Posts Tagged ‘dark side of pain’

04:48-09:19  dimanche le 11 janvier 2026  /  4:48am-9:19am  Sunday January 11, 2026

Paris, France

4:00am Monday, January 12, 2026 /  04:00 lundi le 12 janvier 2026  Amending to post…

https://neurolaunch.com/does-smiling-release-endorphins/

“Smiling and Brain Chemicals: The Science Behind Your Happy Face”
NeuroLaunch editorial team
August 22, 2024

… The simple act of smiling, whether genuine or forced, can set off a cascade of neurochemical reactions that profoundly influence our mood and overall well-being….

[ Le simple fait de sourire, qu’il soit sincère ou forcé, peut déclencher une cascade de réactions neurochimiques qui influencent profondément notre humeur et notre bien-être général…. ]

At the heart of this chemical symphony are two key players: endorphins and dopamine. These neurotransmitters, often referred to as “feel-good” chemicals, play crucial roles in regulating our emotions, motivation, and pleasure responses. While we often associate their release with more intense activities like exercise or thrilling experiences, mounting evidence suggests that the humble smile might be a powerful trigger for these mood-enhancing molecules….

[Merci beaucoup / Thank you very much – Linguee Translator DeepL – English to French ]

No new injury but still have awful pain? We experience pain because we have a Brain. Neuroplastic Pain Treatment.

Aucune nouvelle blessure, mais toujours une douleur atroce ? 
Nous ressentons la douleur parce que nous avons un cerveau.

Traitement neuroplastique de la douleur.

Hello, Everyone   / Bonjour à tous 

Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden and their team have created new beautiful graphics – education on the brain

Images are from https://www.neuroplastix.com/

Le Dr Michael Moskowitz, le Dr Marla Golden et leur équipe ont créé de nouveaux graphiques magnifiques -  éducation sur le cerveau

Ces images proviennent de https://www.neuroplastix.com/

How does pain get from here to here?

How does the Brain work?

Comment la douleur passe-t-elle d’ici à là ?
Comment fonctionne le cerveau ?

Example  /  Exemple

Brain – Fractured Femur Bone – Spinal Cord

Cerveau – Fracture du fémur – Moelle épinière

On page 4 of workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION,

Dr. Michael H. Moskowitz  and Dr. Marla D. Golden enlighten:

“Without your brain, there is no pain. Your brain doesn’t just receive information from your body, but sends directions back out to tell your body what to do.

“Your brain ‘reads’ everything going on in your body 30 times a second for your entire life.

“The adult brain changes throughout our lives based upon the information it receives from our bodies.

“We only experience pain when the electrical signals reach the thinking part of our brains.”

“Nous ne ressentons la douleur que lorsque les signaux électriques atteignent la partie pensante de notre cerveau“

“This is why during surgery, when general anesthesia shuts down the thinking part of the brain, the person doesn’t feel pain.”

“C’est pourquoi, pendant une opération chirurgicale, lorsque l’anesthésie générale désactive la partie pensante du cerveau, la personne ne ressent aucune douleur.”

And… Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden say: “The more sensation each part of your body has, the bigger the image of that body part in your brain (page 4 of workbook) … Shrink the pain map by flooding the brain using:

…thoughts, images, senses, memories, soothing emotions, movement, beliefs.” (page 13 of  their workbook) 

EDUCATION -  Change the Brain; Relieve the Pain; Transform the Person

ÉDUCATION -  Changer le cerveau ; soulager la douleur ; transformer la personne

Acute pain.  Chronic /Persistent pain.

Douleur aiguë.  Douleur chronique / persistante.

Lecture One:  Brain Basics

Lecture Two: Building the New Brain

Lecture Three: Pain and Mood–It’s a Brain Thing

          

Lecture Four:  Brain, Pain, Beliefs and Pleasure

https://www.neuroplastix.com/_files/ugd/579dba_ddcb7fc52464458e881c698768402539.pdf

Page 14 in Lecture Four:

Every pain treatment alters the brain

There is no peripheral treatment

Pain is only perceived in the cerebral cortex

La douleur n’est perçue que dans le cortex cérébral.

If pain processing is not reduced there, pain cannot be
decreased

Pain can be successfully treated from the periphery to alter
brain-based pain processing or from the brain to alter
peripheral processes

Ultimate successful treatment of persistent pain must alter the
constantly cycling brain/body loop

NO pain   / PAS de douleur

 

 

https://www.neuroplastix.com/

Neuroplastix is dedicated to curing the disease of persistent pain in all people who suffer by unifying brain and body as the focus of treatment.

The neuroplastix.com website is ranked number one for all major search engines for Neuroplastic Treatment, Neuroplastic Pain Treatment and Neuroplastic Pain Therapy.

This ranking was accomplished by providing professionals and people living with pain a compelling experience based upon scientific content, consumer friendly information and highly navigable web design.

The educational programs establish a new paradigm in pain care, bringing advances in neuroscience to anyone affected by persistent pain, including patients, their families and providers. This is accomplished via conferences, interactive materials, scientific publications and professional training, providing a method to transform the clinical treatment of pain.

 

https://www.neuroplastix.com/about-5

Dr. Michael Moskowitz is Board Certified in both Psychiatry and Pain Medicine.

Dr. Moskowitz is a member of the Educational Council of the National Initiative on Pain Control, a group of the top pain physicians in the country. He served as a member of the Examination Council for the American Board of Pain Medicine from 2006-2010 and as the former chairman of the Educational Committee of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

* * * * *

He has also served on the American Academy of Pain Medicine’s Continuing Education Committee, Enduring Materials Committee and chaired the Academy’s Website redesign committee. He has pioneered the development and use of animations to teach and understand principles of pain medicine and has designed and developed the most popular website for pain animations in the world, since 1999,

http://www.bayareapainmedical.com

* * * * *

Dr. Moskowitz has been an Assistant Clinical Professor for the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of California, Davis since 2006, teaching the psychiatric and neuroplastic aspects of pain medicine there, to the Pain Fellows

* * * * *

In November of 2008, Dr. Michael Moskowitz began working with Marla Golden, DO, MS on Neuroplasticity and its role in the treatment of patients living with persistent pain. Together, Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden have lectured on this topic around the country and have delivered several 2-12 hour seminars on this topic.

* * * * *

Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden are the co-founders of Neuroplastic Partners, LLC, a company dedicated to the promotion of Neuroplastic treatment for persistent pain. He recently co-authored the Neuroplastic Transformation Workbook designed to teach practitioners how to use neuroplastic treatment approaches and provide patients with a written guide to recover from persistent pain disorders.

* * * * *

By the way, Dr. Moskowitz is Chapter 1 in Dr. Norman Doidge’s second book

THE BRAIN’S WAY OF HEALING: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

Guérir grâce à la neuroplasticité: Découvertes remarquables à l’avant-garde de la recherche sur le cerveau

Chapter 1 Physician Hurt, Then Heal Thyself -  Michael Moskowitz Discovers That Chronic Pain Can Be Unlearned

* * * * *

Marla Golden, DO, MS is an Osteopathic Physician in Jacksonville, Florida. Doctor Golden graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1988. She completed her residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, Florida in 1992. She is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.Doctor Golden practiced Emergency Medicine in Florida and served as the Medical Director of the Emergency Department at HCA Putnam Community Hospital and as the Medical Director of EMS in Putnam County. She transitioned her practice to Pain Medicine in 1998, establishing the solo practice of Integrative Pain Management in 2000.

She is a diplomate of both the American Board of Emergency Medicine and the American Board of Pain Medicine. She practices a holistic and comprehensive approach to treating patients in pain. Her practice includes an emphasis on Osteopathic structural assessment and optimization techniques. For many years, she has utilized manual therapy in combination with medication management and minimally invasive interventional techniques as well as other treatment modalities.

Thank you for reading my blog post:

“No new injury but still have awful pain? We experience pain because we have a Brain. Neuroplastic Pain Treatment.”

Merci d’avoir lu mon article de blog:”Vous n’avez pas subi de nouvelle blessure, mais vous souffrez toujours d’une douleur atroce ? Nous ressentons la douleur parce que nous avons un cerveau. Traitement neuroplastique de la douleur.”

You might like to read my other blog posts about Neuroplasticity:”Story Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Scarecrow in THE WIZARD OF OZ would feel NO pain”

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/story-theme-consultant-teresa-jade-leyung-says-scarecrow-in-the-wizard-of-oz-would-feel-no-pain/

Brain / Pain Scientist Professor Lorimer Moseley uses humor to help us understand Dark Side of Pain

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/brain-pain-scientist-professor-lorimer-moseley-uses-humor-to-help-us-understand-dark-side-of-pain/

Want Wellness; Norman Doidge, M.D.’s books – The Brain That Changes Itself, Neuroplasticity

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/want-wellness-norman-doidge-m-d-s-books-the-brain-that-changes-itself-neuroplasticity/

 

I wish you and your family, and everyone round you – excellent health and happiness always.Je vous souhaite, à vous, à votre famille et à tous ceux qui vous entourent, une excellente santé et beaucoup de bonheur, toujours.

Teresa Jade LeYung wishes everyone peace and wellness - photo by NN and MEK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teresa Jade LeYung

Author / Blogger / Story-Theme Consultant / Photo Historian

https://m.youtube.com/@teresajadeleyung/videoshttps://LoveMadeOfHeart.com/blog/  goes to Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog on Wellness, Story Themes, Archetypes

Love Made Of Heart ®

Blog Post #601

2021 Feb 2, 22:08–22:43;  Feb 6, 22:15–; Feb 8, 00:54–; Feb. 9, 21:21–; Feb. 11, 01:06–; Feb. 12, 01:45; amended Feb. 13; amended Feb. 15

Story Continuity / Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says…

Thank you to all the precious people in my life who have given me joyful memories – elixirs as I journey through the dark side of pain, practice neuroplasticity … to achieve wellness.

The experts and resources for wellness I found in 2015 to help my papa and friends are now helping me as I retrain my Brain to STOP sending my body pain signals and other unpleasant sensations after a bout of shingles last year. (According to Mayo Clinic… “After you’ve had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles…. Some people experience shingles pain without ever developing the rash.”)

I am forever grateful to Dusky Pierce, MFT who led me to Dr. Norman Doidge’s books (about neuroplasticity/our beautiful adaptable brains) which introduced me to methods developed by Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais, and, to Dr. Michael Moskowitz.  Also, I am forever grateful to Linda A. Harris for remembering Dr. Danielle Rosenman https://www.medicalcounseling.net/; Dr. Rosenman (trained by Dr. Moskowitz)  has coached me to practice neuroplasticity for wellness.

Techniques are simple, the journey not so easy.  Persistent pain signals and other unpleasant sensations BE GONE BE GONE!

A unique aspect of retraining Beautiful Brain (BB) to rid persistent pain is not to talk about it.  BB is so good at creating pain, my talking about it and thinking about it only sabotage my healing.

During a webinar with Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden http://www.neuroplastix.com, Dr. Moskowitz recommended listening to Professor Lorimer Moseley talk about our brains and neuroplasticity – that Professor Moseley uses humor in his presentations.

This blog post contains my notes from –

“Getting a grip on pain and the brain – Professor Lorimer Moseley -

Successful Ageing Seminar 2013″

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

“What we now understand about pain.”

The term “neuroplasticity”  = how adaptable our nervous system is. The other side of neuroplasticity is sometimes called “the dark side.”

“The mechanisms that cause us to change in a good way can also cause us to change in a way that makes our lives more difficult and more unpleasant.

“If you have a brain, you will experience pain. If you don’t have a brain, you won’t experience pain.

“We feel pain in our body, and, we feel it in a particular location, but, it is impossible to feel pain without a brain, and, it is completely possible to feel pain without the body part.”

Professor Moseley tells his story  about encountering a man (with wooden leg) who was in agonizing pain (where his leg would have been). The man experienced SEVERE pain but he had NO tissue damage.

“The brain produces pain.  The brain does not recognize pain coming from something else.”

“Chronic pain is misunderstood.”

All images are from “ Getting a grip on pain and the brain – Professor Lorimer Moseley - Successful Ageing Seminar 2013″

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

 World’s most burdensome Health Issues

#1 Chronic back pain

#2 Depression

#4 Chronic neck pain

#8 Migraine and headache

#9 Diabetes

#11 Osteoarthritis

“Pain is our most sophisticated protective device.”

Nociceptors – detection of tissue damage or danger = danger receptors

[  Example from me, Teresa - at age 8, I touched a hot iron.  The nerves in my finger sent messages to my brain which then instantaneously sent pain to protect me; the pain stopped me from continuing touching the source of danger. ]

Professor Moseley gave example:  Violinists.  Pain threshold of their left little finger is lower than pain threshold of their right little finger. Why? Left little finger is used to play the instrument while right little finger could be missing but musician would still be able to hold the bow. Fingers on left hand need more protection; brain is more protective of left hand.

For Professor Moseley’s talk “Getting a grip on pain and the brain” go to:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

**

You can experience SEVERE pain but have NO damage.

AND

You can experience NO pain but have severe damage.

Brain produces pain.  Brain is the most trainable we’ve got!

Pain depends on how much danger your brain THINKS you are in, not how much danger you are really in.

Information gets stored in the brain. Brain uses information to evaluate danger to your body. Does Brain think this situation is more dangerous or less dangerous? If Brain’s conclusion is “this is dangerous”, Brain sends pain.

[  Teresa here…

Even though shingles rash healed completely last year… the scar tissue is red.  The color “red” has meaning for my Brain.   “Red” represents “hot” and “dangerous”.  My Brain remembers the hot iron incident from my childhood, and, all my experiences with pain. Brain evaluates all that information and concludes that I still need protecting, so, Brain does what Brain does so well . . . create pain signals to protect me. I can’t sip hot tea or stand in front of a hot stove for more than a minute … before Brain sends signals to “protect” me.  How I retrain my brain (“interrupt” unpleasant signals) are summarized in my blog posts published on November 6, 2020, January 3, 2021, and January 13, 2021. Since our brains are unique (the way our fingerprints are unique), what works for me might not work for someone else. Not only do our brains record our experiences, but also incidents we’ve witnessed, heard about, read about.

If my brain had ignored what I had read and heard …

(from Mayo Clinic site, medical experts, and my own memory of a loved one describing her experience with shingles) – “that the condition can be very painful … that the most common complication is postherpetic neuralgia, which causes shingles pain for a long time after your blisters have cleared…”

then I wouldn’t be feeling pain now. ]

All images are from “ Getting a grip on pain and the brain – Professor Lorimer Moseley - Successful Ageing Seminar 2013?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

**

What you’re seeing is produced by the brain.  According to meaning!

At about 19 minutes and 39 seconds into his talk, Professor Moseley shows this slide on the screen to demonstrate how our “visual experience depends on the evaluation of sensory input.”

We see a checkerboard of white and gray squares; the greenish cylinder is casting shadows on some of the squares.  The square that has “A” on it appears to be gray. The square that has “B” on it appears to be white.

Retinal information is sent to the Brain,  then the Brain gathers everything else we’ve learned in our entire life – for meaning.

Professor Moseley then extracts these two squares from the board – the two square are the same color!  They are the same color when no other data are presented to create meaning.

Our brain produces a different picture when it evaluates our experiences, contexts, and environment … for meaning.

You are seeing this, but, it’s not really there. Like pain. You are feeling it because the brain produces it.

Professor Moseley shows  more examples . . .

” … the nature of your relationship, the roles that you have in society, the role in that context affects your pain. Not how you cope with your pain…  It doesn’t change the ‘danger message,’  it changes the pain. ”

How dangerous is this, really?

When Brain concludes that the situation is dangerous, Brain will send pain signals, even when reality is not dangerous.

And vice versa . . .

 At about 22 minutes and 30 seconds into his talk, Professor Moseley shows the slide of the runner who fractured his leg during triple jump at American Olympics Trials.  The runner’s brain evaluated his priorities and ignored the danger messages. Even though his body was experiencing severe damage … his brain didn’t send pain … until he looked down at his knee.

Pain depends on how much danger your brain THINKS you are in, not how much danger you are really in.

At about 25 minutes and 10 seconds into his talk,  Professor Lorimer Moseley shares personal experience.

He was walking in the bush, felt something on his outer leg.

How dangerous is this, really?  He has walked in this setting hundreds of time.

Danger receptors in Body and Brain; nerves influence other nerves.  His visual cortex plus memory circuits concluded that the sensation is the result of a twig scratching the skin of his leg.

He swam. He woke up 4 days later, had been bitten by Eastern Brown snake.

High danger but felt low pain.

Nine months later, walking in the bush again. He felt something on his outer leg. This time his brain sent harsh pain to protect him. When he looked down, this time it was just a twig.  Very low danger but felt severe pain.

**

at 34 minutes, Professor Lorimer Moseley talks about “The Brain’s evaluation of danger.”

All these systems that end up producing pain become more sensitive the longer you have pain.

Your systems learn how to make pain, so, you need less and less to aggravate your pain.

Things that don’t seem related can aggravate your pain.

Need to untangle the system.

Pain depends on how much danger my brain THINKS I am in, not how much danger I am really in.

[ Teresa here …  Our neighbors are modifying their house to “age in place” – construction workers hammering, using power tools … Monday through Friday.  The noise is impacting everyone’s tranquility, but, not everyone is experiencing pain the way I am.  Thank you, Dr. Amy Grace Lam, for helping me decipher why my brain has concluded that noise is dangerous. I had (but my brain and body have not) forgotten … about another time in my life when noise from neighbors impacted my health, forcing me to leave a lovely home.  So now my brain protects me by sending me pain and other unpleasant sensations. What beautiful brain-body communications we have!]

At 35 minutes, Professor Moseley gives additional data regarding the Dark Side of Neuroplasticity

“One in five Westerners  have chronic pain that disable them. The majority…  we can’t explain in their bodies. Understand what contributes to pain….”

What implies “Threat” to body tissue?

What implies “Safety”?

at 38 minutes and 20 seconds into his talk, Professor Moseley says:

“Aging system, less responsive. Sensitized system, more protective. Not just activity that Brain is exposed to. Anything that the Brain finds as threat.”

[ Teresa here … I was studying two Charles Chaplin  movies – both scripts are brilliant. However, the themes in MONSIEUR VERDOUX (1947) sparked pain signals; two scenes in A KING IN NEW YORK (1957) did the same. ]

The longer you have pain, the better your system gets at producing it.

The good news:  My body and brain are adaptable and will change if I train them.

I am determined to walk and imagine my way to wellness!

This is my journey. All that I have learned from people who care about people have brought me here. I thank you with all my heart.

I wish everyone excellent health, kindness, and sweet laughter.

Thank you for reading my blog post “Brain / Pain Scientist Professor Lorimer Moseley uses humor to help us understand the Dark Side of Pain” 

Again, thank you, Dr. Michael Moskowitz, for recommending Professor Lorimer Moseley’s talks.

Having been coached by Dr. Danielle Rosenman, and, remembering what I’ve learned from Dusky Pierce (Byron Katie https://thework.com/), and . . .

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now using the workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION  by Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden . . . I am keeping my BB busy!

Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden http://www.neuroplastix.com

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   * *   *   *   *   *   *   * *   *   *   *   *   *   * *   *   *   *   *   *   *

What else had helped me?  Having learned the Feldenkrais Method when my right hand was on pain scale of 8 out of 10.

https://feldenkrais.com/

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2021 January 30 Haiku poem  by  Teresa Jade LeYung

Brain much too busy

to send Body pain signals

during walk, must walk.

If I cannot walk

I imagine legs walking

step by step by step

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog   If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”. Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to our our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity.

Love Made Of Heart ®

Story Continuity / Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung offers resources regarding our beautiful  brains  / persistent pain / depression  / wellness through her Blog: http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Teresa Jade LeYung, an American naturalized citizen of Chinese ancestry, is a story/theme consultant, author of LOVE MADE OF HEART:  Journey Through Mental Illness (daughter-mother novel archived at the San Francisco History Center and used by college professors), BUILD YOUR WRITER’S PLATFORM & FANBASE IN 22 DAYS (a workbook), and TALKING TO MY DEAD MOM Monologues (the first monologue received an award from Redwood Writers Ten-Minute Play Festival), an advocate for public libraries and public schools, creator of http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/ , and, admirer of City of Light. Composing Haiku poems is a new love for LeYung.