So then, why does it hurt?

When a patient describes his or her symptoms, it’s the professional’s mission to find their origin and, if possible, the remedy.

Nowadays we have powerful means to inspect the inside and see if everything is in order. Analysis, imaging and functional tests can certify the sufficient health condition.

- It's all reasonably well. There is no reason for it to hurt.

- Well, it hurts. It hurts a lot.

This situation is common. More than one can imagine.

The normality of modern complementary tests shouldn’t leave any doubts.

- You are healthy. I can certify it.

- So then, why does it hurt?

This is a logical and timely question, but the professional fears it because he knows that he has no convincing answers.

There can be several explanations:

1) There can’t be pain if everything is correct. The patient makes up the pain ...

2) The pain is psychological. Stress, discouragement ...

3) It’s a psychosomatic problem. Emotional and psychological traumas that are not expressed the natural way emerge to consciousness turned into physical symptoms.

4) It’s a mysterious disease.

5) The years, the wear, overloading, contractures, deformities ...

6) Food, energy, pollution ...

7) It is a systemic, holistic...   

psychoneuroimmuneendochrinostheomioarthrosociopathic problem.

The patient accepts more or less convinced some of the proposals. You can accept the responsibility of the accumulated mechanical and psychological burdens, contractures, wear, the presence of a mysterious emerging disease, systemic and environmental disturbances,...

Sometimes the dilemma is solved with labels:

- You have migraine... fibromyalgia ...

- What's that?

- We don’t know. They are mysterious illnesses.

The label seems to provide some light, but it doesn’t. It’s a cover. It’s received with relief, but closes the circle of questions. The label is a question disguised as a response.

In the world of medically unexplained symptoms there aren’t any neurons. Apparently, the body self-governs itself or the individual does it by the use of drugs, diets, natural remedies, needles, exercise ... or there are spirits/vital energies that are unbalanced and must be reorganized with all kinds of therapies.

All but neurons ...

- If it hurts it’s because your brain assesses threat. If, according to the tests, there is no reason for it to do so, the reason for you to have pain is simple: your brain manages the body’s security in an alarmist way.

- I don’t understand. What you’re saying is very strange. I’ve never heard of it.

We have this last proposal:

8) The brain sees danger where there isn’t.

The evaluative cerebral dysfunction is not considered as a possible explanation, not even as a companion factor. In its place are the explanations of "nerves", depression, stress or the malicious individual. There are only spirits and flesh. Physical and psychological things.

- Neurons, you say? What are you suggesting, that I have Alzheimer's disease?

Patients with chronic pain in the absence of damage stop suffering pain as Alzheimer's disease progresses. They don’t have a brain to imagine anymore, to anticipate damage. Without an imaginative brain there is no pain (in the absence of damage). There’s is only a brain to cause pain left when something destroys tissues at the time and place.

The brain is not infallible. It may cause pain in the absence of significant damage and may not generate it in its presence.

- You’re having a heart attack.

- So then, why doesn’t it hurt?

It's funny. Given this cerebral error, no psychological, hormonal, emotional, dietary, holistic theories are built... The nerves, the cables are blamed, "they probably don’t work well".

- They broke into his home and the alarm didn’t go off. That means it’s not working.

The error is not considered as an explanation:

- The system has failed to value the robbery. It’s wrong.

The brain can make mistakes. Don’t be mistaken.