06/18/2026
Thursday Mentorship Meeting Recap:
🧠 Pain isn’t always about tissue damage. Sometimes it’s about how the brain interprets threat.
One fascinating area of modern pain science is laterality training (right/left recognition).
Research has shown that in some persistent pain conditions, the brain’s “map” of the body can become less accurate. This can contribute to ongoing pain, sensitivity, and altered movement patterns.
A simple way to begin retraining these brain maps is through right and left recognition exercises.
📱 The app, Orientate, allows you to practice identifying right and left body parts by viewing images and making quick decisions. Sounds simple—but it challenges areas of the brain involved in movement planning, body awareness, and pain processing.
Why does this matter?
✅ Improves body awareness
✅ Activates motor networks without movement
✅ Can help “sharpen” the brain’s representation of the body
✅ Often used as part of a broader pain management strategy
Try this:
➡️ Download the app
➡️ Choose the body region you’re working on
➡️ Spend 2–5 minutes identifying right vs. left images
➡️ Focus on accuracy before speed
Remember: Pain is produced by the nervous system, and the nervous system is adaptable. Sometimes changing pain starts with changing the brain.
Have you ever tried right/left recognition training? Let us know how you did in the comments.
BrainHealth PhysicalTherapist Rehab PersistentPain OrienteApp PainManagement MovementIsMedicine OrthopedicPT PainRecovery
