The Psychology of Pain

Fig. 7

The brain is where pain is perceived.

The psychology of pain (or scientifically, the discreet cognitive pathways involved in the interpretation of painful stimuli) remains a mystery.

We are aware that, in no particular order, emotion (especially fear and anxiety), environment, culture, education, beliefs, personality and previous experiences can all have an influence on how we perceive pain.

Indeed distraction techniques, hypnosis, the placebo effect and some medications act upon the brain, rather than at any other site for their ‘analgesic’ effect.

Further, physiologists have identified descending tracts from the brain to the dorsal horns of the spinal-cord, that are likely to downregulate pain impulses.