Why We Feel Pain, and How We Kill it | A Look at Pain & Painkillers

[@GirtheAlienGoldfish]

Once, I had a terrible pain in my left side, under my ribcage. It made working at my job incredibly difficult because I couldn't move without feeling a horrible stabbing pain. Eventually, the pain was so bad, I had to go to the hospital. It took me about 4 visits before I was diagnosed with leukemia. (Look up Occam's Razor.) But I later found out that the pain was my spleen swelling up because it was being overwhelmed by cancer cells. If I hadn't gotten a diagnosis or chemo, I could have died within a couple of days. It's really important to listen to your body.

[@luciferangelica]

what do you mean? that leukemia was the simplest most likely answer? or it wasn't? or...

[@nolol135]

@@luciferangelica it wasn't thats why the person had to got to the doctor 4 times to get the diagnosis

[@luciferangelica]

@@nolol135 i just meant why did he bring up ockham's razor?

[@sophiafakevirus-ro8cc]

But why isn't the body set up to just alert the brain instead of punishing us?

[@proWaffles935-FAKE-URL]

I just found this channel yesterday and I'm already addicted. (:

[@SirKickz]

Welcome to nerdfighteria!

[@amandacleere7654]

Ha Ha!

[@noel9817]

Soonish 2018 so aye 4 years

[@Titanic-wo6bq]

same

[@gabrieldebernardeaux3757]

I felt this so hard lol

[@dannadable]

I don't understand why people unlike good educational videos for no reason

[@tou7331]

its feminists they want to know why a male is presenting XD

[@robinorg1]

Seems you need more education because its called dislike not unlike. unlike is if one has liked the video and then changed their mind.

[@tou7331]

lol

[@lm6036]

Just because someone makes mistakes at his or her (Very likely) secondary or maybe even tertiary language does not mean he/she needs more education. You however need learn how to improve someones grammar or spelling without sounding like a D!ck. OR, and now I am making assumptions that are probably right.. learn more then one language yourself..

[@MrMann-dw5uh]

When using an ellipsis, you use three periods to give a sense of pause. Example: I am uh...dying. In your last sentence, please change "then" to than. The only reason why I am commenting is due to the fact that you bring up grammar and learning a new language, a comment I agree with.

[@grasshair7266]

Pain may be a gift, chronic pain however is a curse.

[@roosterampcrazy63]

I concur.

[@JustCallMeAnonymous]

I agree.

[@pman123]

Try living better lifestyles then. 😐

[@grasshair7266]

***** I do I exercise 6 days a week and eat whole plant food diet. But my broken back still causes pain. after 13yrs I can manage pain but it never leaves. Please do not make a judgment on my situation when you know nothing about it.

[@pman123]

Grass hair If you make a statement public, then it's subject to criticism. And I honestly don't believe that you even do a quarter of what you listed. You sound like a recovering opiate addict. And if that's the case (whether you'll admit it or not) then the majority of your pain is psychological.

[@SauceChef]

"Pain is a gift" -Emo Hank XD

[@0posssums]

+Fish Ed hhhahhhhhahahahhahhhahahhah

[@omegasrevenge]

e d g y

[@deborahglave6808]

It is truly a gift. I have chronic severe pain I actually was knocked to the floor at work out of nowhere. Because of that I found out I was very ill and did not know. I have a host of health problems.

[@supersayainredgod3508]

I read that as he said it

[@danieltoader2671]

imagine felling pain while saying it

[@joshhummel1284]

Nature made pain to tell man not to do that; man made painkillers to tell nature, "Oh, trust me, I can do that."

[@paulmahoney7619]

Well, what if it comes from something you have no control over?

[@avd7288]

+Paul Mahoney A different deal. There are medical conditions in which painkillers may provide a remedy for the patient. But that's only a minority of consumers.

[@Ashorobi1]

both right

[@representativeinforobot6100]

-----How Pain Works----- What is pain? Pain is a kind of damage/harm, so many kinds of damage/harm like fire, acid, lava, needle, spike, ache (like body parts ache), scratches, etc. that is the pains, and if you got so big pain you will get injury/wound and it bleeds right? and keeps hurting you and keep bleeding right? and if you got spiked by a needle you will get a small injury/wound but the pain so so big right, and it hurts right? How we got pain? We got pain because we have nerves our nerves look like wires and if you get touched your nerves will say "Omg, someone touch the skin we will send the touched skin to brain so brain will communicate/compute the touched skin so the guy/woman who touched by someone will feel he/she got touched" now if you got pain your nerves will said too "Omg, there is a pain we will send the pain to brain so brain will communicate/compute the pain so the guy/woman who got pain will feel pain and said ouch", ouch is a word that you got pain that is the sign to get pain and to everyone hear you and know you you got pain

[@sophierobinson2738]

Josh Hummel hey, bubba, watch this! ow. can anyone find my left arm?

[@rockfootballdude]

Talking about pain, emotional pain sounds pretty interesting, grief, heartbreak. A SciShow video on that might be interesting

[@pluto40217]

My dad's been preaching against teylenol for most of his career, and about a decade ago the media found out it wasn't so good as well. But thanks to your video I finally know where it comes from and why it's bad, thank you.

[@UrbanTurtleFarm]

Also check out This American Life episode 505: Use Only as Directed, it's a fascinating look at why Tylenol might be the deadliest over the counter medication.

[@hyperos1864]

@@UrbanTurtleFarm it aint true but ok

[@InspirationalSea]

As someone who has been suffering from chronic pain for 1.5 yrs now & is under the care of pain management Drs, this video was very informative on the medications that I have been on as well as the ones I am currently on.

[@SinOfWrath6]

CRPS has been quite the thorough instructor on the topic of pain. I'd always love to see more episodes about pain management and how the body responds to specific types of pains, much love.

[@Thomas-be1kz]

You can kill pain? Where is my knife.

[@VicktorTango]

LOL.

[@NYCTMTA]

+Thomas Bennett where's my gun?

[@Unarthadox]

where's my rifle knife gun?

[@LennyLenward]

Where's megalodon when you need him?

[@tessalogan586]

Lol

[@LeGrandJohnson]

This is a great episode of SciShow. Definitely worth the time.

[@secretworlds]

As a pharmacist, its kinda funny to see you do a video on my profession. normally i just watch these videos for fun wacky science facts, but today i was like "Hey! thats my job!" you did a great explaining a really complicating thing in an easy to understand way. its hard to do without using over-sciency words. haha loved the video!

[@KCKatheist]

I'm a nurse, and had a similar reaction to this fine video!

[@NotOnLand]

Whenever I have trouble sleeping I just turn on SciShow and it chills me right out. Thanks, Hank, your steady flow of science and wit has helped me fight insomnia many times.

[@servals2384]

I hate when people say "pain is just weakness leaving the body". No, it's your logic that's leaving the body as you continue to ignore direct orders from your brain that's frantically trying to get you to stop harming yourself.

[@papaya1551]

Hear, hear!

[@lifeforgod07]

That's because people take this too literally.. the USMC recruiting slogan is referring to the "pain" when exercising, not actual pain.

[@Suzifully]

It's not supposed to be literal. It's not pain referring to a broken bone or anything. It's referring to pain as in being sore from working out. "Pain is weakness leaving the body." Refer to your body getting strong as your sore muscles are recovering from a good workout the day before. Pain refers to sore aching muscles.

[@jessicaduvon3632]

Tell 'em sister!

[@Benjamin72297]

You’ll never get tough talking like that

[@lcoffin00]

The more I learn about the human body, the more it seems like an incredibly adaptive robot.

[@nicholasworsley1144]

Hey Hank, is there any chance you could explain antidepressants, given just how many people take them these days and know so little about what they are taking? Many thanks, I hope you consider.

[@journeyman553]

Good idea ......and maybe Hank could talk a little faster.

[@DaWoogieMonster]

Hey its me 8 years later. Has he done it yet?

[@elcambio96]

no one knows what depression is and no one knows how anti-depressants work

[@MaddMaddox77]

Thanks for this episode. I've suffered from chronic back pain, headaches, and migraines for years so I've tried my fair share of pain medication and it was very interesting to hear exactly how different pain medications react with your body.

[@RobertMisner]

I didn't need to know all this information about painkillers but now that I do I have to live with it forever

[@SteveDew]

Conveniently leaves out hemp, the eons old natural pain treatment. Nice. Scientists are looking everywhere for alternative pain killers. Except there.

[@RobertMisner]

I think it may have been a very intentional move to avoid the controversial subject so that people could focus on the regular generic sciency stuff

[@SteveDew]

Why is that controversial & not general science?

[@RobertMisner]

I think because the inclusion would be too distracting for a general audience

[@SteveDew]

Distracting from what? Truth?

[@janm5854]

How can you feel pain when you're already dead inside? - emo kids

[@ItzJewbakka]

me

[@camramaster]

Um... You can feel it because your exterior is still alive. Also, you may want to stop eating black widow spiders.

[@shark_girlxx]

camramaster why? They taste almost as poisonous as my thoughts

[@camramaster]

Dawny Bear I doubt they appreciate it. Even if you are dead inside and have poisonous thoughts, that doesn't mean you should go around eating spiders. They don't appreciate it.

[@erikaitsumi7198]

You don't i speak from experience

[@andread8024]

"That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt."

[@NuuStar]

Haha made my day (;

[@rubyrootless7324]

Isn't that a quote from the fault in our stars?

[@baeqaefoefae]

Okay emo

[@sportshooter101]

I actually use these in class as a teaching tool. pretty good stuff.

[@leahcherni]

I've been curious on how the different classifications of pain medications worked and this explained it all very well. As a person who has a chronic pain disorder (Psoriatic Arthritis) and already has a lot of bone damage and pain at age 31, pain medications are a huge part of my everyday life. I also am on medications that shut down my immune system so my body will quit trying to kill itself. Luckily I have no allergies to pain medications or my PsA meds or I would be up a creek.

[@monicalarsen6568]

Currently studying for my exams, and this actually helped me understand pain and painkillers a lot better! I wish Hank was my teacher, hahaha :)

[@arkady714]

This is the third video in this series that I am watching. That a brilliant and eloquent man (and his team, I assume) will take the time to bring these interesting topics to light in such a clear and concise way is proof that there really are people out there who acquire and kindly redistribute knowledge simply for the sake of propagating it and making other lives better. I cannot thank you enough. I enjoy and appreciate your work.

[@marinanatanova783]

Funnily enough, there are other pain killers as well, like metamizole-based drugs; but while they are allowed in some countries (even over the counter), they are banned in other countries, because of a minimal risk of a nasty side effect. It can also be a case that in the same countries where metamizole is banned, a doctor can prescribe you an opioid for really bad pain (which can be totally banned in other countries). So you have to always remember what's in your travel bag.

[@allyse9865]

Can you discuss Venus and how it doesn't have a magnetic shield? I love astronomy/geology/everything and I am absolutely fascinated with Venus and how it's just a really unique planet. Could you even discuss how it rotates in the opposite direction from all of the other planets? Or even its super insane thick and hot atmosphere? Just anything about Venus really! Love your videos and I hope you consider this topic!

[@LadyLexyStarwatcher]

Thoughts from when I was having unbearable toothpain last year: It would be nice if I could feel that I was in pain rather than in pain...

[@thewolfstreasure]

I have learned more from watching your videos than the 13 years I spent in school. Thank you

[@robbieyellon]

Might I suggest doing a video on the topic on itch, the poorly-understood cousin of pain? It doesn't seem to play as significant a role in our lives what with our relative lack of body hair and relatively low levels of skin-crawling parasites. As such, it receives much less attention. When chronic, it can cause just as much misery as chronic pain. I'd be very interested in seeing your take on it.

[@taywilliams5153]

Could you please do an episode about OCD? I feel like a lot of people would benefit from it if you did. Thanks. :)

[@Kadiezi]

So that's what Laudanum is. So all this time Daniel was getting high rather than healing himself... That might explain the entire game actually.

[@thatfishbreeder]

Haha, Amnesia!

[@Mazaroth]

I can understand people that get addicted to painkillers, our existence is just painful and something that is just constant agony and misery, no wonder people want to tune out that, people take drugs, alcohol, tobacco and other chemicals to get a break from the reality.

[@lohangoulart9275]

Yep.

[@claireajibola3287]

True x

[@AnthraXM4X]

try kratom, its more effective, safe than morphine and way less addictive

[@RadioactivFly]

And sadly about to be banned by the fucking DEA

[@michaelnorris5838]

seriously tho try kratom and if it helps it has me then go to American kratom association and do the things on they're call to action. it helps so many people with so many things. recently it was shown to not activate the opiate receptors pathways that cause the nasty and dying and terrible withdrawal, tho it dues have some pendulum effects that can be kinda tough, but nothing worse than most of us have felt. also it's helped many people get off opiates and benzos for anxiety narcolepsy and is say adhd as some strains are stimulant. they're banning it based on 660 reports of Ill effects to poison control since 2010. nobody's died just because of kratom tho involved in some deaths there was either something else in there system or serious preexisting conditions that should have precluded such use. it's saved people's lives. there will be 1 to 2 hundred percent minimum increase of opiates related deaths based on what happened in states that have already banned it. and many people will be left in agony. should ex opiate addicts be forced to use drugs that are designed to be more addictive than heroine itself? there's no end game for Suboxone it methodone treatment. the point is to be more addicted to they're drugs for the rest of your life. if you've come off heroine kratom is cake. you have an exit strategy order lifelong pain relief and quality of life. save kratom. facebook #kratomunited #Americankratomassociation #savekratom

[@martinshoosterman]

comentors be like: my leg fell of, instead of calling 911 or at least a doctor, do any of you have some advice?

[@elevate07]

martinshoosterman Do you have any glue? Elmer's should do nicely

[@kassembazzi1978]

No but seriously, I thought this video was going to present alternatives of many different kinds; not, a list and history of drugs

[@kassembazzi1978]

Very informative though. Like usual

[@kassembazzi1978]

👍👍

[@derekskarb2704]

elevate07 When all else fails, use duct tape.

[@Felix.Wingfield]

I have an unusual condition--my brain perceives skin/stingy/burny pains as more intense and unbearable seemingly at the expense of feeling broken bones. I can only hypothesize it's because I was burned as an infant and it affected how my brain was wired. I've broken many, many bones and not noticed for days. When I was eleven I broke my pelvis and didn't know till I was 21 and was in a motorcycle accident. Precautionary x-rays showed that it healed wrong.

[@AirF0rce11]

"Life is pain. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something"

[@richard1701able]

I feel that the best way to make every one's pain go away is for them to put KZbin BACK THE WAY IT WAS!

[@giorgio1apple]

I love your humor on every video. Quick, funny and informative. Thanks!

[@munchkinmeep]

I am probably yet another viewer who would like to hear a part 2 to this addressing chronic pain and what we think causes it (or prevents it from calming back down below the pain threshold..?). I know many people who have tried a wide array of prescription and folk remedies to attempt to control or manage this factor in their life that often prevents employment and simply enjoying an entire day without having to accommodate their nerve or muscle pain symptoms. Love SciShow, BTW.

[@earthrocker4247]

That was really useful. I have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and I have ASD so I like to see new ways of helping me understand pain.

[@starrynite90]

Can you do a sci show on why people scratch or how the body reacts to it?

[@manosfantasyart]

I accidentaly bumped my knee on the desk while watching this. This never happened before. Ouch. Now *THAT'S* interactive learning...

[@smurfmarie]

so, what about pain in childbirth? why would the body be trying to tell someone to stop doing that, when it quite obviously needs to happen?

[@stevenarseneault1972]

bible says....the original sin. You do know thatnther is tearing of skin and sometimes breaking of bones... that sounds about right.

[@bradydool7002]

I don't think the body really differentiates between skin being torn by a knife and skin being torn by a baby.

[@stevenarseneault1972]

I guess more along the lines as....it's in our protocols and pre-written to accept child labor.

[@13vatra]

Hole about a half inch in diameter when not in use plus mini human about the size of a watermelon. Do the math, even though it is natural, it is most definitely damaging the soon to be mother's body.

[@anyu]

That's because labor isn't "pain" in the alert sense. It's extremely powerful muscle contractions to push the baby out. It's no cakewalk, but I've experienced worse.

[@howtomedicate]

Great channel! always loved your content! I just started myself to make medical videos! You were a great inspiration. It is so hard to get people to watch you content though, but I guess I just need to keep going. Anyways keep it up! Keep make me smarter, haha!

[@lorenkaylor9879]

I could listen to Hank talk about drugs all day

[@angelicabaty4037]

Pain demands to be felt

[@TravisRichey]

This is fascinating, if a bit quick. I'm spending my breakfast watching Sci Show, and it's time well spent. :-) ~Trav

[@matthewtrotter6908]

SciShow peeps: Would you do an episode on joint-cracking? I am very curious as to why we do it, what it actually is, and whether it is as bad as they say.

[@theashlynblocker]

One of my friends sent me this and said THIS IS YOU. I just want to say hi and I'm happy to be an example in your video!

[@lilbihxxx1234]

Omg this should be pinned

[@DylanLawrence]

Best Episode of Sci-show yet.

[@skiz686]

Could you do a follow up episode on people who engage in purposeful self injury such as cutting? I'm a therapist and know a bit about the psychology of it but want to know about the physical parts of it.

[@SlimThrull]

There was an article in this month's Psychology today about it. Briefly, most people harm themselves because it makes them feel better in some way. A physical aspect of that is the release of endorphins which not only dull pain but actually have a rather pleasant affect on your brain. I'd recommend reading the article if you're further interested.

[@IoEstasCedonta]

So the painkiller of the future comes from the sensation of imminent death? ... "It will change your life, rest assured."

[@tammystapleton3575]

Brilliant Repo reference!

[@stevecannon1774]

I have FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome), arthritis and diverticulosis. I live with pain constantly and use opioids (MS Contin, and oxycodone) for pain relief. A certain common ditch weed is also very helpful for pain management. The weirdest thing is that when I am in way too much pain, I fall asleep. Sometimes in the middle of a conversation, I will just nod off. I've always been this way when I'm in too much pain. I wonder why I fall asleep when my pain is too great. I have a paradoxical side effect to oxy--it makes me speedy and wakes me up (I can actually clean my house and go go go when I take oxycodone and not get sleepy). Why Hank? I can't figger it out.

[@Knafi]

Probably just an "emergency shutdown" for when the pain is too great so you don't have to put up with it, and also so the body can try to handle the pain while you're in your resting state because the body can focus better on one thing when you rest.

[@ryanrazer1]

You, i would say it is a mild version of falling unconscious when pain is too great. Like if you chainsawed your leg off...

[@MrAEFLEX]

just smoke some weed bro xD

[@stevecannon1774]

I do fannywenny. Thank goodness it's legal for medical now.

[@MrAEFLEX]

oh okay xD ..that goodi guess

[@undergroundrc8273]

I thought there was nothing good on KZbin no more until I came to scishow SUBSCRIBED!1!1!1!

[@fujibuds]

Funny that you out this out a DAY or two before I really needed that info. Thanks Scishow

[@sopralto817]

I can't stop thinking about that House MD episode, the one with the girl who had the genetic defect when she didn't feel pain....

[@rogerdotlee]

Thanks, Hank. As the lucky beneficiary of a failed spinal fusion (complete with bone spurs poking directly into my spinal column), it makes a great deal of sense how those little red and blue pills work. Seriously, best $30/month I've spent so far.

[@MarcoPolux]

man! but your condition is not chronic, right? I mean, you will heal and it will pass. . . why did it fail???

[@rogerdotlee]

Marco Kropp Oh no, it's chronic. What's more, any attempt to reverse the damage will likely destroy the nerve tissue that's currently being irritated. At first look that would almost seem worth it, but unfortunately it would likely leave me paralyzed. As to why it failed, we're not sure. Most likely because the part of the bone that made up the 'fusion' grew too far in toward the spinal column.

[@leeantonelli-roman3621]

rogerdotlee Very Sorry. I had serious back problems, In Jan athis year I had 5 lower lumbar fused, and two rods added above that. I was petrified of the outcome. Woke up pain free, and it's been 10 mos. and I'm doing great. Surgery done at Washington MedStar, Dr. Tozzi. He was rated in the top couple of surgeons on the East Coast.

[@MarcoPolux]

rogerdotlee With the technology we have now, I am sure you will be ok. I just passed through a very hard ankylosed encapsuled-infected extraction of a front tooth...sequel of a Mountain Bike accident I had a long time ago. . . . Pain was TERRIBLE, for there was exposed nervous terminals during the healing process. 2 weeks on Ketorolak (or something like that, an opium alike cocktail in a pill !!!!) but I am on now. My best wishes to you, patience!!!

[@leeantonelli-roman3621]

Ouch! I did that a 16 (several decades ago) when I broke the windshield of a '58 Pontiac with my face... when the car went off a cliff. I survived quite well. The worst was the poison oak I got while climbing up the side of a mountain (in a bikini) and got a few hundred cuts all over from the brush, then poison oak internally via the cuts Didn't drink, smoke or take drugs either...flat tire on a curve.

[@QuestioningKate]

I love the comment about a person's foot being run over by a car. I have juvenile arthritis, fiber myalgia, and my nerves are over active (I'm not sure what it's called), and I have taken almost all of the pain medications in this video (except of course the ones in development). I really learned a lot. Thanks for the video!

[@kimilious]

Very detailed, with a good mix of scientific explanations N everyday jargons N some one-liners to keep us in the circle

[@katepurrkins6672]

I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed last year and 3/4 got dry socket. I tried to take Hydrocodone but it made me so sick that I got dehydration on top of everything. What a wonderful week that was!

[@DavidMartinez-kf9zt]

Do a video on super human acts of strength and mental abilities! Like a woman lifting a bus and race car drivers that process things happening at crazy fast speeds! Love this channel btw!

[@zombie2401]

(●’◡’●)ﾉ

[@bananafish1990]

Can you do an episode on chronic pain? According to Eula Biss' essay "the Pain Scale" pain is defined as a sensation that signals tissue damage and so pain that does not signal damage is not technically pain (wonky!) but many many people live with chronic pain that has no apparent reason to be there. Theories include misfiring nerves? Maybe you could also explain why chronic pain is sometimes treated with SSRIs? I have a highly localized chronic pain condition that was ineffectually treated that way, but it allegedly works for some people.

[@shadowswallow]

Agreed! I have two chronic pain conditions (fibromyalgia and RND, a rare pediatric pain disorder closely related to RSD/CRPS), and while I've done my own research, I'm constantly amazed at how misunderstood it is and how much awareness is still needed. Plus, it's just cool science. ;)

[@pythor2]

There is an error loading the video. SciShow needs to remove their annotations. Thumbs this up so they will see it! This will solve the error.

[@trevorgrover5619]

or better yet: google should quit fucking up

[@TheIndigoGecko]

Could you do a segment on how general anaesthesia works? There's a ton of information on "what to expect" (and I recently went through it myself) but I'm more interested in how it actually knocks you out, why it has the side effects it does (like why patients might need help breathing etc). Thanks!

[@frac]

Hank was on top form this episode. Very entertaining and informative!

[@styk0n]

Hank is usually in top form.

[@DragonBallSuperCentralTV]

This guy makes me laugh :D

[@smilesandscars4314]

Thanks for the pharmacology revision :D

[@antivanti]

There is a small town not far from here in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden called Vittangi where over 40 people have been found with a hereditary condition that leaves them unable to feel pain. They tend to visit the hospital more often than others due to the injuries they sustain. It is called "Norrbottnian congenital insensitivity to pain" or just "Congenital analgesia" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_insensitivity_to_pain #pain #science

[@mythicalbeast7325]

Love that you mentioned The Wire :)

[@maximusoctavius26]

I want to thank you for this video Hank! I'm writing a term paper on Morphine for my AP Biology class and this really helped out a lot!

[@DangerFoward]

Pain is weakness leaving the body. That's what I was told.

[@randomness051]

how does that even make sense

[@mentalmonk139]

randomness051 I suppose on a philosophical or spiritual level the phrase could encourage a person to keep pushing on when they have to i.e helping keeping "mind over matter" when in difficult situation. Just an idea.

[@brandenjames2408]

Benjamin DeVries you've seen alot of ads for the us army then, cause that is a quote they use alot

[@DangerFoward]

Branden James I was in the Army.

[@brandenjames2408]

Benjamin DeVries that explains why youve seen it even better

[@TurboMitsubishi]

Sooo, what about when you can feel pain but you keep coming home from work (construction) with scrapes and cuts on your hands,knuckles, arms, head that when your wife asks "How did you do that?" or "What did you do?" You look down and just go "I duno" Because it's the first time you are noticing it?

[@asneakychicken322]

To some extent its the rush of adrenaline as part of the fight or flight instinct. In order to get out of a dangerous or life threatening situation, the adrenaline enables you to ignore the pain and injuries for eg. being able to run away from danger on a broken leg or something and not notice it for a while. It's an emergency tactic the body uses to ensure its survival, cutting off what might otherwise be debilitating or incapacitating pain, enabling you to flee the immediate threat. Not too sure about how that translates or works with injuries sustained and not noticed over like a whole day, but they're probably just not severe enough to hurt too much in the first place. Its also why say for example whenever I've sliced my hand badly enough in the kitchen or something, you can't feel the pain for maybe 10 to 30 seconds even though you have seen it, gives you time to deal with the situation before your body lets you feel the pain

[@TurboMitsubishi]

I would have to disagree with you there. If you slice your hand with a sharp knife vs a rough jagged edge you will notice you don't feel much pain from the sharp knife, but the jagged edge YOU WILL. Clean cuts from sharp blades are simply not nearly as painful.

[@Demogorgon47]

Lols yeah it's kind of funny that eh? Some pain you don't notice till someone points it out. I think it has to do with perception. If you see yourself cut yourself your brain definitely knows it happen but if you cut yourself and you don't see it and it's not that big enough to make your body care then perhaps that causes your brain not to put as much stimulus into making you be aware though it definitely works on the anti-bodies. Don't get me wrong if you got shot even if you didn't notice I'm sure that'd be enough of a jolt for your system to go "YUP! BAD! VERY BAD!" Lols but a tiny scrape, not so much. Kind of like how after a while you tune out bad smells. The brain is a weird organ. But an awesome one.

[@asneakychicken322]

Demogorgon47 funny you should mention getting shot, its also one of those things that's often cited as being able to go unnoticed if say you're in the middle of a gunfight, but once you're out of danger you might suddenly notice it and be like "oh hey i've been hit," but not when it happens, linking back to what i mentioned before about the adrenaline rush and all that

[@Demogorgon47]

Aaron Brougham REALLY?! I was way off in my assessment. It's almost like the brain needs to see it before it accepts it. That is so strange. Guess we've become reliant on our eyes more then I thought

[@wishiwasaminiplane]

So if pain is a response to damage, and is supposed to tell us when to stop doing something, why can menstrual cramps be so horrendous? I can see why cramps in any other part of the body would hurt as a response to over-exercising, but I would think after so many years of evolution the body would realize it's not beneficial to make a necessary process hurt so much.

[@baeqaefoefae]

I thought menstrual cramps was part of God’s punishment for Eve eating the apple.

[@Justcallm3god]

you are the man!!! I love this channel so much its crazy!

[@mokin-rui717]

Reminds me of the threat from the spacing guilds to the emperor of the known universe in the 1984 film, DUNE. "Or you will spend the rest of your days in a pain amplifier", I too have been living out my days in an amplified state of pain. I'm hoping for better drugs in the future to aid in this.

[@ItsAsparageese]

Hank ... I love you ... but I have to bring up some major elements that are lacking in this video. I really appreciate how in-depth you went about opioids, by far the most commonly discussed and commonly misunderstood class of prescription analgesics, but I think it would be really useful to the SciShow audience to explain what a narcotic is-and-isn't, and also to cover (or at least mention!) the fact that there are other classes of pain medications, narcotic and non-narcotic, besides opioids. Gabapentin and Tramadol are just two examples, and also the use of steroids as an anti-inflammatory for various topical and internal conditions is important to explain (especially given the context of discussing non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, since it helps to have the opposite) ... and maybe since lots of people have heard of muscle relaxants, it might be great to touch on those just to say they exist and they're a separate thing. Could you be entreated to do a follow-up, or by some other route expound more on this and other pharmacological topics? (That would just be the most amazing exciting thing in the entire universe ever for me, or at least very high on the list.)

[@nadskofhqwak]

methadone withdrawal is legendary. makes heroin withdrawal feel like a mild hangover

[@zephyrvescent]

Excellent video! Just one request for both Hank and John - could you slow your speaking down a bit? Those of us ahem "older" viewers have a hard time understanding when you talk so fast. Captioning helps as well. I don't want to miss a thing! Thank you!

[@smileyface1510]

Totally get what you mean about the speed, but in a way I kinda like it too! If you want captions, just click the CC button in the bottom right corner of the video and press on. Then you can select the language and watch like that :) Hope that helps!

[@creatureofhabits]

I listen to Hank talk while I play Trap and Dubstep music in the background, it's fantastic.

[@taylorjm5312]

Simply addicted to your channel.

[@linds9846]

These facts are really nice to know, especially when I get sprained ankles after running a marathon... Of Sherlock.

[@Player_Review]

I hurt myself today, to see if I still feel.

[@BackpackPoetry]

I, also, am excited for Logan.

[@HirekBC]

I, also, like Nine Inch Nails.

[@countertenor1girl]

isnt it odd that we cant really feel our body unless its in pain, or we focus on a very specific spot? like, when you have a headache, you can feel the exact shape of your cranium, yet when you dont, your head just sort of is there, without any sort of real feeling to it

[@Irina35mm]

actually you do feel your body, it's more of an awareness. it's called Proprioception, look it up

[@elizabethshaw734]

I used to be on methadone and oxycodone for pain. Since then we have had to back up and I have more pain now but I am more alert to life.

[@MrsMcTackett]

A section on chronic pain that is pain that last for longer than 3 months would be interesting. Where there is no fresh injury or torn muscle like in a disc injury that is over 8months old.

[@YeoYeo]

Out of curiosity what does this mean in the context of period pain? What am I suppose to do? Run away from my uterus? Stop my uterus from shedding it's insides?

[@simxella689]

Lmao, im not the only one except its a huge wound on my foot. Do i run away from it? Oh wait, i use it to run...

[@makaylacunning5727]

Sadly there's nothing good for that type of pain well atleast I know NOTHING works for me

[@jessilaine7999]

I know this is an older comment. But, as an adult woman who’s had a child, and had issues with that ever since I was 14 as well as several other health issues causing severe chronic pain, I can tell you the answer is heat, lack of movement, and pain killers. Lay on a heating pad, get a hot water bottle, or get those heat packs you can stick to your pants (one for your stomach and one for your back), lay as still as you can in a comfortable spot, and take Advil or Aleeve and double the dose. Never take aspirin, it will only make things worse. And if your cramps are so pad that you’re throwing up, you can’t get out of bed to go to class/work after the first day, or your period is lasting more than a week then you need to find a GOOD gynecologist and get checked out! Ovarian cysts, endometriosis, PCOS, or several other things could be causing that. The doctor can also prescribe mild muscle relaxers, pain medication (depending on the cause of the problem and your age), or birth control that (depending on the kind they prescribe and how you take it) could range from regulating your period and making the symptoms less severe to eliminating your periods all together until you’re ready for children. But that depends on how you feel about that stuff. :)

[@mksabourinable]

When I got my wisdom teeth removed I was given codeine for the pain... For the first several days I was so sick to my stomach that I couldn't get out of bed or lay any way but on my back... I had no idea what was causing it.... Then I didn't take the codeine for a day and the nausea went away completely.... Codeine sucks.

[@kaitlynkxoxo1]

omg! they gave me that stuff too! they also gave me vicodin and flucloxacilin. I was so sick I threw up so many times, ugh and they wonder why I try my best not to take medicine!

[@mksabourinable]

usually the body throws up in reaction to something ingested when it's poison being ingested... Wouldn't that make those drugs technically poisons??

[@ghostbirdofprey]

Kate Yes, yes they are

[@kaitlynkxoxo1]

I was scared that my body was eventually going to explode

[@faolan1686]

Have they come up with a pain killer that work on platypus venom yet? (Yes the male platypus is venomous, he has a spur on his hind leg that delivers the toxon) Last time I looked it up there was nothing that worked to dull the excruciating pain that can last for days.

[@renoloverxoxo]

Prevention is better than a cure. Meaning don't fuck with the living proof that God has a sense of humor.

[@HellFaust84]

there isn't a cure, though there is a treatment method where they inject morphine right into the main nerves leading away from the wound, shutting the ability to feel anything down in the limb (as well as paralyzing it) and keeping it that way until the venom breaks down. I think it's called a neural shunt, though I could be wrong.

[@jesserantakangas5594]

HellFaust84 i bet its something else they inject from what u discribe

[@HellFaust84]

jani lepistö You are probably right, When I learned of this technique, the man was already well beyond the safe maximum dose of morphine

[@faolan1686]

thanks for the info guys.

[@TheBullOfLewisham]

Thank you. ☹️

[@georgejohnson1124]

A very humorous presentation about a very serious topic...................and kudos to Jemalacane0's comment.........

[@yvindfotland116]

I have noticed something. All of your shirts have optical illutions

[@chistinelane]

By gollly they do!

[@pawkisser]

lolwat its a flannel

[@virgo_tubes]

Øyvind Fotland its just flannel. not an optical illusion! :)

[@DWRich17]

My pain takes a $4800. 00 a month TNF blocker to keep bone marrow swelling from ruining my day. It works about 60% of the time, and when it's not working, 20-25 ibuprofen tabs a day. The only thing that works every time instantly, is really warm water. If anyone needs to hire a guy to stand in the shower all day and not move, I'm your man. :)

[@jbtallguy]

Am I the only one that was surprised he didn't mention cannabis?

[@marcojay3445]

Better than any science teacher that I had back in school. thank you for spreading knowledge.

[@elizabethshaw734]

I have severe nerve damage all over my body, no discs in my back and neck. Now I have lost feeling in several areas and can hurt myself extremely badly. I also have migraine headaches on the regular. I have thoracic outlet syndrome. I broke a toe so badly due to lack of feeling that in the end after three surgeries the toe was removed. I was on Methadone and Oxycodone for pain for several years and I was so out of it that I went to my family doctor instead of the pain clinic and was weaned down to Tramadol. There is never a point where I am not in pain except when I am asleep. Osteoarthritis is added to the mix as well. I also meditate to calm down the pain level.

[@mrWade101]

why can't it just hurt once then stop? instead it hurts forever, I already know that it hurt and that i shouldn't do it!

[@josephkeaty7284]

It's like a mom, it just wants to make sure you got it by telling you continuously.

[@sandyqai]

lol so that you actually do something about the injury. If it stopped hurting you'd just forget about it:p

[@eddieallen5451]

!.

[@eddieallen5451]

!.

[@pforgottonsoul]

Someone Someone it's sad how true that is.

[@Sizzlik]

I'll keep that in mind next week when i get my bone marrow biopsy.. "Thank you big ass needle wich is drilling throu my bone"

[@leeantonelli-roman3621]

Best Wishes to you.

[@Sizzlik]

Delmira Herself Thank you very much =)

[@leeantonelli-roman3621]

Sizzlik I would be happy to donate bone marrow if you need a donor. Write me, located in Arlington, VA - MedStar Med. Center, DC.

[@Sizzlik]

Delmira Herself wow..thats very generous of you! May whatever you believe in bless your soul! But i have a big family so if a donor is needed i might find one here (i live in germany). But thanks A LOT ..that is an offer you wont get often from strangers. You are the kind of person this society needs.

[@Sizzlik]

***** Nope..wont get knocked out..just a chill pill and some local anestetics..will be a day of pure joy =)

[@clhughes1000]

What about menstrual pain/cramps? That's a natural function of the female body, so why should it cause pain? It's not alerting use that something is wrong. Just curious.

[@Akumu74]

It's your uterus trying to cut off blood to its self. Your uterus attempting suicide, basically.

[@photosinensis]

Cramps can pinch nerves. Additionally, there's some unscheduled cell death involved in menstruation (the lining basically doesn't get the nutrients it needs because the body stops getting the signals that the lining of the uterus needs them), and the ensuing necrosis and schluffing off of that lining causes pain for some women.

[@clhughes1000]

ok. that all makes sense. Is there a particular reason that heat and exercise tend to work to reduce them?

[@ethan-loves]

Excellent video. One of your best!

[@Liutgard]

Hey Hank, could you talk sometime about chronic pain? In understand that the process is different from acute pain, and it does in fact have bearing on the issues of addiction.