Abstract

A good doctor-patient relationship can help improve pain management. But it requires help from other healthcare professionals, argues the author. Scientists are beginning to understand how and why we feel acute pain, and the complex interplay of neurones and messenger molecules that lead to its perception. However, researchers are only just starting to explain the contribution of emotional affect, cognitive function, and how the human response to feelings such as anger, frustration, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and hopelessness can have an impact. [Extract from the article's introduction].