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A Call for Study on the Meanings of Pain

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Book cover Meanings of Pain

Abstract

Pain always appears in a particular way, so perceived meaning is extremely important in the way that pain is felt. However, this essential aspect of pain remains poorly understood in pain research and clinical contexts. What meanings matter most to patients with pain? How do such meanings change over time and how do they interact with neurophysiological activity and therapeutic outcomes? The study of the meanings of pain using valid qualitative or mixed methods can be usefully integrated into the quantitative medical evidence-base and into evidence-based medical practice.

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Acknowledgments

I warmly thank all authors for their excellent contributions. For support in conceiving this project, I am grateful to Professor Emeritus Donald D. Price (University of Florida, Gainesville), Professor Emeritus John Loeser (University of Washington), Professor Lorimer L. Moseley (University of South Australia), and anonymous reviewers of my book proposal. I thank the publishing team at Springer for its kindness and flexibility, especially Neil Solomon (Associate Editor, Neurosciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Protocols), and Abirami Purushothaman (Production).

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  1. School of Humanities, Department of Philosophy and Gender Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 41 Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia

    Simon van Rysewyk

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    Simon van Rysewyk

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van Rysewyk, S. (2016). A Call for Study on the Meanings of Pain. In: van Rysewyk, S. (eds) Meanings of Pain. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49022-9_1

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