Experience shows that pain is a noxious sensory AND emotional experience. It is important to appreciate the influence of sociological and psychological factors on pain, as well as the concept that pain and tissue damage are not always correlated as closely as we think. When we are actively experiencing, remembering, or even imagining future pain we can have a negative cascade of thoughts and emotions that pulls our attention towards the pain and magnifies the pain experience.

If you were to imagine a scenario, how much discomfort would you feel if you stubbed your toe while running out of a burning house? In contrast, how much pain are you in when you stub your toe on the way to the bathroom at night? We have the ability to modulate our painful experiences which can provide some level of control over a situation that, all too often, can feel so out of control.