T he initial idea for this book came from Dr. Li Bingxiang at Higher Education Press during an international symposium in beautiftil southern China. Unlike traditional textbooks on pain, she proposed I write a new book that included recent progress in the neurobiology of pain.

This idea revived my long-term interest in editing a book on molecular pain. A scenery view of the southern China.

There are at least four major reasons why I felt this book was necessary. First, there are only a few textbooks on pain available, and some of them are outdated.

Second, the existing pain textbooks mainly focus on basic animal research and the clinical treatment of pain. Due to space limitations and the breadth of the topic, coverage of basic neuroscience is not sufficient.

Third, molecular biologists are making rapid progress toward finding molecular and gene involvement in pain. This progress is visible in a number of ways: the gene-chip used in pharmaceutical companies; the increase in molecular biologists interested in pain; and the use of transgenic mice in pain research. These scientists must be brought together with pain scientists.

And finally, an integrative approach is becoming standard in pain research. New investigators in the field need to be trained in multiple aspects of neurobiology.

Pain is a major health concern and a growing field of research.  Molecular biologists have made rapid progress in finding relationships between genetics and pain, and Molecular Pain is the first book specifically written to bring this research to doctors and pain scientists.  Unlike traditional textbooks, this book utilizes basic neuroscience to explain the mechanisms of pain.  It explores current pain medicine as well as alternative treatments for chronic pain, such as acupuncture.  Edited by a leading neuroscientist and written by international experts, Molecular Pain is a concise and comprehensive review of recent progress in the field of pain.