The human perception of pain can vary greatly depending on the situation. So it is possible that the same pain stimulus feels more or less painful under different conditions. The body’s own pain control system is responsible for this. Researchers investigate this system with a research method called ‘Conditioned Pain Modulation,’ or CPM for short. “This records how strongly a painful stimulus inhibits the experience of another painful stimulus that is presented at the same time,” explains Assistant Professor Dr. Oliver Höffken, neurologist at Bergmannsheil.