Why does pain severity and quality vary so much from one person to another?
Chronic pain is a major health and economic problem worldwide, and as discussed above can result from a variety of original causes. As a result, there are some quality differences. For example, nerve damage typically causes a significant burning component to the pain. A combination of factors can also contribute to perceived pain intensity. For one thing, the underlying disease process severity may differ widely among patients. Each person also has a different threshold for and tolerance for pain, often affected by physical, emotional, cultural and experiential factors. Pain seems to be less tolerated during an acute stage of an illness. Some possible explanations include the fact that the pain is new and there is concern as to whether or not it will improve; uncertainty of the cause will often increase anxiety which in turn increases pain. In other words, emotional issues can clearly accentuate the perception of pain. Once patients have an explanation for their pain and treatment plan
