September is Pain Awareness Month, and it brings with it an opportunity to challenge a long-held assumption: that pain always signals physical damage in the body. For millions of people living with chronic pain, the injury may have healed long ago, or there may be no clear injury at all—yet the pain persists, often for years. According to Dr. Eric Anderson, a neurologist and Chief Medical Officer of Lin Health, a virtual care company based in Denver, Colorado, this type of pain may actually be the disease itself.
“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 is known as central sensitization, a condition where the nervous system becomes hyper-reactive, amplifying pain signals. It plays a significant role in nociplastic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic migraine, sciatica, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Dr. Anderson likens the process 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 alarm—the pain—is genuine, but the threat is not. Understanding this distinction is crucial for effective treatment.
The good news, according to Dr. Anderson, is that evidence-based approaches can help recalibrate the nervous system. “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 focuses on addressing the neurological processes that perpetuate pain, rather than solely treating the site of discomfort.
Lin Health offers a medication-free virtual program that integrates behavioral therapy, one-on-one coaching, and structured daily modules delivered through an interactive app. The program is designed to help patients understand the role of the brain in pain, and to develop skills to reduce nervous system reactivity. This model aligns with clinical guidelines but is rarely implemented in traditional health care settings due to access issues, clinician shortages, and fragmented care pathways.
Dr. Anderson emphasizes that for Pain Awareness Month, recognizing central sensitization is a vital 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. By shifting the focus from purely physical causes to the interplay of biological, behavioral, and social factors, patients can find new pathways to recovery.
Lin Health partners with major health systems such as Mayo Clinic and WellSpan Health to deliver this whole-person, evidence-based care. The platform is physician-led and aims to produce measurable outcomes, making it a scalable and affordable option for many patients. For more information, visit Lin.Health or the press kit at linhealth.onlinepresskit247.com.
