Treatment Approaches
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)
Pain Reprocessing Therapy teaches the brain to read neuroplastic pain as safe. It’s not about turning off pain from a structural injury. That pain protects you. PRT is for pain that has no tissue damage behind it, or that lingers long after an injury has healed. That kind of pain is a false alarm. The brain has learned to treat the sensation as a threat and keep the alarm on, often without any conscious fear. PRT helps the brain gather evidence that the pain is safe, so it can switch the alarm off.
Medically Reviewed
Vanessa Blackstone, MSW
Medical Reviewer
Published by ATNS, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit led by volunteer clinicians.
Published: July 9, 2026 · Last updated: July 9, 2026
How it works
PRT starts with understanding. The pain is real, but it’s coming from the brain, not from damage in the body.
From there, you learn to take the threat out of the sensation. A core practice is somatic tracking. You turn toward the sensation and observe it with curiosity and calm, instead of bracing against it. Little by little, that teaches the brain there’s nothing to protect against.
Then you return to the movements, foods, and situations you’ve been avoiding, reminding your body it’s safe each time. Over time, the brain stops sounding the alarm.
The evidence
In the Boulder back-pain study, two out of three people with chronic back pain were pain-free or nearly pain-free after PRT, compared with 20% on placebo, and the results largely held at five-year follow-up. (Ashar et al., 2021 & 2025, JAMA Psychiatry)
At UCLA, 63% of older male veterans achieved 30% pain relief compared to just 17% with cognitive behavioral therapy. (Yarns et al, 2024, JAMA Netw Open)
Brain scans in the Boulder study showed reduced activity in pain-processing regions after PRT, evidence the change is physical, not just self-reported. (Ashar et al., 2021)
Recovery with PRT
Find a practitioner.
Explore our clinician directory to find practitioners who treat neuroplastic symptoms. Many practice Pain Reprocessing Therapy and Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy, often alongside other approaches. Every provider works a little differently, so it’s worth speaking with them directly about their approach to find the right fit.
Go deeper.
Podcasts
Recovery conversations, practical tools, and live treatment sessions across all three ATNS shows.
Apps
Guided apps that put neuroplastic recovery into daily practice, with lessons, somatic tracking, and exercises.
Emotional Awareness & Expression Therapy (EAET)
The companion therapy we recommend, for symptoms tied to stress and unprocessed emotions.