On pain

It's a fickle syndrome, this nerve pain. I wake up to it and it consumes me and drains me of all energy. I can sometimes make it vanish by medicinal means, yet other times it persists despite the drugs.
Then I discover I can "will" it away simply by believing that it doesn't exist. When it starts to well up, I say to it "Oh no you don't!" and it quells.

So, is the pain real, or not? People experience phantom pain, for example in limbs that no longer exist. We use pain as an indication that something is amiss. But if we're capable of mentally blocking it as well, how reliable a signal is it for the inner workings of our anatomy?

Some interesting facts about nerve pain...

• Damaged nerves are more likely to misfire, sending pain signals when there is no cause for pain.
• All the causes of nerve pain are still largely a medical mystery. 
• Nerve pain can worsen at night.
• Techniques such as guided imagery, meditation, biofeedback, and hypnosis help some people with nerve pain live better. Finding the right professional at a reasonable price can be challenging. 

Anyhow, I've decided to push on through any nerve pain I get, and live my life as per normal. If there's anything seriously the matter still with my spine, I trust that the MRI will show it up. All the same, I'll postpone anything seriously strenuous until I have the OK from the physio and GP, post-MRI.