Neuroscience Nugget #02 – Pain Is A Defender Not An Offender

Pain Is A Defender Not An Offender

Pain looks after you, it keeps you out of trouble. Although it feels unpleasant it causes you to change behaviour when you’re in trouble, helps you learn and guides healing. See, pain’s a really good thing – we’re lucky to have it, but it cops a lot of bad press. It’s often thought of as public enemy number one! Did you know that some people are born without the ability to feel pain? They die young because they aren’t protected. Imagine what would happen if you didn’t know your appendix was infected or you walked on a broken leg. You see, pain is a defender, not an offender – it protects you. When your brain ‘weighs the world’ and determines that protection is required, pain, the great defender, is called upon. But it’s such a good defence that sometimes you can make too much pain.

Neuroscience Nuggets

Neuroscience nuggets is a concept developed by David Butler and Lorimer Mosseley of NOI (Neuro Orthopaedic Institute). In their own words, “Neuroscience nuggets are information nuggets – pieces of biological information based on statement or metaphor that can be used as educational analgesia, explicit education or part of overall story telling.”

This nugget is shared from NOI’s book, “Explain Pain Supercharged”. I hope you enjoy this fun learning about pain!