What is the difference between Pain Threshold and Pain Tolerance?

Answer 1

Pain Threshold is the level at which a person first begins to experience Pain from a stimulus, either artificial or biological. A person's Pain Tolerance level, is the overall level of Pain a person can tolerate before breaking down either physically or mentally.

A person's Threshold level increases as their Pain Tolerance increases - this can be achieved either through deliberate means in those who have not been injured or otherwise have no other reason for Pain (Martial Artists are the best example of this) or in those with chronic pain it will occur naturally over time. Martial Artists such as myself use techniques to increase both the Pain Threshold and Tolerance level. It is that training which has provided me with the best pain control over the years, even though I also use very high doses of opiates for pain control. Pain Tolerance can also be elevated with opiate drugs, and is the basis for most pain treatment programs.

While human Pain Threshold is relatively low for most people (it doesn't take much to feel pain - even a needle or pin prick will do) Pain Tolerance is another matter. The human body can withstand a lot of pain before breaking down, and for those like me who deal with constant levels of high pain on a regular basis every day, the tolerance level is very high, almost dangerously so.