Back pain may be linked to sensitivity to loud noises

A study published in Annals of Neurology found that people with chronic back pain reported stronger unpleasant reactions to certain noxious sounds and showed stronger brain responses, and participants in a trial of pain reprocessing therapy experienced modest reductions in sound unpleasantness alongside improvements in back pain.

Researchers report a connection between chronic back pain and heightened reactions to unpleasant sounds. A study published in Annals of Neurology compared self-reported unpleasantness and brain-scan responses between people with chronic back pain and people without pain. Those with chronic back pain rated noxious sounds as more unpleasant and showed stronger brain responses. The study also included a clinical trial of pain reprocessing therapy and found modest reductions in sound unpleasantness along with improvements in back pain. Key findings: - People with chronic back pain reacted more strongly to unpleasant sounds than 84 percent of people without pain, the authors said. - The degree of unpleasantness reported in response to noxious sounds was associated with the severity of back pain, according to the study. - Participants who received pain reprocessing therapy had notable reductions in back pain intensity and modest reductions in unpleasantness for low-intensity sounds; effects on louder sounds were not seen. Summary: The study adds evidence that chronic back pain can be associated with broader sensory amplification, shown in both self-reports and brain-scan differences. Authors and outside experts said more research is needed, and the lead author expressed interest in studying other senses in future work.