Primary requirements for an ethical definition of pain

The current definition of pain adopted by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) and the American Pain Society (APS) chapter of the IASP is unacceptable because its claims and consequences are inconsistent with the IASP's stated purpose. The definition's apparent claims that (1) only effective communication of pain brings pain into existence, and that (2) researchers and clinicians are merely objective evaluators of whether such communication has occurred are inconsistent with the lASP's purpose to improve care of patients with acute and chronic pain through attention to patients, to the relationship between them and their caregivers, and to social policy. The definition's success at rejecting the consequences of Cartesian dualism is only partial. The definition contributes to a lack of justice for nonverbal patients.