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- My name is Andrew and
I'm a pain researcher.

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What this means,

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is I spend a lot of time
thinking about pain.

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I put people in pain
by putting their hands

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in hot or cold water,

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or by making them exercise
at painful intensities.

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I measure people's pain responses,

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and then test different
ways to reduce their pain.

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So you could say I'm
somewhat pain obsessed.

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But despite this obsession, if
you asked me "What is pain?",

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I'd struggle to give you an answer.

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I could give you our
best working definition,

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but it wouldn't cover all aspects of pain.

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After all, we use the word pain

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to describe so many varied experiences

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from spraining your ankle

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to the pain of losing a loved one.

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My research then,

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attempts to better understand
this question of what is pain?

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I hope to unpack what pain is,

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and describe its unique qualities.

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How it can be both so personal
as well as so universal.

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How it can be helpful,
but at the same time

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for so many people so debilitating.

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So, what is pain?

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Well, I hope that through your support,

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I can better answer that question,

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and provide hope for the
millions of Australians

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currently suffering from chronic pain.

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