We’ve learned a lot about pain over recent years. Pain science tells us what happens in our body when we feel pain. It also tells us why things like gentle movement, relaxation, improving mood and sleep, and eating healthy foods can help with pain.

Years ago, doctors thought that pain was directly linked to tissue damage in the body. They believed the amount of pain you felt was linked to how much damage there was. This was called the bio-medical model of pain. It was thought that messages travelled from damaged areas in the tissues, through the spinal cord, and into the area of the brain that processed sensory (feeling) information.

This model was a good start, but there was more to the story. For example, the bio-medical model couldn’t explain phantom limb pain, where people have pain in a part of the body that isn’t there any more. This pain can’t be caused by tissue damage because the tissue isn’t there, but the pain is most definitely real.

What modern science has taught us about pain

As science has progressed, we have learned a lot more:

  • Pain messages can be changed in the spinal cord, making it easier or harder for them to reach the brain, and this can change how much pain you feel.
  • Pain messages also activate areas of the brain that are linked with mood, feelings, thoughts, and memories. This means pain isn’t just about what you feel physically.
  • Message pathways go up to the brain and back down to the body, so what happens in your brain can change how you feel pain.
  • Pain is designed to warn us of possible threats to your body - how you understand those threats affect how you react.
  • Many systems in your body, like the immune and nervous systems, are also connected to pain. This means pain is complex, especially when it lasts a long time and becomes chronic.

Learning more about pain science is important to help you understand your own experience with pain and how to best deal with it.

More information for consumers

Information for clinicians