ABSTRACT
MALADAPTIVE PAIN Pain is both a good and a potentially very bad phenomenon. From an advantageous perspective, pain is an early warning sign that we should avoid potential tissue damage. It is the ‘fight or flight’ stimulus. From a negative perspective, pain can lead to stress, distress, and suffering. Our goal should not be to abolish all pain, which is likely not possible in the conscious animal, but rather to control maladap tive pain so as to main tain as near normal physiologic functions as is possible and to prevent suffering.
