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Pain Science - Glossary Term Illustration

Pain Science

Pain Science refers to the multidisciplinary study of the complex processes that contribute to the pain experience, including the influence of sensory, cognitive, emotional, and social factors.

Pain Science

Pain Science refers to the multidisciplinary study of the complex processes that contribute to the pain experience. This includes its mechanisms and modeling of the perception of pain. As well as its impact on the individual including the biological, psychological, and social factors. The goal of much of pain science is to better understand how to better manage pain in a clinical setting.

Additional Terms:

Key Concepts

  1. Biopsychosocial (BPS) Model: Pain is influenced by an interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors.
  2. Neuroplasticity: The nervous system's ability to change in response to chronic pain, including central sensitization.
  3. Pain as a Protective Mechanism: Pain is a protective signal, not always indicative of actual tissue damage.
  4. Cognitive and Emotional Influences: Thoughts, beliefs, and emotions significantly impact pain perception.
  5. Pain Education : Teaching patients about pain mechanisms can reduce fear and improve outcomes.

For more information (including systematic research reviews):

Important Contributions to Practice

  • Expanding Our Understanding of Pain: The development of "pain science" as a discipline has resulted in pain being regarded as more than a direct result of tissue damage and has expanded to include the influence of sensory, cognitive, emotional, and social factors.

Myths Generated from the Pain Science Movement:

  • Pain is All in Your Head: Most orthopedic pain does not "originate" in the brain. Most orthopedic pain is the result of processes that have resulted in tissue damage and/or inflammation and the stimulation of nociceptors (which are then perceived as pain by the nervous system).
  • Treatment with a Pain Science Approach is More Evidence-based Than a Biomechanical Approach: There is far more research to support a biomechanical approach to orthopedic pain than a pain science approach, and the comparative research available suggests that a pain science approach is likely less effective (see the article - Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) is Relatively Ineffective: Research Confirmed
  • Pain Science is New: Pain science is not new. The Biopsychosocial (BPS) model was published by George Engel in 1977. This is decades older than many of the more well-known research biomechanical research.

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