PET Imaging of Chronic Pain Syndromes

The proposed study is based on our growing understanding of chronic pain and our ability to use functional brain imaging to study in vivo neurophysiologic processes. It is important to understand the brain and body mechanisms of chronic pain in order to better determine therapeutic interventions to reduce pain. Part of the difficulty in treating chronic pain is to determine how better to diagnose what specific issues are affecting the brain and body that result in chronic pain. Participants will undergo a small battery of diagnostic tests that include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET). A secondary goal of this study is to determine if undergoing chiropractic care alters body or brain physiology in patients with chronic pain.