Thinking of Pain As a Sound System

Imagine you’re at a concert. There’s a singer, a band, a tangle of wires and microphones, an amplifier—or six—and, of course, the audience. In the clinic, Dan tells patients that pain works a lot like this sound system. This metaphor isn’t just about making things simple; it’s about showing that pain is never just “in your head,” nor is it rarely just about a cranky joint or what a scan can show.

Setting the Stage: The Components of Pain

Pain isn’t just an ouch. It’s a production with many players:

●      The Singer: Your body parts, where pain might begin—like the ankle you rolled gardening or the knee that’s grumbling after Saturday’s soccer.

●      Microphones and Leads: These are your nerves, picking up the signals and carrying them to the next act.

●      The Amplifier: This is your spinal cord, brainstem, and brain. They can quiet down the signal or, just as ominously, turn the volume way up.

●      The Band: That’s context—everything you’ve heard about pain, the stories you’ve absorbed, test results, scars, and beliefs.

●      The Audience: You—and everyone around you—family, friends, society. Pain is rarely a solo performance; it’s a social disease.

When Volume Knobs Get Stuck

Let’s say you twist your ankle. The singer starts up. The microphone and leads deliver it to the amplifier. You hear a clear ouch through the speakers and, for a while, you’re limping, protecting, and maybe feeling a little cranky, but soon you start to heal.

When pain becomes chronic or more complex, though, it can hijack the soundcheck: more microphones, more static, the amp dial cranked up and duct-taped at “11.” That little ouch becomes a howl. Suddenly, simple protection becomes fear, limping becomes deconditioning, and a dip in mood snowballs into depression. Now, it’s not about the original hurt. It’s about what pain has stolen—roles at work, presence in the family, pieces of your identity. Pain becomes a thief.

Breaking Down Pain Types - the Bandmembers

●      Nociceptive Pain (Body Parts): Feels like an ache, sharp, dull, or pressure—often focal, intermittent, and responds to clear triggers.

●      Neuropathic Pain (Nerves): Burning, shocking, pins-and-needles, or numbness—often follows nerve patterns and can spike out of nowhere.

●      Nociplastic Pain (Central Sensitization): Amplified pain that spreads out and becomes disproportionate—touch, cold, or heat can all provoke outsized responses, and every sense (light, sound, smell) gets carried along for the ride.

The Other Noises: Sleep, Mood, Brain Fog, and the Weird Stuff

Chronic pain amplifies everything. Light’s too bright. Sound’s too loud. Sleep’s become fragmented. There’s a constant drag of frustration, and your thinking fogs over. Mood slides toward irritability, anxiety, or depression. Even basic body functions—sweating, dizzy spells, digestive troubles—can get strange, thanks to what’s called dysautonomia or autonomic dysfunction from increased nervous system dyfunction. The more these symptoms build, the more they jumble the “story” of pain and drown out the music you used to love.

Turning Down the Volume

You can tweak the eq at every stage. Surgery or interventions may quiet a body part. Medications can damper nerves or the amplifier. Exercise, sleep, psychological coaching, education, and nutrition can balance the mix across the system. The trick is seeing pain as this sound system—a puzzle with many knobs, dials, and channels, not just a single unplugged wire. But with the right approach you can impact more pieces, the music improves—and you start reclaiming your life.

For more insight and practical advice, tune in to episode 3 of It’s Not in Your Head Podcast.