Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by
intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the
Study of Pain's widely used
definition defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage".1 In medical diagnosis, pain is regarded as a symptom of an underlying condition.
Pain motivates the individual to withdraw from damaging situations, to protect a damaged body part while it heals, and to avoid similar experiences in the
future.2 Most pain resolves once the noxious stimulus is removed and the body has healed, but it
may persist despite removal of the stimulus and apparent healing of the body. Sometimes pain arises in the absence of any detectable stimulus, damage or disease.3
Pain is the most
common reason for physician consultation in most developed countries.45 It is a major symptom in many medical conditions, and can interfere with a person's quality of life and general functioning.6
Simple pain medications are useful in 20% to
70% of cases.7 Psychological factors such as social support, hypnotic suggestion, excitement, or distraction can significantly affect pain's intensity or unpleasantness.