THE ESSENTIAL BACKGROUND — THE HISTORY OF PAIN | Healthpharmasite. Health and medical information

THE ESSENTIAL BACKGROUND — THE HISTORY OF PAIN

.fain exists in all age groups and is common to almost all humanity — affecting the psyche or mind as well as the soma or body.

It cuts across the boundaries of culture, heritage, socio-econom-ics and language. Pain has always been attended by controversy as it is symptomatic of many diseases and its problems involve many disciplines in medicine and philosophy. Its presence or absence has formed the basis for some philosophic systems, and has been the inspiration for much of the world’s literature.

Many penal codes are based on the notion of inflicting pain, both mental and physical on the transgressor. Even the word ‘pain’ has similar roots to the Greek word for penalty.

Pain is no ordinary sensory experience. It has several attributes which differentiate it from the sensations of touch, smell, taste, etc.

One is the emotional aspect of real or threatened pain; another is the subjective experience of pain, which makes it a unique experience different for each individual.

Pain is not always experienced as noxious, and in some aberrant behaviours it is sought for pleasure and recreation. Pain is a perceptual behaviourial state of the whole animal.

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