Thanks for the thoughtful comments, Belinda. It’s always helpful to learn how writings are perceived, regardless of my intentions, and in this case, as you figured out, I did not mean to suggest chronic pain isn’t real or that it’s all in a person’s head. But I will learn from the comments and be ever more careful in future writings. The science of this is incredibly complex, and the latest research is really, really complex, and it’s pointing in new and hopefully helpful directions — that’s what I aimed to show. But no amount of complexity excuses any lack of clarity. For the record, I’ve had low back pain for decades, and while I’ve learned to manage it, thanks largely through exercise and in part by changing how I view it mentally, it’s still with me every day, I have no doubt my pain, and yours, is real.