Pain is one of the few things all of us experience, from stubbing a toe to waking up with an aching back; we can all relate to the feeling of being in pain.

Although pain is a universal experience, the way we understand it has changed dramatically over time.

Ancient societies might have blamed pain on demons entering the body through the nose or ears, but we now know pain to be more about nerve endings and biology.

Cures have also moved on a lot. While our ancestors may have tried to sneeze, vomit, or even urinate out their pain, these days we’re much more likely to take medications to ease our suffering.

Strange as these ancient “treatments” sound today, they do reveal something important about pain: that it’s never just a physical sensation. Because throughout history, culture, religion and social beliefs have shaped how people talk about and respond to suffering — and many of those ideas still influence us to this day.

Indeed, after more than 30 years studying pain, one thing has become clear to me:........

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