Ed Lucero started experiencing severe abdominal pain while undergoing dialysis for kidney failure. Even after receiving a kidney transplant in 1987, his pain didn’t stop.

At the time, doctors couldn’t clearly explain what he was experiencing. The surgery had worked. There was no sign of new damage, yet Lucero was in constant discomfort.

Decades later, he learned it’s neuroplastic pain, which causes the brain to continue sending pain signals long after the body has healed.

“I thought that was just how it would be for the rest of my life,” Lucero said. “Even with light yard work, I’d have to lie down or sit and breathe through it.”  

To manage his pain, Lucero was prescribed methadone, a long-acting opioid sometimes used when other pain medications don’t work. He took it under medical supervision for 10 years.  

“It dulled the ache, but it dulled everything else too,” he said. “I couldn’t think clearly. I was in meetings, holding the wall to stay balanced. That wasn’t me.” 

As his pain persisted, Lucero reached a point where the side effects of methadone no longer felt worth it. He talked with his VA provider and asked for help getting off the medication and finding other solutions to his pain.

He was introduced to a new treatment called Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT). 

PRT treats neuroplastic pain that happens when the brain gets stuck in a loop, constantly sending pain signals to the area because it expects to feel pain.

“The pain is real, but doesn’t always mean something is damaged,” said Dr. Joseph W. Frank, Pain Medicine section chief at VA Eastern Colorado and Associate Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “With neuroplastic pain, the body has healed, but the brain hasn’t gotten the message. PRT helps retrain that response.” 

PRT breaks the loop by training the brain and nervous system to respond differently to those pain signals through stress reduction, calming the nervous system and rebuilding confidence in their bodies. Over time, it can reduce or even eliminate the pain. 

In 2024, VA Eastern Colorado became the first VA site nationwide to offer PRT as part of a research study jointly funded by VA’s Pain Management Collaboratory Coordinating Center for Opioid Research and Engagement (Pain/Opioid CORE) and the University of Colorado.

In a civilian study, two-thirds of participants reported being pain-free or nearly pain-free after completing treatment. VA Eastern Colorado will publish the findings from its research later this year.

Lucero took part in the final 8-week PRT group from September to November 2024.  

During therapy, Lucero noticed patterns. The pain showed up most often when he felt overwhelmed. 

Before a trip to Peru, he began experiencing sharp pain in his neck and shoulders. He hadn’t lifted anything heavy or strained himself. He paused and checked in with what else was going on.  

“I realized I was worried about the house, the dogs, the garden,” he said. “That wasn’t an injury; it was stress showing up as pain. Once I worked through it, the pain went away.” 

He said PRT gave him a way to step back, ask better questions about his situation and move through the discomfort with less fear.  

“I still get pain, but it’s different now,” he said. “I don’t panic. Therapy changed how I think about my chronic pain.”  

As his physical pain started to ease, Lucero noticed something else changing, too. 

Lucero said the biggest shift is how he interacts with himself and others. 

Often, his chronic pain kept him from participating in events with friends and family. He began isolating more and more. When people did check in, he frequently brushed them off, trying to hide the pain he was in.  

“People don’t always know how to respond to someone who’s sick,” he said. “So, I just told them I was fine.” 

With techniques he learned in PRT, he’s started telling his truth and resumed participating in activities.  

“I have new tools I didn’t have before,” he said. “They’re helping me enjoy my life again.” 

He uses a combination of daily guided meditation, breathing exercises, yoga and Transcendental Meditation. This technique helps calm the mind and body by repeating a silent sound or phrase to settle the nervous system.

Lucero says learning to manage his pain allows him to volunteer with several Veteran and civic organizations, including the Mile High Veterans and Jefferson County Veterans Initiative. He also serves as co-secretary of the Jefferson County Democratic Latino Initiative.

At home, he spends time gardening, stargazing with his backyard telescope and walking his two Yorkies. He and his wife travel and enjoy exploring with their grandchildren. 

“My new favorite hobby is creating great memories,” he said. “I encourage Veterans living with chronic pain to seek treatment.”  

VA Eastern Colorado’s Chronic Pain and Wellness Center offers neuroplastic pain treatment as part of its interdisciplinary care for Veterans with chronic pain.  

The clinic also offers acupuncture, physical therapy, behavioral health services, clinical pharmacy and group support options.  

“This isn’t a cure-all,” said Dr. Frank. “But for many Veterans, it’s life-changing. It helps them understand what their pain means and how to respond to it.” 

To learn more about how VA Eastern Colorado can help you, visit Chronic Pain and Wellness Center, send your care team a message through the VA: Health and Benefits app or My HealtheVet, or ask about PRT at your next VA appointment. 

For updates and events, visit VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System.

Jesus Flores is a writer and editor on the VISN 19 Creative Task Force and a Marine Corps Veteran