Do the sounds of sirens, a loud TV, or crowded spaces sometimes feel overwhelming? While these everyday noises might be annoying, they may be intensified if you’re experiencing chronic pain.
A new study shows that chronic pain may “rewire” your brain, making sounds feel more intense and distressing.
So, why does this study matter for our community? Our community is disproportionately affected by chronic pain that is often left untreated. This latest research adds to the growing body of evidence that chronic pain is a whole-body, brain-driven experience — not just physical discomfort. Understanding how chronic pain affects daily life can help us advocate more effectively for the care we deserve.
Everyday sounds add to the torment of a person with chronic back pain, apparently because pain rewires how the brain responds to noise, a new study says.
People suffering from back pain process sounds differently and more intensely, adding to their agony, researchers recently reported in the Annals of Neurology.
“Our findings validate what many patients have been saying for years, that everyday sounds genuinely feel harsher and more intense,” said senior researcher Yoni Ashar, co-director of the Pain Science Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.
“This tells us chronic back pain isn’t just about the back,” Ashar said in a news release. “There’s a broader sensory amplification happening in the brain, and that opens the door for treatments that can help turn that volume down.”
For the new study, researchers compared 142 adults with chronic back pain to 51 pain-free folks.
All of the participants underwent MRI brain imaging, during which they were asked to perform tasks such as listening to sounds.
On average, back pain patients reacted more strongly to sounds than 84% of people without pain, the study found.
Researchers also found that their brains weren’t having this response in areas that initially receive sound signals. Instead, stronger responses were found in regions that process sound (the auditory cortex) and emotions (the insula).
At the same time, there was lower activity in brain regions that normally help calm or regulate reactions.
“Their brains are responding differently, in regions that process both the loudness of sound and its emotional impact,” Ashar said.
The research team also looked at treatment options and found that Pain Reprocessing Therapy was the most effective at managing this sensitivity.
In this therapy, people are taught to reinterpret pain as a problem stemming from the brain rather than just the back.
Earlier studies have found that this therapy can help as many as two-thirds of people with chronic back pain to become pain-free or nearly so, researchers said.
Results from the new study showed that Pain Reprocessing Therapy not only reduced the brain response to sound, but also increased activity in regions involved in regulating unpleasant experiences, researchers said.
“This shows that the brain’s exaggerated sensory response can improve with psychological treatment, so instead of being something patients are stuck with, this sensitivity is treatable,” Ashar said.
“These findings add to growing evidence that chronic back pain is not just a problem in the back,” he said. “The brain plays a central role in driving chronic pain by amplifying a range of sensations – sensory signals from the back, sounds, and likely other sensations as well.”
Researchers’ next plan to test senses other than hearing — such as light, smell, or taste — to see if chronic pain causes sensitivity in those as well, and which brain regions are implicated.
But why does chronic pain affect more than just the body?
Chronic pain can affect your entire body because it changes the nervous system. This shift can lead to something called central sensitization, which amplifies the pain signals in your brain and spinal cord — like turning the volume knob all the way up and keeping it stuck there.
Over time, chronic pain can also lead to brain changes, chronic stress, an immune response, and emotional and physical exhaustion.
How does this research apply to our community? Unfortunately, Black people are more likely to have chronic pain undertreated or dismissed by healthcare professionals — often due to biases in pain assessment and access barriers.
In many of our communities, we’re often told to just “push through the pain” rather than seeking medical care. If you’re experiencing chronic pain, this mindset may keep you from engaging in early intervention to prevent long-term health issues.
Not sure if your chronic pain is causing sensory overload?
Here are four signs to take note of:
The good news is that sensory overload caused by chronic pain is treatable. Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is one approach that helps retrain your brain to interpret pain signals differently. The latest research indicates that PRT can reduce both pain and sensitivity to sound.
Other supportive strategies that may provide relief include:
While these therapies are helpful, they’re not quick fixes. They are also most effective when part of a broader treatment plan for chronic pain relief.
If chronic pain is disrupting your daily life, here are a few steps you can take:
The takeaway? Chronic pain isn’t just physical — it reshapes how your brain experiences the world around you. Understanding the connection between chronic pain and sensory overload can help you access better care, stronger communication with providers, and more effective treatment options.
If your pain is making the world seem louder, it’s not in your head — but it is in your brain, and that means it can be treated.
More information
The University of California-San Francisco has more on sound sensitivity.
SOURCE: University of Colorado, news release, March 2, 2026
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