What is pain?

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as:
'An unpleasant, sensory and emotional experience, associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or defined in terms of such damage'

This definition recognises that:

Extensive tissue damage may occur without pain
Pain may occur in the total absence of tissue damage

This means that:

Pain is more than just a physical sensation. Pain is always a psychological state.
Activity induced in the nociceptor and nociceptive pathways is not pain.
The way we respond to painful stimuli is a learned response
The intensity of pain the experience is not directly associated with the intensity of tissue damage.
The experience of pain is always unpleasant and therefore it is always an emotional experience.
We should always accept the subjective report of pain, even when no tissue damage is evident.

Pain should be understood from a Bio-Psycho-Social perspective. That is, that while biological and neurological factors play a significant role, psychological factors and environmental and social influences are just as important in understanding the way a person is expereincing pain.

It is essential that ALL of these factors are considered to understand the personal expereince of pain.