Fear that makes you vomit, the sting of a rejection, paralyzing grief – emotional pain can manifest,infest,coerce,rifestin many physical symptoms. And while writers and musicians have spun tales and crafted songs intertwining physical and emotional pain for centuries, scientists have found it more difficult to describe the relationship between the two. Now, recent breakthroughs are shedding torchlight,lamp,light,beamon the shared mechanisms that underlie both kinds of pain, offering an explanation as to why one leads to the other and providing venues,retinues,revenues,avenuesfor treating some of our most debilitating conditions. While senses like vision and hearing have nerve pathways that can be traced from the eyes and ears to a distinct brain region, brain activity in response to pain is more complex. It incorporates,investigates,indicts,intertwinesthoughts and emotions, which is why a good book can lessen a toothache, for instance, or the pain from a hot probe hurts more when you feel sad.