Pain Science
Understanding Pain Science
Research into pain science has grown significantly in recent years. It explores how and why we experience pain—especially when it becomes chronic. We now understand that chronic pain is more than just tissue damage; it affects the whole person and requires a biopsychosocial approach to management.
What Is Pain?
Pain is a natural response from the nervous system, alerting us to potential harm. For example, when you touch something hot, pain prompts you to withdraw your hand to prevent injury. This is called acute pain—it’s short-lived and linked to a specific cause.
What Is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is different. It persists beyond the expected healing time—often for months or even years. It can occur without a clear cause and may spread over time. This ongoing pain can lead to changes in the nervous system, making it more sensitive to pain signals.
Recent research shows that chronic pain is not only about physical injury. It also involves changes in how the brain and nervous system process pain. Areas of the brain linked to emotions and thinking can become more active, increasing the experience of pain—even when there’s no new injury.
Understanding the science behind pain can be empowering. It helps explain why a range of management strategies is often needed. Pain is not just a sign of damage—it's a complex interaction involving the nervous system, the brain, and the whole person.
There are three main types of pain:
Nociceptive – caused by damage to body tissue (like a sprain or arthritis)
Neuropathic – caused by damage to nerves
(like sciatica or nerve pain)
Nociplastic – pain that arises without clear tissue or nerve damage (like fibromyalgia)
Understanding what type of pain you experience can help you make more informed choices about how to manage it.
👉 Watch the video below to learn more
To learn more about pain science, watch the video ‘Tame the Beast’ and explore the Tame the Beast website. It was created by pain scientists and healthcare professionals in Australia to help people better understand pain and how to manage it.
This short video begins to explain the science of pain in under five minutes—helping you understand why pain can persist and what you can do to manage it.
Extra Resources:
To find out more we recommend reading the following pain science Book
Explain Pain, written by David Butler and Lorimer Moseley and published by NOIgroup is a beautifully presented text with accessible information for clinicians and patients looking to treat chronic pain. It is a great way to increase your knowledge on modern pain science