Proceedings From the First International Symposium On Pain Research In Emergency Medicine: Foreword

[Ducharme J: Proceedings from the First International Symposium on Pain Research in Emergency Medicine: Foreword. Ann Emerg Med April 1996;27:399-403.] "Pain is one of the most challenging problems in medicine and biology. It is a challenge to the sufferer who must often learn to live with pain for which no therapy has been found. It is a challenge to the physician or other health professional who seeks every possible means to help the suffering patient. It is a challenge to the scientist who tries to understand the biological mechanisms that can cause such terrible suffering. It is also a challenge to society, which must find the medical, scientific and financial resources to relieve or prevent pain and suffering as much as possible." (Melzack and Wall, The Challenge of Pain1)