A new perspective on chronic pain, back pain and fatigue

Nice to meet you, I’m Els. Have you tried everything to relieve your persistent pain, only for it to keep coming back?

I know firsthand how overwhelming and confusing this journey can be. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, spondylosis, and lichen. I tried literally everything: medication, dietary changes, osteopathy, back school, injections, yoga, movement, infrared therapy... and while it all helped, it was always only temporary.

Now, I am completely pain-free!

In my e-book, I explain how that happened and how you can calm your nervous system. Let yourself be inspired — who knows, you might become pain-free too.

When medical tests find nothing and back pain stays

For years, I suffered from chronic back pain. Surgeries. Injections. Medical examinations. Always searching for the next explanation or solution.

If someone had told me back then that pain could be neuroplastic of psychosomatic, I probably would have reacted the same way many people do now when I share my story:

  • skeptical.
  • defensive.
  • maybe even irritated.


And because, by that point, that pain had become part of how I understood myself.

When I read Dr. Sarno’s The Mindbody Prescription, honestly, I didn't really believe it. I figured it might just be a placebo effect—yet I remained pain-free. Not only did my back pain disappear, but other physical symptoms started fading too.

Ever since, I want to help people understand that pain is sometimes much more complex than structural damage alone. So I started explaining things, sharing studies, building arguments, and telling my story.

I quickly discovered a challenge: people rarely change through arguments alone. Especially not when pain is deeply intertwined with fear, safety, or years of medical labels. That is why I want to ask you this: keep a recent or minor pain in the back of your mind while reading the e-book. We’ll deal with the bigger pain later. By focusing on a recent pain, you’ll get proof much faster that this I, Els Spruyt might actually have something wildly interesting to share. After that, you can tackle your major pain with full conviction.

Good luck!

beeld van lichaam met pijn aan rug en schouder

When we think of stress-related symptoms, we usually picture high blood pressure, Meniere’s disease, migraines, digestive issues, vertigo, or heart conditions. The fact that stress can also manifest as muscle and/or joint pain is a realization we often overlook. Click the button below to read why this happens.

Stress in the back

Are you experiencing pain, stress, or tension today? Use the (free) interactive tool to discover what is currently active in your nervous system and receive instant somatic guidance, guided breathing, and a soothing audio mantra.

Get started

Are you struggling with chronic pain or persistent fatigue, and does nothing seem to truly help?

Twenty years, I suffered from joint and muscle pain myself, with a skin condition piled on top of it. During my rheumatology consultations, I received various diagnoses, and for a long time, I simply accepted them. As a trained nurse, I figured regular medicine would help me. And it did—but always only temporarily.

Until I discovered a method that made me completely pain-free. Our brain, our body, and therefore our pain signals are inextricably linked. That insight changed everything. Because what the brain can learn, it can also unlearn — even chronic pain.

📖 Free guide: Take a fresh look at pain


To help you piece this puzzle together, I wrote a practical guide. In it, I take you along on my personal journey and share the insights that helped me understand and break through pain signals differently.

In this free guide, you will discover:

  • How chronic pain and your brain work together.
  • How to make that connection work in your favor to calm your nervous system.
  • The first concrete steps toward lasting recovery.
Get your guide now

  • 🔒 There's no catch

    This guide is 100% free. I believe everyone deserves access to reliable knowledge about pain and the nervous system — without sales pitches or pressure. You’ll receive the guide directly in your inbox. After that, I’ll occasionally send you inspiring insights about recovery. You can unsubscribe at any time with a single click.

  • 💡 Also helpful for new or acute pain

    Do you have a recently cramped back, a nagging knee, or ankle pain? This guide is for you too. By understanding how pain signals work in the brain right now, you prevent a new or acute issue from settling in and becoming chronic.

40% of patients that see a doctor, suffer neuroplastic symptoms

(Source: ATNS)

I didn't make any of this up. Doctors already established the mind-body approach back in the 1990s. Healing is possible, but only a few receive the right evidence-based approach. I am fully committed to changing that. I want everyone to know about this, even people without chronic pain.

We are many: people who have recovered from chronic pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, long Covid, IBS, and more, yet our stories still haven’t found their way into society. Not yet. We want to change that, and I’m doing my part through this website.

This website provides supportive information and education about neuroplastic pain and is not a substitute for medical advice.

The Pain Puzzle is a new awareness

From insight to change

After reading the e-book, I often receive the same feedback:


"I understand what you're saying, but I really have a physical condition,"

or

"I get it, but how do I apply this to my own pain?"

That is exactly why I developed this online course.

In this course, I guide you step-by-step through the key pillars that played a role in my own recovery process. I share not only the insights that helped me, but also the experiences, doubts, and discoveries I encountered along the way.

Each lesson begins with my personal story and the lessons I learned from it. Afterward, I invite you to reflect on your own experiences. Through targeted reflection exercises, you will discover how the course content relates to your symptoms, your life, and your patterns.

Because true change doesn't come from acquiring knowledge alone, but primarily from better understanding yourself. Increasing awareness of your pain, your stress responses, and your habits can lead to new insights and lasting behavioral change.

This course is for anyone who wants to go beyond just understanding and is ready to actively work on solving the puzzle of their own pain.

(Note: This course is currently only available in Dutch.)

Course available in Winter 2026

Reviews

  • Inge

    Thanks to your ebook, I now deal with my chronic pain differently. As a result, I’m back working in the field I thought was no longer possible. A thousand thanks!

  • Sam

    Sometimes, after eating, I would experience painful abdominal cramps that forced me to lie down with my legs pulled up. I knew I was lactose intolerant, but eventually, the pain began to occur even when I didn’t consume any lactose. Now, I talk to my brain before a meal, and my body remains calm—with no abdominal pain.

  • Katrijn

    A smooth, humorous, flavorful, and powerful e-book. You're going to inspire people with this, Els—hopefully those who are living with pain, and just as importantly, those who work around it. A new awareness around all these layers is ready to emerge.

  • Heidi

    Wow, this is definitely quite confronting, Els—but I understand that maybe that’s exactly what’s needed to give people a little push. I don’t struggle with pain myself, but I’ll definitely keep it in mind in case it ever becomes relevant.

  • Wim

    I think it can be a revelation for people in the same situation, 'I'm not alone, it's real'. And for people who are lucky enough not to be in pain, it can provide a framework of empathy and understanding. But...do you really think men with beards are that shady? (from chapter 6)

  • Margot

    I think it's fantastic! Well and fluently written. I really think that your insights can offer a different future to people who see no way out. And that your suffering and all your acquired insights can shorten that of other people.

  • Marianne

    I don’t suffer from chronic pain myself, but I do occasionally experience migraines. After reading the book, I started to wonder whether the onset of my headache might be emotionally triggered. I noticed that as soon as I did this, the headache actually disappeared!

  • Alex

    When I first read the e-book, I honestly found it a bit harsh. It felt like it was all my fault that I was in pain — like it was all in my head. After all those surgeries and injections, that was hard to take. But after a while, I started to understand what it really meant. I recognized myself in that perfectionist part. Now I’m working two half-days a week — something I couldn’t do for two years. And when the pain comes up, I try to stay calm and not panic right away. I’m starting to think differently about my pain.

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Take a moment to reflect

Answer these questions honestly for yourself:

  • Do you have pain that keeps coming back, even though tests are reassuring? Even after surgery? Even after injections?
  • Do you feel that your body is trying to tell you something, but you don’t know how to listen?
  • Do you often adapt, hold things in, or carry a lot of responsibility?
  • Have you tried many things, yet feel that something fundamental is missing?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, whether softly or clearly, then this is likely for you.

See pain differently

Testimonies

The Pain Puzzle website provides inspiring articles full of insights from scientists, doctors, and psychiatrists who specialize in pain and emotions. Be sure to read Raelan's testimony who suffered from CFS for years. She recovered and is now a succesfull coach who helps others unlearn their pain.

Feel free to explore and get inspired!

Blog

FAQ

I have inflammation and wear-and-tear such as arthritis or bone-on-bone. Doesn’t that mean my pain is purely physical?

It’s understandable to think that inflammation or structural changes automatically cause pain. However, both research and clinical experience show that physical findings such as arthritis, inflammation, or “bone-on-bone” are very common in people who have little or no pain, while others experience severe pain without significant tissue damage. This difference is largely influenced by how sensitized the nervous system is. In neuroplastic pain, an overactive nervous system can amplify or maintain pain and inflammatory responses. The inflammation is real and not something you can simply “think away,” but the pain experience can change when the nervous system calms down and the brain stops sending constant danger signals.

Online cursus

Wat mijn eigen weg met pijn mij heeft geleerd, is dit: ik moest niet ver-beteren of een betere versie van mezelf worden.  Het loslaten van overtuigingen en het leren voelen zorgden voor mijn herstel.  

De online cursus is geen snelle oplossing en geen trucje.
Het is een uitnodiging om anders te kijken naar pijn, met zachtheid, eerlijkheid en nieuwsgierigheid.

Ik neem je mee in wat ik zelf heb ontdekt:
hoe pijn kan veranderen wanneer je veiligheid, begrip en aandacht leert opbouwen van binnenuit.

Je hoeft niets te bewijzen.
Je hoeft niets ‘goed’ te doen.
Alleen bereid te zijn om te luisteren naar jezelf.

Cursus