Pain management in primary care - current concepts

Abstract

René Descartes (1596-1650) may be considered the first scientist in pain physiology. In his famous book De Homine (published posthumously in 1662) he described the transmission of pain signals via the nerves and spinal cord, terminating in the brain ventricles and “pineal organ”. The pain processing (nociception) system was conceptualised as a “hard-wired” pain pathway which reproduces a pain sensation in direct proportion to the extent and severity of the painful (noxious) insult – this outdated concept has been reinforced over years (and even today!) by many text books and healthcare professionals.