10/03/2026
We do not actually have pain receptors in the body.
This often surprises people.
What we have are specialised nerve fibres that detect touch, pressure, temperature, and chemical irritation. The process of detecting potentially dangerous stimuli is called nociception.
Nociception is not the same thing as pain.
Pain is the experience that occurs when the brain interprets incoming information and decides that protection is needed. The brain takes into account not only signals from tissues, but also stress levels, previous experiences, beliefs, emotions, context, and perceived threat. It then produces pain as an output if it believes that protection is required.
This is why the amount of pain someone experiences does not always match the amount of tissue damage present.
When we say that pain is created by the brain, we are not suggesting that pain is imagined or made up. Pain is very real. What we are saying is that pain is a complex protective response generated by the nervous system.
For people living with persistent pain, including pelvic pain and endometriosis, this understanding can be empowering. It shifts the conversation from “What is broken?” to “What is my nervous system trying to protect me from?”
Understanding pain is often the first step toward changing it.
Listen to the full episode to learn more about how the nervous system works and how we apply this in clinic: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ovhBYS6kffEuJgEGlpv9k?si=RPq2BJA9QQWBudXtY7znyQ