Your Internet resource for information about the practice of psychology All pain involves both physical and psychological factors.
Acute pain is mostly physical in nature, but chronic pain has a significant psychological component.
The treatment of chronic pain should include both medical and psychological interventions. Chronic pain can be present because your body is not healing, or because physical damage is ongoing. This is true in arthritis, cancer, many traumatic injuries, and some chronic illnesses. Additionally, chronic pain sometimes continues without a clear physical cause. Emotional symptoms usually develop when medical treatment does not eliminate the pain.