But the scientists are catching up. The traditional view, that pain is an alarm that signals damage to the body, has never explained chronic pain satisfactorily.
Recent research shows why.
Signals about damage do not always pass straight into the pain system. They can be blocked or amplified by switches in the spinal cord. Signals that have nothing to do with damage can be switched into the alarm system so that they cause pain. The discovery of these spinal switches explains many puzzles. Scientists are now trying to understand how to manipulate the switches so that pain can be controlled.