Most of us, when we develop chronic pain or chronic illness, go on an intense journey to fix the body.
We do scans.
Tests.
Physiotherapy.
Medications.
Injections.
Sometimes even surgery.
And for many people… the symptoms don’t get better — they get worse.
Here’s the truth most people are never told:
👉 Most chronic pain and illness is neuroplastic.
That means there is often no ongoing damage or disease in the body.
The pain is real — but it’s being generated by a brain and nervous system stuck in danger mode.
In this video, I explain what actually causes most chronic pain and illness, and why focusing only on the physical body can keep symptoms stuck.
🧠 What Really Drives Chronic Pain & Illness
For many people, chronic symptoms are fueled by factors like:
• Trauma or childhood adversity
• Chronic nervous system dysregulation
• Suppressing emotions or never feeling safe expressing them
• Believing the body is broken or fragile
• Fearing pain, fatigue, or symptom sensations
• Perfectionism, people-pleasing, and high-pressure living
• Ongoing social or environmental danger
These factors keep the nervous system in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn, which sensitizes the brain and leads to ongoing pain, fatigue, and symptoms — even when the body is structurally healthy.
🌿 The Shift That Leads to Healing
To heal neuroplastic pain and illness, we don’t need to keep fixing the body.
We need to:
• Retrain the brain
• Regulate the nervous system
• Build safety instead of fear
• Change our relationship with sensations, emotions, and stress
This is the approach I teach on this channel, in my therapy practice, and in my course — and it’s the approach that has helped hundreds of people reduce or eliminate chronic pain and illness.
If you’ve been stuck treating the body without answers, this video may change how you see your symptoms — and your healing — entirely.
#chronicpain #neuroplasticpain #nervoussystemhealing
#chronicillnessrecovery #mindbodyhealing
#centralsensitization #painreprocessingtherapy
#trauma #somatichealing
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I’m Tanner Murtagh, a therapist making videos on chronic pain and symptoms. I will teach you how to rewire your brain, regulate your nervous system, and unlearn your chronic symptoms!
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Disclaimer: The information provided by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc., MBody Community Inc., and Tanner Murtagh, on this channel is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice, psychotherapy, or counselling. If you choose to utilize any of the education, strategies, or techniques in this video you agree you are doing so at your own risk and you assume all risk of injury to yourself. It is recommended you consult with a physician before engaging in any movements suggested on our channel.
This YouTube channel is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc.
Please Read
If you are in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.
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Reference: Alan Gordon and Dr. Schubiner.
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@zyxvwu
With the help of your videos, facing and understanding my ptsd has helped me control pain that was once unbearable. 🙏💚🙏
@csunedchic
Thank you. I was diagnosed with PTSD after l left an abusive marriage. I wonder how long PTSD will stick around? Im sure its individualized but its been a long time since i left (12 years). My knee and hips feel pain when im not even moving. 😢
@CrusinWithElena
I know so many kids who can be helped
@noonespecial4171
My life. Thank you
@s1n1s1n1
Whatever you focus on is magnified.
@NdaWynd
I fit all the parameters you mention on all counts but still seem stuck in trying to convince my body its not wrong somehow in the many ways i was told it was from all the doctors & specialists over all these years…
@jessicaburgers
How deal with surpressed emotions from youth when you don't feel then???
@blairthompsonrdnld2616
And being neurodivergent, because a lot of us seem to deal with diagnosis that can fall under neuroplastic pain from the trauma we have been through
@pattie96
It’s interesting because I do agree with you but at the same time there is a problem with the way we sometimes rewire our bodies to start using them wrong. And what I mean by this is that many of us start compensating. And this really does cause issues because you will see like muscle loss or muscle atrophy. I have right sided neck shoulder pain and hip joint issue that’s causing real pain that limits me. But it did start from an ankle injury that I never got an MRI scan for and I feel like there was scar tissue there that I just never was able to rehabilitate correctly. And I just started not walking right and I didn’t even notice. I kept trying to run but the pain was just starting to really affect me first in my neck. And then gradually I started feeling it everywhere again. And before this injury I already had fibromyalgia neck shoulder pain right sided. I think that original pain is more because of the neural pathways but one day it kind of just got better after I started having more energy and movement. I was young this was after my first break up but it was really toxic and I was in college. I kind of knew I was still weak in my back muscles in my core which was also part of the neck pain problem. But I didn’t perceive the pain as intense anymore. And I was able to sleep so obviously I was able to recover. But I really do think the doctor dropped the ball with my ankle. Because I think I really did just need an MRI and maybe like some rehabilitation for my ankle and I could’ve strengthened it and not have developed the neural pathways that have cost me to actually have now true issues in my head that are costing me all kinds of instability. And to make matters worse it’s weakened my neck muscles my back on the right side. My physical therapist noticed system the muscle atrophy. I also suffered a work injury on the back of my head and after that I get more migraine and neck tension. So my body’s more tense again and I had made so much progress. I’m trying to do your somatic practices again but it really is hard when the pain is way too intense. But it’s also been helping me deal with the brain fog.
Thank you for everything you do and all the awareness and constant content you provide an information.
Even though I do have a hip issue , I need to be able to manage my pain tolerance to strengthen my core and do the strength training I need to restore proper function and ability. I’m 29 years old about to be 30. And I think it’s time I finally use my body right.
And you’re very right about the childhood adversity and trauma. I grew up in an urban area with gangs. The immigrant diaspora community that I come from as part of the 80s Civil War migrants from Central America (Guatemala and Central America). And everything was treated like life or death. So I have a very tense body. Muscle relax have failed on me so much because I’m so tense. Treatments like muscle relaxant and lidocaine injections still work only when I have consistent practice with somatic tracking or vagus nerve practices somatic movements etc.
But another component on learning is also the diet because I’ve become so sensitive… but that’s another topic.
Anyways thank you again for all your hard work . I’m Christian so I just wanna say I feel very blessed that God has allowed me to find this channel. I don’t know what your beliefs are but it is important for me to show gratitude because I feel like God works through people. And healing is very possible. I’ve gone through it before and I know get out of it again. It’s just healing is not linear.
@Nathaniel-v6i
Ok, how the FK do I stop the pain?
@PredatorZzGaming
❤️