What is nociplastic pain?
What is nociplastic pain?
Nociplastic pain is a category of chronic pain that occurs without clear tissue or nerve damage.
This type of pain is usually widespread and in many areas of the body.
It often includes fatigue, sleep issues and a lack of mental clarity. As well as pain from sensory stimuli, including:
temperature (e.g., heat or cold)
sound
smell
lights
touch
What is the cause of nociplastic pain?
Central Sensitization: The heightened excitability of the central nervous system
Alterations in sensory processing
Nociplastic pain may appear as:
hyperalgesia: exaggerated pain response to mildly painful experiences (e.g., a small cut)
allodynia: pain from experiences that aren't normally painful (e.g., light touch, background noise)
Nociplastic pain commonly occurs in the following conditions:
fibromyalgia
tension headaches
migraines
TMJ
irritable bowel syndrome
complex regional pain syndrome
pelvic pain
chronic non-traumatic back pain
chronic non-traumatic neck pain
How is this related to ADHD & autism?
This type of pain is common in people with ADHD and autism.
To learn more
To learn more about the links between ADHD and chronic pain, consider booking our upcoming presentation on ADHD & Chronic Pain, at the link below.
book ADHD & chronic pain webinar now!
References
Roecker, C. B., & Schut, S. M. (2025). Nociplastic pain: an introduction. Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 69(2), 131–144.
image credit: @sameulyongbo
