Dr. Sanjay Gupta: All pain lies in the brain, and here’s what you can do about it

One day a few years ago, as I stared at all the sophisticated machinery in my operating room — high-tech microscopes, image navigation tools and exquisitely designed instruments — I was struck by the realization that the patient in front of me had pointed to an archaic frowny face to help make the diagnosis that landed him in the OR in the first place. I have been practicing neurosurgery for more than a quarter-century. Whether it’s a brain tumor, a herniated disc or a pinched nerve in the wrist or arm, pain is often what first brings most of my patients to the hospital. Pain can be difficult to treat, in part because it is subjective and has no objective measure. It is one of the mysterious sensations that we collectively experience as humans, and throughout our history, we have had a har