Alvaro Pinteno, pain expert: For a physical therapist, the most difficult thing is to do nothing and explain why'

"Alvaro Pinteno, 30, says that he too suffers from chronic pain, a problem that affects nearly 20% of all people. His experience helped him to understand how the phenomenon's complexity which involves both social and psychological contributing factors that go well beyond the physical origin of suffering must be a part of the equation when it comes to the search for cures."

"During an in-person interview carried in Madrid, he recognizes how social media tempted him to offer the kind of advice that has proven so popular online. The less you know, the more confident you appear, says Pinteno, who is convinced that the most appealing messages, and the ones that people repeat the most, are the simplest ones. Nowadays, he offers a much more nuanced interpretation that references many scientific studies."

"Question. What do we least understand about pain? Answer. A person thinks that if something hurts, there has to be an organic reason behind it. In the majority of cases, that will be true, especially with more acute pain, but when pain is more chronic and persistent, and imaging tests don't give us the answers we're looking for, we start thinking that there might be another serious cause or something else that is being overlooked."

Chronic pain affects nearly 20% of people and involves complex physical, social, and psychological contributors that often extend beyond identifiable organic injury. Persistent pain frequently lacks clear imaging correlates, prompting prolonged medical journeys, misdiagnoses, and repeated unsuccessful treatments. Social-media-friendly advice tends toward oversimplification, rewarding confident but shallow messages. A nuanced, evidence-based interpretation that integrates scientific studies offers more realistic pathways. Recovery is challenging but possible; many patients can reduce or overcome chronic pain, or learn to live fully despite it, through approaches that acknowledge biopsychosocial factors and prioritize individualized, hopeful care.

Read at english.elpais.com