The Way Out is a new book by Alan Gordon and Alon Ziv. I highly recommend this book as it explains the role of the brain in perpetuating chronic pain patterns. Alan Gordon runs the Pain Psychology Center in Los Angeles. I have spoken with him and worked with Callie Klebanoff, co-executive director of the Pain Psychology Center, on dealing with my issues of chronic pain. Online sessions are one good outcome of the pandemic!

When we experience pain, most of us look for a physical cause for the pain. If your turn your ankle while running, then there is an obvious physical correlation for the pain. But I have had experiences where there was no immediate physical correlation and I would rack my brain in hindsight trying to find out what I did to cause the pain. I wrote about a recent incident involving my shoulder here. It is this kind of pain that Alan Gordon talks about in his book.

One of the issues with chronic pain is that it forms neural pathways in the brain that make a pattern that is often hard to break, especially if you are not aware of these patterns. In yoga we would call these samskaras which are mental impressions, recollections or psychological imprints.

If you suffer from any kind of chronic pain, you may find help in The Way Out.

Here is a review of the book from a reader who posted on Amazon:

“In the first chapter of the book, Gordon explains that pain involves both the body and the brain. Normal pain, he explains, is where the body is damaged and sends signals to the brain, and the brain in turns generates pain signals. With “neuroplastic pain” however, the brain is generating pain signals without any apparent physical damage. Gordon has identified this kind of pain as the most likely issue at the root of most cases of chronic pain. He stresses that the pain itself is still “real”, it is just that it is generated in the brain and not necessary tied to any bodily injury.

In the next few chapters Gordon goes into more detail about neuroplastic pain. He explains how this pain is evident on fMRI scans, especially in the anterior insula region of the brain, and how his Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) sessions have been able to cure patients of this pain. Gordon identifies fear as a key issue that keeps the brain in a heightened sense of alert, which leads to generating more pain signals, and creating a feedback loop in an endless cycle of fear and pain. He describes the first parts of the process to retrain your brain, by using somatic tracking and mindfulness to become more aware of the sensations, and gradually increasing awareness while trying to decrease fear.

In the last few chapters, Gordon discusses more details about the process of PRT. He suggests ways to break “high-alert” habits and behaviors, and how to restore a sense of calm. He discusses self compassion, and focusing on positive sensations. In the last chapter he deals with relapses and staying motivated even in the face of distractions or obstacles. There is also an appendix and Notes section with a ton of references, if you are interested in reading more on the topics he covers in the book.”