Understanding Chronic Pain: The Highly Sensitive Car Alarm Analogy
Chronic pain can be confusing—especially when the original injury has healed but the pain continues. A helpful way to understand this is to imagine your body’s pain system as a car alarm. A car alarm is designed to protect the car. It should only go off when something serious happens—like someone trying to break in.
But imagine if that alarm became overly sensitive.
Suddenly it goes off for:
A strong gust of wind
A passing truck
Someone brushing against the car
Even a bird landing on the roof
Nothing dangerous is actually happening… but the alarm doesn’t know the difference. It’s trying to protect the car—it’s just doing it too well. This is what can happen with chronic pain.The nervous system becomes extra alert, and the pain alarm begins to fire off too easily—even when your tissues are safe.
Why Does the Pain Alarm Become Oversensitive?
When pain has been present for a long time, the brain and spinal cord can change in ways that make the system more sensitive:
The body produces more pain sensors
Signals travel along the nerves more easily
The brain pays more attention to the painful area
Your alarm system is still trying to protect you—it has just become too responsive, turning minor, harmless signals into loud warnings.
How Beliefs, Past Injuries, and Previous Experiences Affect Chronic Pain
Your pain alarm isn’t just influenced by your body—it’s also shaped by your mind, your experiences, and your expectations.
1. Past Injuries
If you’ve had a serious injury before, your brain remembers it. It may become more cautious, increasing sensitivity in that area to “protect” you—even when the tissue is healed and strong.
2. Previous Pain Experiences
If pain lingered after a previous injury, or if recovery was difficult, your nervous system may learn to expect pain—and activate the alarm sooner.
3. Beliefs and Worries
Thoughts such as:
“Something is seriously wrong.”
“I’m damaging myself when it hurts.”
“My back is fragile.”
“Pain always means injury.”
can amplify the alarm system.
The brain becomes even more protective, making the pain feel stronger and more constant. Even well-meaning comments from friends, family, or Dr Google can reinforce these beliefs and increase worry—turning the alarm up even higher.
How Our Physiotherapy Clinic Can Help
At our clinic, we specialise in chronic pain management. We help you by:
Assessing movement patterns and identifying what triggers your “alarm”
Educating you about how pain works and why it persists
Using graded exercises and retraining strategies to calm the nervous system
Supporting you to rebuild confidence in movement
Providing hands-on therapy and advice tailored to your history and goals
With a structured plan, guidance, and patience, most people experience a reduction in pain, improved movement, and greater quality of life. Your chronic pain isn’t just in your body—it’s in your nervous system. But with the right approach, you can quiet the alarm and take back control.
The nervous system can relearn what is safe—and the alarm becomes less jumpy over time. Chronic pain is real—but it doesn’t always mean damage. With the right approach, your alarm system can become more reliable again, giving you back confidence and control.
The Good News: The Alarm Can Be Reset
Just as a technician can recalibrate a hypersensitive car alarm, the pain system can also be retrained and calmed.
Through:
Graded movement
Education about how pain works
Strengthening and mobility exercises
Addressing unhelpful beliefs and fears
Gradual exposure to activities
the nervous system can relearn what is safe—and the alarm becomes less jumpy over time. Chronic pain is real—but it doesn’t always mean damage. With the right approach, your alarm system can become more reliable again, giving you back confidence and control.
