- pain is a complex experience that involves neural pathways through the soft tissues, to spinal cord, and to the brain
- pain is moderated, regulated & is a primitive warning signal - it's severity, frequency and duration does not always equal potential tissue damage
- pain is also an emotional and cognitive experience, not simply a tissue response
- understanding the complexity of pain, the role of pain pathways in transmission of signals & regulating pain, and the individual pain experience of the each person is vital to improve pain health outcomes
- All pain is real, all pain is normal, all pain is an individual experience