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A Brief History of Pain Perception and Pain Tolerance in Aging

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Handbook of Pain and Aging

Part of the book series: The Springer Series in Adult Development and Aging ((SSAD))

Abstract

Both philosophers and scientists of diverse perspectives and theoretical orientations have dealt with the phenomenon of pain. The philosopher conceptualized pain as a reaction to a physical stimulus or as a cognitive action; the religious scholar of ancient times believed pain was the punishment for sins (Turk, Meichenbaum, & Genest, 1983). The logical confusion between pain as a stimulus and pain as a response has even lead to a proposition that pain is little more than a verbal response (Schonfeld, 1981). Only relatively recently have these issues been brought to bear on better understanding the nature, role, and implication of pain for elderly populations. The history of the problem that underlies these concerns is fundamental for an adequate appreciation of that problem.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 02900, Israel

    Shlomo Yehuda & Ralph L. Carasso

  2. Department of Neurology, Hillel Yaffe Hospital, Hadera, 38100, Israel

    Shlomo Yehuda & Ralph L. Carasso

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  1. Shlomo Yehuda
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  2. Ralph L. Carasso
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA

    David I. Mostofsky

  2. The Herczeg Institute on Aging, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Jacob Lomranz

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Yehuda, S., Carasso, R.L. (1997). A Brief History of Pain Perception and Pain Tolerance in Aging. In: Mostofsky, D.I., Lomranz, J. (eds) Handbook of Pain and Aging. The Springer Series in Adult Development and Aging. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0283-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0283-2_2

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