title: Pain treatment: a historical overview.
abstract: Pain is a common experience of mankind. Pain theories and the management of pain have been modified throughout the history of mankind. This article gives a brief review on pain, pain believes and pain management from early magico-demonic and magico-religious ideas and procedures to more empiric-scientific models; from ancient times and primitive cultures to the 20th century. Due to new anatomical, physiological and biochemical insights, modern pain theories developed in the 19th and 20th century. Modern analgesics were synthesized and new invasive procedures were approved having a major impact on pain management strategies. However, older traditional beliefs and attitudes have not been replaced completely and have survived to some degree in modern patients.
authors.affiliation: Pain Clinic, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cologne, 50924 Cologne, Germany. Rainer.Sabatowski@uni-koeln.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sabatowski
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kasper
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brunsch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Radbruch
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000266:history* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D004723:Endorphins / Q000502:physiology; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000266:history* / Q000503:physiopathology; D059408:Pain Management; D010166:Palliative Care; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000187:drug effects; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000777:Anesthetics; D004723:Endorphins; D011957:Receptors, Opioid