Introduction

Pain is something that we all experience at some time in our lives. Whilst it can protect us from damaging ourselves in some circumstances, it can also cause considerable suffering, affecting every aspect of the sufferer’s life.

Pain is the commonest reason people consult health care practitioners. According to the British Pain Society one in five people in the UK experience pain most or every day.

To begin to understand pain, we need to know a little about the physiological mechanisms that underlie it.