What is pain?

Pain is our built-in alarm system. It makes us aware that something might be going wrong in our body.

Pain is essential for our survival as it makes us do something to protect our body. For example, if you put your hand too close to a hot stove, you feel the sensation of heat. If you touch the hot surface, your body feels pain and instinctively pulls away. The pain, and your body's reaction, prevents you from hurting yourself any further.
We have danger detectors - called nociceptors - spread throughout most of our body. Pain is usually triggered when the brain receives messages from these nociceptors when they detect something potentially harmful. This message is sent to the brain as a signal that there may be danger. The brain then evaluates this message and decides whether the body needs protecting by producing pain. This is a normal reaction that protects us from any further harm.

Do you live with persistent pain?

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/Living-with-persistent-pain#what-is-pain