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Schizophrenia is known to most as a disorder characterized by hallucinations and disturbances of an emotional, behavioral, or intellectual nature. What some may not be familiar with is that in addition to the previous conditions, research also indicates a link between patients suffering from schizophrenia and insensitivity to pain.

Reports of the relationship between schizophrenia and pain date back to the early twentieth century. One researcher found that pain was absent in 37 percent of schizophrenia patients with acute appendicitis, and 41 percent of those with a fractured femur. Another study showed that only 18 percent of schizophrenia patients who had experienced a heart attack reported pain compared to the 90 percent of heart attack patients without schizophrenia that reported severe pain. The connection between pain insensitivity and schizophrenia is far more than an interesting phenomenon. The complications that result from inaccurately identifying feeling can lead to severe medical consequences.

Although pain is a sensation most of us associate with negativity, it is this feeling that serves as a signal to our bodies warning of injury and vulnerability. Without this signal, our lives might be jeopardized by much more than a disagreeable feeling. The absence of this natural warning device can cause a life-threatening delay in diagnosis and treatment in patients. If an individual is initially unaware of the injury, he or she will not know to bring it to the attention of the proper medical personnel for evaluation.

Due to today's ethical standards, it is impossible to conduct studies like the ones previously used to measure the pain threshold of individuals with schizophrenia and, therefore, the relationship remains inadequately studied. The scientific explanation for the connection is unknown, but it appears to involve the self-destructive behavior that commonly occurs in schizophrenics. Further research into increased pain tolerance can improve the knowledge of medical practitioners and help prepare them to provide quality care to patients with schizophrenia.