Science Quickly You’ve been lied to about pain—here’s the truth
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Mar 27, 2026 Rachel Zoffness, pain scientist and UCSF assistant clinical professor, explains why pain is a brain-driven warning system, not just a body problem. She discusses the biopsychosocial model, pain memory and central sensitization. Practical topics include hypnosis, brain plasticity, and a simple protocol of sleep, movement, nutrition, emotion regulation, and social support.
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Pain Is Constructed By The Brain
- Pain is a brain-constructed danger detection system, not just a signal from the injured body part.
- Phantom limb pain proves pain can exist without peripheral input, showing the brain ultimately constructs pain experience.
Two Nail Stories That Show Pain Isn't Just Tissue Damage
- Rachel describes a man shot through the skull who felt no pain and another who felt severe pain though the nail didn't penetrate his foot.
- These contrasting cases illustrate how context and brain interpretation, not just tissue damage, set pain.
Pain Always Has Three Interacting Causes
- Pain is always biopsychosocial, arising from biological, psychological, and social factors together.
- The three domains include genetics, emotions/expectations, and socioeconomic/support influences that jointly set pain "volume."
