The acute pain, for example, when you break your leg, has a function. It makes us aware of an injury and makes us take care of the injured body part and take measures that contribute to its healing. If we were not alerted to an injury and did not respond to this pain stimulus, our lives would be in danger. We could die as a result of the injury.

Chronic pain, on the other hand, serves no function – the pain itself becomes the problem.

The involvement of psychology in the treatment of chronic pain is based on a paradigm shift within the last few decades. Originally, a biomedical approach was advocated, whereas now a biopsychosocial approach is taken. In this approach, pain is not seen as a purely physical phenomenon, but the complexity and interaction of physical, psychological, and social factors are taken into account in treatment.