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So I’ve read a lot of information about pain science, and I’m struggling to figure out the similarities and differences between 1) TMS/MBS methods (Sarno/Schubiner/etc), 2) neuroplasticity methods (Moseley/Moskowitz/Doidge), and 3) somatic tracking methods. They all seem to have the belief that calming down or rewiring your nervous system can help reduce/eliminate chronic pain, but there are some contradictory things that I’m not sure how to interpret:

1) TMS (Sarno, Schubiner, others) Suggests that repressed emotions and misfiring neural pathways are the source of chronic pain, and that expressing these emotions and calming the nervous system can help eliminate pain. Big on expressive writing, meditation, and education. I’ve tried this, but my pain doesn’t really seem to have an emotional component, so I’m more inclined to go with the other 2 approaches.

2) Neuroplasticity (Doidge, Moskowitz, Moseley): Suggests that chronic pain is caused by misfiring neural pathways, and that retraining these pathways via visualization/other sensations can help eliminate pain. Says you must aggressively counter each pain strike with other sensations to rewire the nervous system.

3) Somatic tracking (Alan Gordon and others): Suggests that fear and preoccupation contribute to maintaining overactive neural pathways, and that reducing fear/preoccupation by sitting with the pain but not fearing it will help eliminate pain.

I guess my confusion comes from the fact that approaches 1 and 3 (TMS and somatic tracking) involve focusing on the pain but NOT trying to get rid of it, while approach #2 (neuroplasticity) involves trying not to think about the pain and fighting to get rid of it. I’ve tried using elements from all 3 approaches, but I’m not sure what to do. My pain didn’t come from a previously existing injury—it just happened randomly—so would one of these approaches work better than the others?

So: Should I try not focusing on the pain and accepting it, like the TMS/somatic tracking methods, or should I try visualizing the pain and trying to reduce it, like neuroplasticity methods?