Why do I feel pain?

1. Pain is a protective response against harm. If it wasn’t for pain, we would suffer innumerable injuries which we would have suffered unknowingly. For example, when you approach a source of fire, the initial heat singes and activates the heat pain receptors and activates your brain to prevent further damage.
2. Absence of pain in the presence of injury can worsen your condition. Pain persists till you take measures to control the impact of injury. Take for instance, a major fracture of one’s leg, unless you immobilize it or is operated on, the pain lingers. Some patients like those with diabetic neuropathy where the painful receptors are lost, lose their capacity to perceive pain. This is a disadvantage rather than a blessing.

3. Pain also helps to keep your enthusiasm and endurance under check. Our zeal at our work can often make us go overboard and do activities beyond our scope. Our bodily functions than can activate these pain receptors to keep them in check. For example, an excruciating headache after a hard day’s work at office.

4. Pain helps not only you but also your body from secondary problems. When pain sensation is activated, it brings alongside a host of other responses especially immune response to prevent infection and coagulation response to prevent further bleeding. That’s why when there is an minor injury, though there is some bleeding it will stop after some time.

5. Pain informs your brain to take corrective action. For instance, you perceive low backache or pain in your right shoulder, pain informs your brain to relax that area of hurt and you involuntarily to take rest and prevent further movement of that area to prevent pain.