The painful part of the human condition

A CLEVER DOCTOR can deliver a painless injection by distracting the child with a lollipop or funny story. An adrenalin-pumped athlete can finish the game on an injured limb without noticing. Scientists at the cutting edge of pain research are looking at how elements such as distraction and stress can help us learn more about what pain is and how to treat it.

The concept of pain itself is hard to pin down. It can occur for an obvious reason, such as when we stub a toe or, as with a migraine, can have no clear underlying cause. Cancer researchers have found that its intensity can vary depending on how positive or happy the patient is or how much emotional support they have.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sciencetoday/2012/0301/1224312567917.html