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Its all in your head

Bella Boyles and Harri Rose show how pain might all be an illusion.

We have all experienced pain in our lives; and although at the time it feels very physical, in actuality, it could be argued that pain is no more than a mental projection of danger, an instinctive method of provoking the fight or flight reflex. If the pain we feel is purely illusive, it is possible that the brain could be manipulated to not only ignore but completely overcome the sensation of pain. As in the case of placebos, this manipulation can also induce an improvement or healing. If pain can be diffused or diminished by mental discipline, is it accurate to say that pain is purely illusory? Scientifically, nociception is caused by an external stimulus to receptors. The consequential transmission of nerve impulses across the synapses through the sensory neurone to the CNS, and through the relay neurone, result in responsorial nerve impulses being passed through the motor neurone to the effector. Sometimes, however, there is no obvious external stimulus. It is perhaps easier to question the veracity of the sensation of pain, therefore, when we consider a condition called somatisation disorder - a chronic disorder in which a person experiences physical symptoms that involve more than one part of the body, but are not found to have any physical cause for the pain. The symptoms of this disorder feel real to the patient, and are not created or purposely faked. For those diagnosed with this condition, the only treatments given are therapy, close contact with loved ones, or occasionally antidepressants. This condition highlights the abstruseness of pain, since it can act in indistinct

ways and is often undefined. An alternative treatment would be to encourage the patient to expand their own mental capacity for diminishing the pain they feel. In order manipulate the brain into minimising perceived pain, there are techniques that can be employed which supress this biological transmission of nerve impulses these include saying mantras, dissociating the mind with imagery and distractions, activating pressure points, in addition to the biological release of adrenaline, which can dull immediate pain, including most notably the use of placebos, and hypnosis.

The effects of hypnosis include the reduction of preoperative anxiety. Research presented at the European anesthesiology congress in June 2012 found that patients who were hypnotised before breast surgery done under local anesthetic fared better than patients put under general anesthetic without hypnosis. Those who underwent hypnosis with a local anesthetic experienced a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, and needed fewer painkillers postoperation. A 2007 study from the journal of the national cancer institute found that patients who were

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2 hypnotised before breast cancer surgery needed less anesthetic and experienced less nausea, fatigue and pain after the procedure. Not only did hypnosis benefit the patient, but the healthcare system also saw an improvement, with a cost savings of 471.31 per patient mainly due to the reduction of surgery time. This proves that levels of pain can be controlled, and supports the idea that pain is an illusory concept, since studies have shown that through manipulation of the mind, the level of pain perceived as well as recovery from the pain, can be successfully reduced Placebos are another example of a potential manipulation of the brains pain perception. A placebo is a medicine or procedure prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient rather than for any physiological effect. A theory behind the success of the placebo is the subject-expectancy effect, wherein people who already know what the result of taking a pill is supposed to be might unconsciously change their reaction to bring about that result, even though what they have received has no therapeutic effect. Placebos have been used in medicine since the 18th century, and have been shown to work in about 30% of patients. They are often used in clinical trials as a way of comparison. Alternatively, doctors prescribe placebos because they have no other form of relief to offer the patient. In this way, placebos provoke a confidence in pain relief that translates into a physical response demonstrating that pain is deceptive, and can be overcome. Occasionally, however, there is no need for any mental control over pain, as in the case of those suffering from congenital analgesia a condition wherein the patient, although retaining the ability to feel touch, sensation and normal body to body contact, is unable to experience extreme temperature change or any bodily damage which would provoke the body to react in an emergency fashion. By studying people with these conditions, we can improve our knowledge of how pain functions and also techniques and treatments with which we can manipulate it. As illustrated in this article, pain can be manipulated by a conscious effort focused in the brain, where pain is perceived. The various methods mentioned in this article have been proven to diminish the sensation of pain a feat in favour of the argument that pain is tamable, to the point of being conquerable.

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