It astounds me that people legitimately assume that the other animals on this planet don't feel pain. It seems incredibly obvious to me that they would, or that we should at least be assuming they would.
They assume, at various times, even other humans arent human enough therefore the same concepts (such as pain & suffering) don't really apply.
It's a standard coping mechanism that might be necessary but it's definitely misused by humans for no other reason than greed (especially in times when scarcity isn't really a notable concern).
Your response is mental. Hence when opiates like tramadol shut of the signa. Receptors you still feel the se station of pain. But do not suffer the same way.
You have clearly never experienced extreme pain. The last time I suffered a severe shoulder dislocation was almost like an out-of-body experience. The pain overwhelmed the ability to form coherent thoughts, it was like an electrical storm in my brain. The intuitive motor system took complete control as I writhed around, limbs flinging in random directions. I heard someone scream at the top of his lungs, and only afterwards realised that it was me.
Pain absolutely does have a physical component, and it is not something you can overcome just by practicing meditation. Though, I'm not saying that doesn't help in some scenarios.