The conference series on the 10th of January last, organised by the SCF in San Sebastián, Spain, under the title ‘A psychoanalytical look at current affairs’ provided an opportunity for reflection, on the experience of pain, with the fruitful contribution of Santiago Castellanos. The experience of pain is part of human life. At times, this experience confronts the limits of scientific knowledge, which is the source of great suffering for those who endure it, and a cause of distress for those responsible for their care and treatment. However, how can we think about the relationship between the body, pain, subjectivity, and the place of treatment with words from a psychoanalytic perspective, within a clinic that aims to work in alliance with medicine?