Chronic back pain often persists even after the original injury has healed or conventional treatments have been exhausted, and neurologist Dr. Eric Anderson says the brain and nervous system may be to blame. Anderson, Chief Medical Officer of virtual pain care company Lin.Health, points to a process called central sensitization, in which the nervous system becomes increasingly sensitive to signals and amplifies the pain experience.
“Chronic back pain can be incredibly disruptive,” Anderson said. “And sometimes pain continues after an injury has healed or the original problem has been addressed. This can happen when the nervous system has become increasingly sensitive to external signals, and its response is to essentially turn up the volume on pain.”
The implications are significant for the millions of people who undergo surgery, injections, or medication without lasting relief. In one study of people with chronic back and neck pain, researchers identified central sensitization as the primary driver of pain in 88.3% of cases. That finding suggests the source of persistent pain may not be limited to the back itself, opening the door to treatments that target how the brain processes pain.
Anderson says behavioral therapies can help reduce the nervous system’s heightened sensitivity and change how the brain responds to signals, and subsequently the pain experience generated by the brain. Rather than focusing solely on the area that hurts, these approaches help patients better understand their symptoms and develop new ways to respond to pain. Lin Health’s virtual pain recovery program incorporates these strategies through one-on-one coaching, ongoing messaging, and self-guided digital modules and exercises.
New research presented by Lin Health at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pain & Neuroscience examined outcomes among 1,620 people enrolled in the company’s program, including 613 whose primary complaint was back pain. Among participants with back pain who completed follow-up assessments, average pain intensity declined within the first month and had fallen by more than one point on a 10-point scale by the third month. Participants with other types of musculoskeletal pain also reported improvements. The findings are detailed in the company’s ASPN Abstract and Full Study Poster.
The announcement matters because it challenges the conventional focus on the site of pain and highlights a treatment gap. Lin Health, which has earned a 4.9 rating on Trustpilot, argues that nervous system-targeted care is highly effective but inaccessible to most patients because it is high-touch and not yet included in standard medical training. By delivering the approach virtually, the company aims to make it scalable and broadly covered by insurance. For patients whose back pain persists despite conventional treatment, understanding the brain’s contribution could open the door to new ways of finding relief.
