Editorial Policy: How We Review Pain Science

Published August 23, 2026 · 5 min read

By Tauri Urbanik, research writer and PainApp founder

Who writes this site

Neuroplastic Pain Guide is written and maintained by Tauri Urbanik, founder of PainApp.health. Tauri is an independent pain-science researcher and research writer, not a physician, psychologist, or other licensed clinician.

That distinction matters. This site explains published research in plain language. It does not diagnose readers, determine whether pain is structural or nociplastic, or provide individualized treatment recommendations.

Medical review status

Pages are not described as medically reviewed unless a named, credentialed reviewer is displayed on that page. A publication date or update date is not a medical-review date.

We are building a formal clinical-review process for priority medical pages. Until that process is complete, readers should use the linked studies and discuss personal symptoms or treatment choices with a qualified healthcare professional.

How evidence is selected

We prioritize evidence in this order:

1. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical guidelines.
2. Randomized controlled trials.
3. Prospective and observational studies.
4. Mechanistic, imaging, and laboratory research.
5. Expert commentary, used for context rather than proof of treatment effectiveness.

When discussing a study, we aim to state the condition studied, participant count, intervention, comparator, outcome, follow-up period, important limitations, and relevant conflicts of interest. Evidence from one condition or treatment format is not automatically generalized to another.

How we describe the PRT evidence

The strongest randomized trial of Pain Reprocessing Therapy enrolled 151 adults with primary chronic back pain. Fifty were assigned to four weeks of therapist-led PRT, and 33 were pain-free or nearly pain-free after treatment. This result does not establish that 66% of all people with chronic pain—or 66% of people using a self-guided app—will recover.

• Original randomized trial
• Five-year follow-up

Sources and citations

Clinical claims should link to the source that supports them, preferably PubMed, the journal, a clinical guideline, or an authoritative medical organization. Reference lists appear at the end of substantive medical pages.

A citation does not make every interpretation correct. We distinguish the study's direct finding from our explanation and avoid presenting hypotheses or associations as proven causes.

Updates and review dates

We update content when new evidence changes the conclusion, a cited source is corrected or retracted, terminology changes, or a page contains a material omission or error. Dates are changed only after a substantive update. We do not refresh dates simply to make content look new.

Corrections

Substantive corrections are made as soon as they are verified. When a correction materially changes a conclusion, outcome number, safety statement, or description of a person or organization, the page should include a dated correction note.

To report an error, use the contact route at PainApp.health and include the page URL, disputed statement, and supporting source.

Composite stories

Some pages use composite stories to illustrate patterns discussed in research or pain communities. They are not testimonials and do not describe a specific person. Composite stories are labeled at the story itself. They must not be presented as verified patient outcomes or evidence that a treatment works.

When we publish a first-person account from a real individual, it should be identified as such, used with permission, and clearly separated from clinical evidence.

Commercial disclosure

Neuroplastic Pain Guide is a PainApp.health resource and links to PainApp's assessment and paid or free services. That relationship can create a commercial incentive to present brain-based pain approaches favorably.

We address that conflict by:

• Stating the relationship on the site and in this policy.
• Separating evidence for therapist-led interventions from evidence for apps.
• Avoiding claims that PainApp reproduces clinical-trial outcomes unless directly tested.
• Including limitations and reasonable alternatives in treatment and product comparisons.
• Not allowing commercial goals to change study results or safety language.

Safety boundary

Persistent pain can involve nociceptive, neuropathic, nociplastic, or mixed mechanisms. Normal tests, stress-related flares, or variable symptoms do not by themselves prove that pain is neuroplastic.

Seek professional assessment for new, worsening, or unexplained symptoms. Urgent warning signs can include new weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, fever, major trauma, unexplained weight loss, or other symptoms a clinician considers concerning.