Completely agreed, although it is quite the chicken vs. the egg type of thing. Which came first: nerve irritation or mechanical irritation of a defective/degenerative tissue? My thoughts here would include, however:
1) What is serving as the trigger of the neurogenic pain (mechanical basis)?
2) Why is it sensitization of C-fibers occurs at such different rates?
I always found it most fascinating that changes occur all the way up the chain, including the horns of the spinal cord, which, as Chris mentions above, will indeed make pain 'all in your head'!
PS: And it would be a much more interesting discussion than the other blather.