Chronic Back Pain Causes Brain Shrinkage

The Journal of Neuroscience brings sobering news to chronic back pain sufferers.  Scientists find that even one year of chronic back pain can age the brain 10 to 20 years.  26 people with chronic, continuous pain of more than a year were compared with 26 healthy people.  The researchers theorize that the stress of chronic pain causes “burnout shrinkage.”  But that may not be a life sentence.

Shrinkage doesn’t always equal loss of brain cells and shrinkage may reverse once the chronic pain ends.

Can Chiropractic care reverse the damage?  Chiropractic success with chronic conditions is well known.  Apparently “learning to live with it” may cause serious long-term problems.

If you know anyone with a chronic condition, please advise them to explore chiropractic – their pain and their brain will thank them!