Growing research on mind-body pain treatment

If you have lived with chronic pain, you may have been told to look for a damaged structure, identify the source of the problem and treat it.

That approach can be essential when pain is caused by an acute injury or disease. But persistent pain often becomes more complicated.

The intensity of your symptoms may not correspond neatly with the amount of tissue damage, and factors such as attention, emotion, expectations and previous experiences can influence how pain is processed.