It hurts: the elusive nature of pain

Chronic pain. Gnawing, throbbing, aching. Like a rotten apple at the core, razor blades down the spine, barbed wire coursing through the body. Talking about it is difficult enough, but does how we think about pain actually change the nature of pain itself? Many of us still consider pain as solely biological, with major implications for the treatment we seek and receive. This week—a philosopher, a top pain psychologist and a young man who understands the intimate interplay between mind and pain better than most.