Avoiding based on shades of grey: Generalization of pain-related avoidance behavior to novel contexts

Pain-related fear and avoidance are known contributors to the transition from acute to chronic pain.6,24,25 Catastrophic misinterpretations of pain may generate pain-related fear, which in turn prompts avoidance behavior to protect the body from further damage. When avoidance behavior serves to reduce/eliminate genuine bodily threat, it is highly adaptive. However, in chronic pain, and in the absence of actual threat, avoidance behavior ceases to be protective, and may initiate a pathway towards disability.
Source: The Journal of Pain - Category: Materials Science Authors: Tags: Original Reports Source Type: research