Reconceptualising pain according to modern pain science
PainSci summary of Moseley 2007?This page is one of thousands in the PainScience.com bibliography. It is not a general article: it is focused on a single scientific paper, and it may provide only just enough context for the summary to make sense. Links to other papers and more general information are provided at the bottom of the page, as often as possible. ★★★★☆?4-star ratings are for bigger/better studies and reviews published in more prestigious journals, with only quibbles. Ratings are a highly subjective opinion, and subject to revision at any time. If you think this paper has been incorrectly rated, please let me know.
A detailed and scholarly primer on modern pain science, and yet still fairly accessible compared to, say, a neurology textbook. This article is ideal for professionals looking for an introduction to the topic. Patients should read a more plain language summary, like my article, Pain is Weird.
original abstract†Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.
This paper argues that the biology of pain is never really straightforward, even when it appears to be. It is proposed that understanding what is currently known about the biology of pain requires a reconceptualisation of what pain actually is, and how it serves our livelihood. There are four key points: (i) that pain does not provide a measure of the state of the tissues; (ii) that pain is modulated by many factors from across somatic, psychological and social domains; (iii) that the relationship between pain and the state of the tissues becomes less predictable as pain persists; and (iv) that pain can be conceptualised as a conscious correlate of the implicit perception that tissue is in danger. These issues raise conceptual and clinical implications, which are discussed with particular relevance to persistent pain. Finally, this conceptualisation is used as a framework for one approach to understanding complex regional pain syndrome.
related content
These three articles on PainScience.com cite Moseley 2007 as a source:
- PS Save Yourself from Plantar Fasciitis! — Plantar fasciitis explained in great detail, including every possible treatment option, and all supported by recent scientific research
- PS Pain is Weird — Pain science reveals a volatile, misleading sensation that is often more than just a symptom, and sometimes worse than whatever started it
- PS Central Sensitization in Chronic Pain — Pain itself can change how pain works, resulting in more pain with less provocation
