Difference between pain and tissue damage

One of the most important discoveries in modern pain science is that pain and tissue damage aren’t the same thing.

Most people grow up believing that pain is a direct measure of injury. If something hurts, there must be damage. If the pain is severe, the damage must be severe. If pain continues, the injury must still be present.

While this logic seems sensible, research has shown that the relationship between pain and tissue damage is far more complex.