Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is an evidence-based treatment for chronic pain. Its goal is to significantly reduce or even eliminate pain.

It was developed by Alan Gordon, a psychotherapist who specializes in the treatment of chronic pain. He developed the techniques of PRT to help himself and others recover from years of chronic pain and other symptoms.

PRT is based on the idea that most chronic pain states are due to the brain misinterpreting safe signals from the body as if they were dangerous. PRT retrains the brain to more accurately interpret signals from the body and break the cycle of chronic pain.

It uses psychological techniques that promote a sense of safety in the body and in the world. It also aims to address some of the complex underlying factors that often drive pain.

In a 2021 study, Alan Gordon used PRT in people who had experienced chronic back pain for an average of 10 years. After 4 weeks of PRT, about two thirds of these people were pain-free or nearly pain-free. This study was a randomized-controlled trial – the gold standard study design to test a treatment. It was published in the prestigious JAMA Psychiatry journal. You can read it here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2784694

Dr Julian is currently providing Pain Reprocessing Therapy at Merri-Bek Family Doctors. He is one of only a few doctors in Victoria who have completed PRT training through the Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center LLC (https://www.painreprocessingtherapy.com/).

To discuss this therapy further with Dr Julian, you can book in via our reception or online https://merri-bekfamilydoctors.com.au/book-online/

For further insights into the mind-body approach, please see the links below: