The Ebers Papyrus is one of the oldest comprehensive medical texts in history. Written in approximately 1500 BCE, ancient Egyptian physicians differentiated acute and chronic pain; headaches; joint pain; stomach and tooth aches and attempted to standardize diagnosis and treatment.

The text describes remedies for pain, including opium from the poppy plant and potions of ground willow bark and leaves rich in salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin.

We have lived with pain since the dawn of our existence. Modern science continues striving to understand its causes and ways to control or eliminate pain to improve health and quality of life.