what's pain?

Thus, pain is a conscious experience created by the brain, not a damaged condition of the body. You can have one without the other.

The scientists and physiotherapists Dave Butler and Lorimer Moseley put it elegantly:

“We will experience pain when our credible evidence of danger related to our body is greater than our credible evidence of safety related to our body. Equally we won’t have pain when our credible evidence of safety is greater than our credible evidence of danger.”

Changes in the mechanical, thermal and chemical status ofthe tissues of the body – stimuli that can cause pain – are important first of all for the homeostatic maintenance of the body.

Pain is a real feeling, but that feeling does not necessarily reflect real damage in the body. Further, although pain depends on brain activity for its existence, this does not mean you can simply think pain away or that pain is your fault. Unfortunately, the processes which create pain are mostly unconscious and outside your control.

human feeling of pain is both a distinct sensation and a motivation – that is, a specific emotion that reflects homeostatic behavioral drive, similar to temperature, itch, hunger and thirst.