A study from the University of Colorado Anschutz has found that chronic back pain, the leading cause of disability worldwide, can cause a person with lower back pain to feel more uncomfortable in their ears due to sensory overload. The research, published in the journal Annals of Neurology, compared MRI brain imaging in 142 adults with chronic back disease to 51 patients without pain and found that those with chronic pain had stronger reactions to different everyday sounds than 84% of those without pain. The researchers then assigned those with back pain one of three treatments: pain reprocessing therapy (PRT), which reduced heightened brain response to sound but also reduced activity in the regions that regulate unpleasant experiences. The findings suggest that chronic pain is not just a problem in the back but also a central role in driving chronic pain.