Guide Note

Pain is an unpleasant, distressing sensation produced by a sensory episode of the nervous system. Acute pain is your body's way of letting you know you need to take care of yourself. Without pain one might seriously injure themselves without knowledge or leave an illness untreated. Pain can be felt at various intensities and can be caused by many different things. Treatment for pain will vary depending upon the cause.

Fast Facts

1. Frequency: 76.2 million people
2. Most reported type of pain: Low back pain
3. 32% of Americans, over the age of 20, who have reported pain say that it lasted less than one month
4. 50% of Americans have some form of chronic pain
5. 25% of Americans have or have had short lived pain
6. Women seek help more frequently than men
7. Treatments: pain relievers, acupuncture
8. Can interfere with your ability to work and sleep

During the ancient civilizations incidences of pain and the treatments used for pain were recorded on stone tablets. In the early civilizations pain was related to demons, evil and magic. Herbs were used by shamans, sorcerers and priests along with ritual ceremonies to relieve pain. During the Middle Ages the Greeks and Romans began to gather evidence that pain was connected to the nervous system and the brain. In 1964, a French philosopher described the "pain pathway" which is still used today.

In 1931, the French medical missionary Dr. Albert Schweitzer wrote, "Pain is a more terrible lord of mankind than even death itself." Today, pain has become the universal disorder, a serious and costly public health issue, and a challenge for family, friends, and health care providers who must give support to the individual suffering from the physical as well as the emotional consequences of pain. — National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Thousands of years ago, ancient peoples attributed pain to spirits and treated it with mysticism and incantations. Over the centuries, science has provided us with a remarkable ability to understand and control pain with medications, surgery, and other treatments. Today, scientists understand a great deal about the causes and mechanisms of pain, and research has produced dramatic improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of a number of painful disorders. For people who fight every day against the limitations imposed by pain, the work of NINDS-supported scientists holds the promise of an even greater understanding of pain in the coming years. Their research offers a powerful weapon in the battle to prolong and improve the lives of people with pain: hope. — National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Disclaimer: The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have Pain, please consult your doctor.