The myth of the 'Mediterranean syndrome': do immigrants feel different pain?

There is a long tradition of assuming other way of pain perception in immigrants than in natives. This article discusses profound methodological problems to assess pain perception and behaviour between people of different cultural background, existing epidemiological data are reviewed and results of an own study regarding chronic pain syndromes are included. There is no clear evidence for existing differences in pain syndromes between natives and immigrants of any kind. In difference, there is some evidence, that clinicians and health workers frequently have other impressions about pain intensities as the patients themselves.