This paper examines what cause pain, why it is so uncomfortable, and what can be done to treat it. It examines the subject strictly from a biological perspective. Some say that pain is granted us so that we can avoid accidental damage-if it is so, it is a remarkably unwieldy grant. The pain produced by an accidentally bitten tongue, or suddenly stubbing a toe can be agonizing and startling all out of proportion in its indication of injury, while the ominous growth of a brain tumor or cancer cells can go undetected for months or even years. "Most of the reflexes protecting the body against injury work perfectly well without producing the sensation of pain, such as blinking, running, or the adrenaline surge during fright" (Bodanis 161), but pain must serve some purpose and possibly people just don't want to know what it is because they don't want to acknowledge that pain has to be a fundamental part of their existence. Its mechanics must be acknowledged and it is simply going to have to accept as one of the woes of the human experience.
