The Pain Chronicles

Cures, Myths, Mysteries, Prayers, Diaries, Brain Scans, Healing, and the Science of Suffering

De: Melanie Thernstrom

Narrado por: Laural Merlington

Each of us will know physical pain in our lives, but none of us knows when it will come or how long it will stay. Today as much as 10 percent of the population of the United States suffers from chronic pain. It is more widespread, misdiagnosed, and undertreated than any major disease. While recent research has shown that pain produces pathological changes to the brain and spinal cord, many doctors and patients still labor under misguided cultural notions and outdated scientific dogmas that prevent proper treatment, to devastating effect.

In The Pain Chronicles, a singular and deeply humane work, Melanie Thernstrom traces conceptions of pain throughout the ages - from ancient Babylonian pain-banishing spells to modern brain imaging - to reveal the elusive, mysterious nature of pain itself. Interweaving first-person reflections on her own battle with chronic pain, incisive reportage from leading-edge pain clinics and medical research, and insights from a wide range of disciplines - science, history, religion, philosophy, anthropology, literature, and art - Thernstrom shows that when dealing with pain we are neither as advanced as we imagine nor as helpless as we may fear.

©2010 Melanie Thernstrom (P)2010 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Thernstrom never flinches in the face of a subject that is easily overlooked or judged by those for whom it is, ironically, too painful. This is stellar work." (Alice Sebold, author of The Lovely Bones)

Well done.

Started out thinking I wouldn't be able to get through it, but it was very insightful. As a Physical Therapist myself it helped me to have a little better understanding of my patients view of chronic pain. I have already used multiple examples from this book to help with the understanding of pain from a non clinical perspective. The history of pain was long, but interesting. Definately Recommend for clinicians and for patients. Would even be helpful for those who live with people suffering from chronic pain.

Some good Information

I personally wasn't too interested in the personal account. Found I didn't relate to it. But, so much great information. Recommended.

This Book Has Changed My Life...

Thank you, Ms. Thernstrom. Your story, and the information you so generously shared has helped me reach a turning point in my battle against chronic pain. Anyone who has experienced living with this disorder can see that you know what you are talking about. I desperately needed this, and have been improving steadily since reading your book. You have my gratitude.

objective overview of pain and it's treatment

This book provided an objective and interesting look at the history of and current state of the art in how we look at and perceive pain. The author is able to bring her personal perspective of a life dealing with pain, and still be fairly objective for the most part. All in all, an interesting read.

Super interesting

I wish the information was more organized, but this book is still one of the better resources out there that I have found. in particular, the author does a wonderful job of articulating the personal, inter personal, psychological, and the existential experiences and difficulties faced by people with chronic pain. She manages to put into words many things that I cannot, though I am no slouch. Even though no solutions are presented that will help me, it is very useful just to see someone writing of her pain in a way that I can relate to so well. It helps me to not feel insane, to banish self doubt about whether I am misdescribing the magnitude of what I experience, the insidiousness of it. It makes me feel 'seen' as they say, and that is a tremendous thing.