In the 17th century, René Descartes, French scientist and philosopher, revolutionised the understanding of pain. He postulated that injured tissue in the body sent pain signals via the nerves to the brain. The brain then translated this message and we become conscious of pain. Although this concept survived for nearly 300 years, modern pain research over the last 50 years has shown this to be incorrect. So, what is the truth about pain? Modern pain research (including functional MRI scans…