🧠 Pain ≠ Tissue Damage: Why Your MRI May Be Misleading You
We often treat scans like absolute truths.
But one of the most important studies in musculoskeletal care (Brinjikji et al., 2015) showed something surprising: disc bulges, degeneration, and even herniations are common in people without pain.
So what gives?
Pain isn’t always about tissue damage. It’s not a direct readout from your body. It’s a protective output from your nervous system — shaped by context, beliefs, memories, and meaning.
In fact:
• Pain can persist long after tissue heals
• Pain can show up without structural damage
• Pain can improve when safety is restored
The old equation (Pain = Damage) is outdated.
✅ Imaging still matters, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.
✅ You are more than your MRI.
✅ And your pain is real — even if nothing “looks wrong.”
What if pain isn’t the body failing?
What if it’s the body protecting you?