” you could challenge that thought and reframe it as “While pain is a part of my life right now, I’m learning ways to manage it.” This shift can actually help reduce pain perception by closing the metaphorical gate.
Additionally, CBT teaches practical skills like mindfulness, relaxation, and pacing, which can make daily life more manageable. By learning to manage stress and anxiety, you can also reduce the emotional intensity of the pain.
EMDR: Healing the Emotional Connection to Pain
Trauma, anxiety, depression and emotional distress can play a significant role in how we experience pain. For many people, chronic pain is not just physical—it’s tied to past emotional or traumatic events. In this case, the “gate” remains open because the body and mind are still processing these unresolved emotions.
This is where EMDR comes in. EMDR uses eye movements to help your brain process and heal from emotional trauma. It’s like hitting the reset button on your emotional system. Over time, EMDR can reduce the emotional intensity of past trauma, helping you feel less reactive to pain.
By addressing the emotional roots of chronic pain, EMDR can help close the gate on pain signals and allow for lasting relief. It’s not just about managing the pain—it’s about healing the emotions behind it.
Practical Steps You Can Take Today
Here are a few practical, actionable steps you can start today to help reduce the intensity of your chronic pain:
- Try Mindfulness: Take a few moments each day to practice mindfulness. Deep breathing or guided imagery can help relax your nervous system and reduce pain.
- Reframe Negative Thoughts: When pain overwhelms you, challenge negative thoughts. Shift your focus from what you can’t do to what you can do—whether it’s small movements, self-care, or seeking support.
- Set Realistic Goals: Break tasks into smaller steps, and celebrate your successes. Achieving small, manageable goals helps regain a sense of control and boosts your emotional well-being.
Take the Next Step in Your Healing Journey
Chronic pain doesn’t have to be your constant companion. By integrating the Gate Control Theory with therapies like CBT and EMDR, you can start to regain control and reduce the impact pain has on your life.
You deserve to feel better, and there are concrete steps you can take toward that. Don’t wait any longer—whether it’s scheduling a one-on-one session or joining our chronic pain group, now is the perfect time to take action. Together, we can help you close the gate on pain and open the door to a brighter, more empowered future.
Reach out today. Your journey to healing begins now.