Pain: Why It Hurts and How the Brain Creates It

This microcourse explains the physiology of pain through the roles of nociceptors, the spinal cord, and the cortex. Students will learn how the brain amplifies and sometimes invents pain based on context, attention, and prior experience. The course also covers how stress and repeated signals can shift pain from acute to chronic. After completing it, students will be able to describe the pain pathway, distinguish likely protective signals from persistent patterns, and better interpret what their body is communicating.