Pain that stayed past its purpose. The alarm kept ringing long after the injury healed — or never healed right — and now your nervous system treats the signal as permanent.
The standard path runs through NSAIDs, physical therapy, nerve blocks, and eventually opioids for severe cases. Gabapentin and duloxetine get prescribed for neuropathic pain. Opioids remain effective short-term but carry well-documented risks of tolerance, dependence, and hyperalgesia — where the drugs themselves start amplifying pain. Multidisciplinary pain clinics exist but are expensive and scarce. Most people end up managing, not resolving.
Efrati et al. (2015) published a prospective clinical trial in PLOS ONE demonstrating that HBOT at 1.5 ATA significantly reduced pain in fibromyalgia patients — a condition defined by chronic widespread pain. After 40 sessions, 70% of patients no longer met fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria. SPECT imaging confirmed changes in brain perfusion patterns consistent with pain processing normalization.1
Kiralp et al. (2004) conducted a randomized controlled trial showing HBOT significantly reduced pain scores in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Published in the Journal of International Medical Research, the study found that the HBOT group experienced marked reductions in visual analogue pain scores compared to controls.2
Yildiz et al. (2004) demonstrated in a double-blind RCT published in The Clinical Journal of Pain that HBOT at 1.5 ATA produced significant pain relief in myofascial pain syndrome. The treatment group showed reduced pain threshold sensitivity and decreased referred pain patterns after 15 sessions.3
Chow et al. (2009) published a systematic review and meta-analysis in The Lancet examining photobiomodulation for chronic neck pain. Across 16 RCTs with 820 patients, NIR laser therapy produced statistically significant pain reduction both immediately after treatment and at long-term follow-up compared to sham.4
Hamblin (2017) reviewed mechanisms of PBM for pain relief in Dose-Response, identifying three primary pathways: reduced inflammation via inhibition of prostaglandin E2, decreased nerve conduction velocity in pain fibers, and increased endorphin release. Near-infrared wavelengths (810-850 nm) showed the deepest tissue penetration and strongest analgesic effects.5
de Andrade et al. (2017) conducted a randomized, double-blind trial published in European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine showing that transcranial PBM at 810 nm significantly reduced chronic pain intensity in patients with temporomandibular disorder, with benefits persisting at 30-day follow-up.6
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