As September marks Pain Awareness Month, medical experts are challenging a long-held assumption about pain: that it always signals ongoing physical damage. According to Dr. Eric Anderson, a neurologist and Chief Medical Officer at Lin Health, a virtual healthcare company based in Denver, CO, sometimes the pain itself becomes the disease.
“Pain is always real, but it doesn’t always mean there is ongoing damage in the body,” says Dr. Anderson. “Sometimes, the brain and nervous system can become stuck in a persistent pain-alarm loop, continuing to send danger signals long after an injury has healed, or when there is no injury at all.”
This phenomenon, known as central sensitization, occurs when the brain and nervous system amplify pain signals. It is a major contributor to chronic nociplastic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic migraine, sciatica, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Dr. Anderson likens it to a fire alarm that has become overly sensitive. “That high-pitched shriek is definitely real, but it may be going off when there isn’t actually a fire,” he explains.
The implications are significant. For millions of people living with chronic pain, the traditional focus on finding and treating a physical source may be missing the mark. Instead, Dr. Anderson suggests that addressing the nervous system’s overactive pain response could be more effective. “The pain is very real, and the goal is to help the nervous system become less reactive to signals that it has learned to interpret as dangerous,” he says.
This brain-first approach is at the core of Lin Health’s treatment model. The company offers a medication-free virtual program that combines behavioral therapy, one-on-one coaching, and structured daily modules delivered through an interactive app. The goal is to retrain the brain and nervous system to reduce pain perception and improve function.
Lin Health, founded in 2021, partners with major health systems like Mayo Clinic and WellSpan Health. Its model aligns with clinical guidelines but is rarely implemented in traditional settings due to access issues, clinician shortages, and fragmented care pathways. By delivering scalable, insurance-covered care, Lin Health aims to bridge that gap.
For Pain Awareness Month, Dr. Anderson emphasizes that understanding central sensitization is a crucial first step for those suffering from persistent pain. “The pain is always real, but understanding why it persists may open the door to more effective approaches to treatment,” he says.
This perspective could shift how chronic pain is diagnosed and treated, moving beyond symptom management toward measurable recovery. As research continues to validate the role of central sensitization, patients may find new hope in therapies that target the brain’s pain processing.
To learn more about this approach, visit Lin Health or explore their press kit at linhealth.onlinepresskit247.com.
