In Pursuit of Pain

Pain: invisible, elusive, dangerous, protective. Pain profoundly affects body and mind. But what exactly is it? Why is it so difficult to treat? Acupuncture seems to help some, but no-one really knows why. And how does cannabis relieve pain?

Why do we feel pain? It’s unpleasant, but as they say, no pain, no gain. Pain alerts us to damage and encourages us to flee the source of that pain – just think how quickly you snatch your hand away from a hot pan. This almost uncontrollable urge to escape from pain helps us to save our bodies from injury.

But what about chronic pain that lasts for months or even years? Does it serve a purpose. How can we control this sort of pain that makes life so difficult for so many people? For years, people living with pain have often turned to cannabis for relief. Could this drug and others derived from plants provide real remedies?

And what about the brain and its relationship with pain? When people say it’s all in the mind they’re not far off, but that doesn’t mean the experience of pain isn’t very real. Alternative therapies like acupuncture can help sufferers of chronic pain, although it isn’t clear exactly how the pain is alleviated. Is it a psychological effect, a physical effect, or a combination of the two? However it works, pain is one of the most common reasons why people use alternative and complementary medicines.

Our speakers will explain exactly what pain is, and discuss the many and varied ways of dealing with it. Join us to find out more about this most universal of human experiences.

Event organised by:
The European Dana Alliance for Imperial College London

Speakers

Duncan Banks, Open University
Michael Heinrich University of London
Sharminee Kumaradevan, British Acupuncture Council
Maggie Hayward, Fighting Back

Chair:
Sophie Petit-Zeman, journalist and author of ‘Dr What’s Wrong?’