Conclusions
’ attributions of chronic pain, Pain, pain
CHRONIC PAIN, SECONDARY
In this secondary analysis of a randomized trial of PRT, the reattribution of primary CBP to mind- or brain-related causes was associated with reductions in pain intensity, with modest effect sizes. While the influence of several pain beliefs on chronic pain is well recognized (eg, pain catastrophizing, pain acceptance), patients’ causal symptom attributions have been understudied. Pain attributions will guide major treatment decisions (eg, surgery vs psychotherapy) and are central in emerging neuroscientific models of brain function. Patients’ attributions of chronic pain to tissue damage are often inaccurate, and therapeutic reattribution to brain processes can support recovery from chronic pain.