Description:
<jats:p>Pain is not a single entity but is instead a collection of
sensory experiences commonly associated with tissue damage. There
is growing recognition that not all pains are equivalent, that pains
and pathologies are not related in a simple manner, and that acute
pains differ in many respects from persistent pains. Great strides
have been made in improving our understanding of the neuronal
mechanisms responsible for acute pain, but the studies leading to
these advances have also led to the realization that a bewildering
array of processes are interposed between tissue damage and
sensations of pain, especially in persistent pains. Persistent pains
often seem unrelated or disproportionate to identifiable pathology,
and they are modulated by a multitude of factors. This complexity in
such a vital function serves as a challenge both to scientists seeking
fundamental understanding and to clinicians faced with the immediate
need to treat patients with painful disorders.</jats:p>