What is Pain: Definition and 100 Discussions

Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage." 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. 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.Pain is the most common reason for physician consultation in most developed countries. It is a major symptom in many medical conditions, and can interfere with a person's quality of life and general functioning. Simple pain medications are useful in 20% to 70% of cases. Psychological factors such as social support, hypnotic suggestion, cognitive behavioral therapy, excitement, or distraction can affect pain's intensity or unpleasantness. In some debates regarding physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia, pain has been used as an argument to permit people who are terminally ill to end their lives.

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  1. H

    The Importance of Showing Empathy and Compassion in Relationships

    The Greatest Pain in Life The greatest pain in lifeis not to die, but to be ignored To lose the person you love somuch to another who doesn't care at all The greatest pain in life, is not to die, but to be forgotten When you show someone your innermost thoughts and he laughs in...
  2. 0

    Pain Threshold - Reducing Intensity

    Homework Statement At a distance of 30 m the noise from the engine of an jet has an intensity of 130 dB. At this level, you will be in pain and your ears will hurt. That's why this intensity is know as the "pain threshold". How far do you have to be from a jet (total distance), in...
  3. K

    Medical Any tips for relieving tooth pain?

    My wife has 5 wisdom teeth that need to be removed (they haven't yet because we just had a baby girl 3 weeks ago, and we haven't had time). Well, all 5 are in really bad shape, and one of them has pretty much shattered and fallen out of her mouth, leaving just the root. Any time she tries to...
  4. Mk

    Ear-Clearing Tips for Relieving Airplane Ear Pain

    Hey PF, Last time I landed on an airplane my ears hurt unbearably, and it lasted hours. I had tried yawning, swallowing, drinking, chewing gums, and the valsalva maneuver. After I got on the ground I purchased a milky way bar, ate that, and then ate a hot dog, french fries, and a pepsi. My ears...
  5. M

    Medical Pain in the peripheral nervous system

    To my (limited) understanding, the peripheral nervous system sends messages of pain in the form of electrical impulses to the brains. But what's the difference between signals of extreme pain and mild pain/touch?
  6. S

    Medical Dealing with Painful Symptoms After Leg Infection: Seeking Solutions

    Hey guys I have a very painful problem I need suggestions with. About one year ago I had a really bad leg infection from a spider bite. I was put on IV antibiotics for a couple of weeks. This made me constipated. I remember going to the washroom and it felt like something cut me really badly...
  7. P

    Is Pain Merely a Form of Emotion?

    Is pain just an emotion? I understand that pain is brought about by such things like nerve endings sending signals to the brain in an effort to notify us of danger, much like the hand on the oven burner. Hey… it’s hot, might want to move your hand away from the fire. But the brain confuses...
  8. J

    Why Does Deep Water Reduce Foot Pain from Rocks?

    Homework Statement If you have ever had to wade across a rocky creek while hiking in the mountains, you have probably noticed that by the time you get to the deep water in the center of the creek rocks don't seem to hurt your bare feet as much. what is the reason for this? a. one tend to...
  9. T

    I don't care if its cheap, its not worth the pain.

    I tried going on a three day ramen diet to save money. Its not working though. for one, I'm hungry every hour and have to eat another bowl full. for two, I'm going to the bathroom about twice an hour. for three, my butt is so raw and painful now. I swear I saw blood. I'm going to go get a hamburger.
  10. Ivan Seeking

    Z-CoiL® Footwear: Relief from Back & Leg Pain

    http://www.zcoil.com/products_faq.html http://www.zcoil.com/products_technology.html informercial When we saw these advertised the other day, Tsu commented that some people at the hospital use these and claim to get significant relief from back or leg pain.
  11. lisab

    Earphone Comfort: Is Over-the-Head or In-Ear Better?

    I work out much better listening to music (like most people) but I have to wear those over-the-head earphones. They're the only thing that's comfortable. Does anyone else find that their ears are in pain when wearing ear buds for longer than a few minutes? I don't mean pain from music...
  12. Holocene

    Would you choose pain over non-existence?

    Knowing what you know now, do you feel a painful existence is still better than never being born? I'm torn on where I stand. In some ways, just experiencing a small part of the univesre, even painfully or briefly, might be a privilege compared to never existing at all. But then again, we...
  13. B

    Medical Pain and the brain/consciousness

    Does/can pain itself cause loss of consciousness- why?/how thanks
  14. R

    Chemistry Calculating Moles of Pain Killer/H+ with Titration

    Homework Statement Assuming the acid (pain killer) is monoprotic, calculate the moles of pain killer/hydrogen ion in a sample of an unknown pain killer using a titration: NaOH was added to a pain killer solution m[pain killer]=0.40g dissolved in 50 mL of distilled water [NaOH]= 0.15...
  15. clope023

    Sound intensity - the threshold of pain

    [SOLVED] sound intensity - the threshold of pain Homework Statement You are investigating the report of a UFO landing in an isolated portion of New Mexico, and encounter a strange object that is radiating sound waves uniformly in all directions. Assume that the sound comes from a point...
  16. wolram

    Give Back Pain: Avoiding a 3rd Stop

    This one copper has stopped me three times for not wearing a seat belt, i tell him every time i would be dead if i wore one when i had my accident, but will he listen, i see him coming a mile away and am all ways out of my car before he (stops) me, for sure the next time i will deck him.
  17. Q_Goest

    How are the mole rats able to feel aches if they lack Substance P?

    I’m trying to understand some research about naked mole rats. Apparently they don’t feel pain. Ref: Science Daily, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/11/031117073925.htm Can anyone give me some background here? How is substance P manufactured by the body? In what cells is it made...
  18. Ivan Seeking

    Medical Sciatic pain and aching associated with influenza

    About ten years ago I began to experience leg cramps [really more of a severe ache] and sciatic pain in conjuction with moderate to severe bouts of the flu. And I don't mean discomfort, I mean crawling-out-of-my-skin pain. I've had three bouts like this in total, with yesterday being one of the...
  19. M

    Why is my thigh in pain after squats?

    Hi all, I have noticed that after doing some squats, the next day my thighs keep paining whole day. Walking becomes difficult and a little crooked. What could be the cause of this? Thanks!
  20. DaveC426913

    Why is my back stiff when sleeping on my belly?

    In the last month or so, I have been waking up with my kidney area painfully stiff. This is not the same kind of pain I might get after straining my back during a day of heavy lifting. It feels like I've spent the night bent over backwards, as if I am on my belly but with several pillows under...
  21. B

    Do We Feel Pain from Inaudible Noises?

    We all know that you feel pain as volume increases. Whether it is loud bass or a really loud siren you can feel the pain. Do we feel pain from noises that our ears cannot recieve. Say, a dog whistle that is out of a humans hearing range. Does it not cause pain or is it not loud enough to do...
  22. W

    Intense Shoulder Pain: Causes & Solutions

    About four days ago, in the midst of the night, I felt an intense pain coming from my two shoulders alike. It was unbearable and I don't know what I would have done without the good dose of aspirin I took - even then the pain was still intense. After a three hours or so, the pain in one shoulder...
  23. A

    Getting out of bed is such a pain

    I have a habit I'd like to kick. I am too much of a sound sleeper and can't manage to get out of bed early enough for anything. At college hostel,a typical day begins with me finding my friends all dressed up and yelling that I would be late for college. I look at my watch in all my...
  24. K

    Pain & Consciousness: What is It?

    http://philosophy.uwaterloo.ca/MindDict/substancedualism.html Quote Perhaps the most famous proponent of substance dualism was Descartes, who cashed out the distinction between minds and bodies as follows: Minds are things that think but lack spatial magnitude, and bodies are things that...
  25. P

    Understanding the Pain-Reducing Effects of a Cooling Liquid in Minor Operations

    Homework Statement To deaden pain in minor operations, a liquid that vaporises easily is often sprayed on the affected area. How does this prevent the pain being felt? Would water have the same effect? Homework Equations none The Attempt at a Solution Vaporises easily => absorbs...
  26. P

    Why so much pain to get our teeth cleaned?

    It always hurts a lot to get our teeth cleaned. Although afterwards it is not completely white either. Why does it hurt so much to get our teeth cleaned? Is there a way to get it cleaned without all the pain yet just as clean either in theory or practice?
  27. N

    Intensity of sound and pain level

    What is the intensity of sound at the pain level of 120 dB? Compare this to that of a whisper at 20 dB? I know this should be so simple, but it has me confused. I have the formula but I am just not sure how to apply it. I(db)=10 log _ 10 (I/I _ 0)
  28. F

    Back Injury Causes Agonizing Pain and Discomfort

    I hurt my back :( Today I completely screwed up my back. I was at my University gym lifting with my workout partner, and things were going fine. We were finishing up on our last exercise, when it was my turn to lift the heaviest amount I was going to for the day. I got the first rep, and then...
  29. J

    Plotting Functions in Java: A Pain in the Neck

    In programming in Java I've frequently wanted to plot functions, meaning I've had to convert a double array of function values (and a corresponding array of their domain values) to integer arrays of coordinates to plot. I've always found this to be a pain in the neck, especially if you're trying...
  30. larkspur

    Medical Chronic back pain causes brain shrinkage

    I found this http://www.northwestern.edu/univ-relations/media_relations/releases/2004/11/chronic.html" very interesting. http://www.northwestern.edu/univ-relations/media_relations/releases/2004/11/chronic.html
  31. M

    Can hugging a hot-water bottle really help with pain relief?

    Through my casual surfing of news sites I've come across this article, and I thought that it's really cool. For those of us who were curious as to why a little bit of heat can help reduce pain: . http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5144864.stm
  32. Astronuc

    Medical Cherry Juice May Cut Muscle Pain

    Students Who Drank the Juice Showed Less Pain and Loss of Strength After Exercise By Miranda Hitti WebMD Medical News Well chocolate, or rather certain ingredients in chocolate, is supposed to help one's muscles to recover from exercise, particuarly from weight-training and muscle...
  33. T

    Lowering Jet Sound Intensity Below Pain Threshold

    the pain threshold of your ears is about 130 phon.The sound levelclose to a jet (r=1m) when it takes off is about 150 phon.How far do you have to go away in order to lower the intensity level below the pain threshold?? anyone pls tell me the formula to use so that i can calculate as i can't...
  34. B

    What is the threshold for pain in decibels?

    1) what is a decibel? What is the threhold for pain in decibels? 2) what is a standing wave? 3) what produces sound waves? 4) Explain how the human ear receives sound and transmits it to the brain THANKS,
  35. D

    Physical pain from withdrawl of meds?

    Zyprexa is an anti-psychotic, if, say, u missed about 3 or 4 weeks of ur meds (which ur sposed to take 20mg daily, and had been taking for almost a year straight) would u get chest pains that've so far lasted a week?
  36. EnumaElish

    Bicycling is a pain in the neck

    Any bicycling enthusiasts here? I used to bike to work some years ago, then stopped and was biking only on the weekends for a while; with a hybrid with extension bars. A few years went by and I started having incredible neck pains whenever I was crouching over the extension bars and looking...
  37. Y

    Why am I so tired of waiting for someone who only thinks of themselves?

    I hate to bear the pain... ---------------------------------------------- Today I am very unhappy... I have waited for 8 monthes for that hypocritical woman... I will not wait for her, when she arrives, she don't need to seek advice from me, if she wants to know my future intentions for her...
  38. H

    So please advice me."Help! Unbearable Head Pain - What Could It Be?

    Guys This is very very serious. Yesterday the time was 1 o' clock when i logged off and went to sleep.At that time i could sense a little pain building in my head but as i lied down,I was thinking deeply on something,simultaneously the pain was increasing and i believed that it was weird and...
  39. B

    Augh! I'm In Pain - What to Do

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  40. K

    US Military Funds Weapon that Delivers Agonizing Pain

    "The US military is funding development of a weapon that delivers a bout of excruciating pain from up to 2 kilometres away. Intended for use against rioters, it is meant to leave victims unharmed. But pain researchers are furious that work aimed at controlling pain has been used to develop a...
  41. B

    Unexplained Elbow Pain During Weight Lifting

    Sometimes when I am lifting weights (biceps exercise) I get a "zing" in my elbow, usually my left, and usually when I'm tired or otherwise trying to lift more than is comfortable. It feels like the nerve is being pinched. What might cause this, and how much attention do I need to pay to this?
  42. A

    Biology Forum: Do We Need Pain?

    As suggested, I try asking this question in the biology forum. https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=45269 I know that there are different pathways in the brain for pleasure and pain. But at some point these must connect in order to make a decision. So from a biological point of...
  43. A

    Do pain and pleasure have distinct physiological pathways?

    http://www.hedweb.com/ Is this possible? Is it possible to build a neural architecture based only on seeking certain outcomes (giving pleasure) without trying to avoid certain outcomes (giving pain)? What is the difference between pain and pleasure?
  44. I

    Anesthesia vs Pain: How Does it Work?

    When a person undergoes surgery, they must take anesthesia so that the pain is not felt by the person who is undergoing surgery. This is simple enough, but not so when I began to wonder how pain is felt (i.e.,the degree of which the level of pain is identified in the brain). IOW, do the...
  45. T

    How Does Order-of-Magnitude Estimation Help in Everyday Physics Problems?

    Hi, my physics lecture gave us such a stupid and annoying question as follows: 1.Without looking up any data, estimate the amouint of rubber that is lost per kn from the four tires of a typical car. 2.For a busy street, how many cars pass per year Any idea?
  46. P

    Can we experience true joy without the presence of pain?

    What I am really curious about; Some people say that there can be no day without night, or no pleasure without pain. let's take a drug abuser for example; he needs more and more heroine or whatever if he is using it on a regular basis, to be able to shoot endorphines to the same level he...
  47. F

    What is the best approach to solving this Statics problem?

    Argh! Statics is a pain. Argh, this problem is killing me. I've tried a couple of approaches to this proble. First approach was to break it into 4 'Y' shaped vectors with with points A,B,C,D as the centers of the 'Y'. No avail. The next approach was to couple the forces to the origin but the...
  48. O

    Is Every Decision in Life Motivated by Pain or Pleasure?

    Someone told me that every decision we make in life is either to avoid pain or to gain pleasure. We ultimatley choose that which we desire the most. I basically agree with this statement, eg.1. I smoke because the pleasure of smoking outways the eventual pain. eg.2. You didn't ask that girl out...
  49. Zantra

    Who Feels the Pain of Badger Overload?

    http://www.badgerbadgerbadger.com/
  50. T

    The Illusion of Pain: How Our Perceptions Shape Our Reality

    I came to a conclusion awhile back that pain is the only thing in life that is worth living for. Think of it, we base our survival by adapting to situations that cause us even the slightest amount of pain. Whether it is physical or mental pain the decisions we make in life are based on avoiding...
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