Pain Gets Misunderstood: New Lenses for Seeing Pain More Clearly.

Abstract

<b>SYNOPSIS:</b> Pain is often misunderstood as a clear-cut indicator of tissue damage, yet recent data reveal a more complex picture shaped by our beliefs, contexts, and perceptions. This editorial introduces a metaphorical framework of "lenses" to navigate this complexity. It explores how some perspectives can become problematic if held too rigidly (eg, the "Engineer's Lens"), while others can foster compassionate understanding and collaboration (eg, the "Chef's Lens"). Illustrated with a practical clinical dialogue, this lens-based approach aims to shift conversations from a focus on fixing pain to the shared goal of efficiently and effectively making sense of it. Ultimately, this piece is an invitation for clinicians, researchers, and people in pain to ask a transformative question: What lens am I using now, and what might I see if I chose a different one? <i>J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2025;55(8):1-4. Epub 27 June 2025. doi:10.2519/jospt.2025.13458</i>.