From periphery to perception: The pathway to pain

"The word pain comes from the Latin poena, meaning penalty or fine," began Mike Barletta, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVAA, during a recent Fetch dvm360 conference session. It's like you did something to your body, and now you're going to pay the consequences. Pain is, of course, much more nuanced than its origin implies. According to Dr. Barletta, an associate professor of anesthesia at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, pain can be either physiologic or pathologic.