Some people take aspirin or ibuprofen to treat everyday aches and pains, but how exactly do the different classes of pain relievers work? Learn about the basic physiology of how humans experience pain, and the mechanics of the medicines we've invented to block or circumvent that discomfort.

Interested in the theories of pain, dating from the 17^th century until modern times? See this article.

Interested in how individual variability in brain circuits are related to mind-wandering from pain? See the original article and discussions in the scientific community Pain Research Forum and in the Health News from NPR.

Interested in learning more about pain treatment and research? The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) mission “brings together scientists, clinicians, health-care providers, and policymakers to stimulate and support the study of pain and to translate that knowledge into improved pain relief worldwide."

The IASP has a task force that develops pain-related terms and their definitions.

We think of pain as a symptom, but there are cases where the nervous system develops feedback loops and pain becomes a terrifying disease in itself. Starting with the story of a girl whose sprained wrist turned into a nightmare, Elliot Krane talks about the complex mystery of chronic pain and reviews the facts we're just learning about how it works and how to treat it.

At any moment, there is an electrical storm coursing through your body. Discover how chemical reactions create an electric current that drives our responses to everything from hot pans to a mother’s caress.

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