aspeCts of wound healing and the role of pain

As you are reading this there is a good chance that your body is undergoing some sort of healing, be it from a superficial paper cut or a surgical procedure. Your immune system plays a well-characterised role in any healing process; as such, psychological and behavioural factors that affect immune and neuroendocrine function — from psychological stress and mood to sleep patterns — influence healing as well. The clinical importance of research in this area is striking. Along with an increasing appreciation for the impact of psychosocial and behavioural factors on wound healing has come a greater understanding of the physiological mechanisms which connect such factors to healing outcomes (Engeland and Marucha, 2009). Research in this area will help to develop better models for predicting healing trajectories, as well as novel interventions to improve healing outcomes and associated factors (e.g. pain). Research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology has burgeoned over the past 25 years, with dramatic demonstrations of not only the role of psychosocial and behavioural factors on immune function, but also their impact on wound healing (Christian et al, 2006; Engeland and Marucha, 2009; Walburn et al, 2009). The goal of this chapter is to review key established findings in this area, while simultaneously highlighting findings in related areas that are less