Symptoms that are often Neuroplastic

This is a list of common symptoms where prolonged nervous system dysregulation, stress in its many forms, emotional patterns, and/or past experiences can play an important role—often outside of conscious awareness. It is very common for people to experience more than one of these symptoms over the course of their lifetime—sometimes shifting, resolving, or appearing in different forms of symptoms over time. This pattern can be an important clue that the nervous system and brain-body processes are playing a role. If you recognize yourself here, it may be a sign that your symptoms are influenced by neuroplastic (mindbody) processes—and that healing is possible.

If you find your symptom(s) on this list, you can learn more by reviewing the self-assessment questionnaire and F.I.T. criteria on the home page of  www.migraineoasis.com. 

Important Notes:

• The symptoms listed here are considered neuroplastic when they are persistent or recurring for longer than 3+ months, do not have a clear structural or disease-based cause, and continue beyond the body’s typical healing timeframe (see disclaimer below). Over time, the brain can develop learned neural pathways that continue generating real physical symptoms. The encouraging part is that, in many cases, the underlying drivers can be addressed, the nervous system can return to a more regulated state, and these neural pathways can be retrained—allowing symptoms to decrease or even fully resolve.

• Disclaimer:  It’s important to have any new, changing, or concerning symptoms evaluated by a licensed medical professional to rule out conditions that require medical care. In many cases, individuals with ongoing or recurring symptoms have already undergone testing or evaluation without a clear explanation for their symptoms. When this is the case, it may be appropriate to explore a neuroplastic (mindbody) component. 

• Source Credits:  Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms (ATNS),  “Diagnostic Guide for Psychophysiological Disorders” by Doctors Clark-Schechter-Schubiner, the Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners Association (SIRPA), and Stichting Emovere Foundation.

Alphabetical Order by Persistent Symptom: Not an exhaustive list......

- Adrenal fatigue syndrome
- Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS)
- Anxiety
- Back or sciatica pain
- Benign tremor
- Brain fog, memory difficulties
- Burning mouth syndrome
- Burnout
- Buttock / glute pain
- Candida overgrowth syndrome
- Choking sensation or “lump in throat”
- Chronic pain (most locations of body)
- Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS)
- Chronic Prostatitis (also known as CPPS, see above)
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Computer vision syndrome
- Cough (chronic)
- Cyclic vomiting syndrome
- Depression
- Dizziness / Vertigo
- Dysbiosis / dysbacteriosis (characterized by a disruption to the microbiome)
- Dyspareunia (genital pain during or after sexual intercourse)
- Dystonia (uncontrollable muscle movements in some part of body)
- Eating disorders
- EBV reactivation syndrome (when when the dormant Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) becomes active again)
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
- Electro-magnetic field sensitivity
- Erythromelalgia (effects feet, hands or other areas, symptoms include skin redness and an intense burning sensation).
- Facial pain
- Fatigue (chronic), ME-CFS
- Fibromyalgia
- Foot pain syndromes
- Frozen shoulder
- Frequent urination
- Functional abdominal pain
- Functional dyspepsia (FD) - multiple symptoms such as recurrent upper abdominal pain, bloating, early satiety, etc.
- Functional Neurological Disorder (FNS)
- Globus sensation (Globus pharyngeus) - persistent feeling of lump or tightness in throat, not caused by actual obstruction
- Headache: Tension-type (TTH), New daily persistent headache (NDPH)
- Heartburn or GERD (chronic)
- Hyperacusis (hypersensitivity to sound)
- Hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating)
- Hypersensitivity to touch, sound, smell, light, foods or medications
- Inappropriate sinus tachycardia
- Insomnia (sleep problems)
- Interstitial Cystitis (Bladder pain syndrome)
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Jaw pain / TMJ
- Joint pain (chronic)
- Knee pain
- Laryngopharyngeal reflux
- Leaky gut syndrome
- Long-COVID
- Lyme Disease (chronic)
- Mal de Debarquement syndrome
- Mast cell activation syndrome
- Migraine / Vestibular migraine (VM)
- Misophonia (decreased tolerance to specific sounds or their associated stimuli)
- Morton’s neuroma
- Multiple chemical sensitivity
- Multiple food sensitivities
- Multiple medication allergies
- Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS - pain due to muscle knots or trigger points in the fascia)
- Neck pain (chronic)
- Non-cardiac chest pain
- Non-epileptic or functional seizure disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Occipital neuralgia
- Overactive Bladder
- Overstimulation
- Panic attacks
- Paraesthesia (sensation of pins & needles, tingling, burning, prickling, numbness on or just underneath skin)
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) - pain around kneecap
- Pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS)
- Pelvic floor dysfunction
- Pelvic instability
- Pelvic pain
- Persistent genital arousal disorder
- Persistent postural perceptual dizziness
- Piriformis syndrome (pain in buttocks and down the leg, tight muscle compressing sciatic nerve)
- Plantar fasciitis
- Post concussion syndrome (PCS) -long term symptoms after concussion
- Post-herpetic neuralgia
- Post-surgical incision pain
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
- Protracted withdrawal syndrome
- Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES)
- Pudendal neuralgia
- Raynaud’s phenomena (painful vasospasm)
- Rectal muscle spasm/rectal pain
- Repetitive strain injury (RSI)
- Restless leg syndrome
- Sexual dysfunction
- Skin (e.g. Chronic eczema, hives, or itching)
- Skin sensations (pins & needles, tingling, burning, numbness on or just underneath skin = Paresthesias)
- Sleep problems (insomnia)
- Small fiber neuropathy (SFN)– intense burning pain, numbness, or “pins & needles” sensations
- Small intestine bacterial overgrowth syndrome
- Spasmodic dysphonia
- Stomach upset (or nausea) persistent
- Stuttering
- Telogen effluvium (type of temporary hair loss) 
- Tendonitis (chronic, in any joint)
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Tics
- Tietze syndrome (painful connection between sternum and ribs)
- Tinnitus (ringing in ears)
- TMJ / TMD Temporomandibular disorder (jaw pain)
- Torticollis
- Tooth or gum pain (chronic)
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Vertigo / Dizziness
- Vestibular migraine (VM)
- Visual abnormalities (e.g visual snow syndrome)
- Vulvodynia
- Whiplash (chronic)
- Winged scapula syndrome

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