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Billions of people worldwide, including children, suffer from chronic pain, most of them without access to adequate treatment. The consequences for their everyday lives and quality of life are serious. It often takes a long time before professional treatment begins. This is usually not based solely on medication or surgery, but on a biopsychosocial model of illness and understanding of treatment.

Art and music therapy are important therapeutic approaches in inpatient pain therapy, but culturally sensitive treatment approaches have not yet been used therapeutically.

These should be used in the future, especially in the context of psychological trauma, flight, displacement, physical abuse, and injury. Due to limited medical resources, artificial intelligence will also be relevant in pain therapy and related artistic therapies in the future.

This lecture aims to highlight the possibilities of modern pain therapy with the relevance of art and culture.

Neurophysiological processes such as the release of neuroendogenous transmitters and “happiness” hormones such as serotonin, oxytocin, and the body's own opioids, which are part of the body's own pain inhibition, as well as findings from brain and placebo research, including neuroplasticity, will be presented. In addition, the individual use of artificial intelligence as a means of promoting resilience will be discussed.