To treat pain effectively, clinicians must categorize it based on its underlying neurobiological mechanisms:

Exercise is the gold standard for pain management. Through "graded exposure," therapists help patients gradually return to feared activities, desensitizing the nervous system and strengthening tissues.

Beliefs about pain (kinesiophobia), catastrophizing, and stress levels.

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This is the most common form, arising from actual or threatened damage to non-neural tissue. It is usually well-localized and follows a predictable pattern related to mechanical loading or inflammatory triggers (e.g., an acute ankle sprain or osteoarthritis).