The Challenge Of Pain

Over the years a scientific revolution has taken place in the field of bain research and therapy. A major catalyst for this change was the introduction in 1965 by Professor Ronald Melzack and Professor Patrick D. Wall of the 'gate control' theory of pain, which led to an explosion of research studies and new therapeutic approaches. In this informative and important study they explore the current status of pain research and treatment. Divided into four sections, the book describes the psychological and clinical aspects of pain, presents the rapidly increasing physiological evidence and examines the major theories of pain and their implications for its control. The authors emphasize the need to promote education regarding the treatment of pain among both health professionals and patients, arguing that many people suffer needlessly through ignorance of medical advances. In the final section they explain the exciting developments in pain control, in particular the radical approach to the control of chronic pain being pioneered by pain clinics and hospices. Book jacket.

In this study, the authors discuss the current status of pain research and treatment. The book describes the different aspects of pain, presents the increasing physiological evidence, and examines the major theories of pain and their implications.

Pain is one of medicine's greatest mysteries. When farmer John Mitson caught his hand in a baler, he cut off his trapped hand and carried it to a neighbor. "Sheer survival and logic" was how he described it. "And strangely, I didn't feel any pain." How can this be? We're taught that pain is a warning message to be heeded at all costs, yet it can switch off in the most agonizing circumstances or switch on for no apparent reason. Many scientists, philosophers, and laypeople imagine pain to operate like a rigid, simple signaling system, as if a particular injury generates a fixed amount of pain that simply gets transmitted to the brain; yet this mechanistic model is woefully lacking in the face of the surprising facts about what people and animals do and experience when their bodies are damaged. Patrick Wall looks at these questions and sets his scientific account in a broad context, interweaving it with a wealth of fascinating and sometimes disturbing historical detail, such as famous characters who derived pleasure from pain, the unexpected reactions of injured people, the role of endorphins, and the power of placebo. He covers cures of pain, ranging from drugs and surgery, through relaxation techniques and exercise, to acupuncture, electrical nerve stimulation, and herbalism. Pain involves our state of mind, our social mores and beliefs, and our personal experiences and expectations. Stepping beyond the famous neurologic gate-control theory for which he is known, Wall shows that pain is a matter of behavior and its manifestation differs among individuals, situations, and cultures. "The way we deal with pain is an expression of individuality."

Get a quick, expert overview of the many key facets of neuropathic pain syndromes with this concise, practical resource by Drs. Mitchell Freedman, Jeff Gehret, George Young, and Leonard Kamen. This easy-to-read reference presents a summary of today’s best evaluation methods and evidence-based treatment options for complex regional pain syndrome as well as other challenging syndromes. Covers key topics such as: Evidence Based Approach to Many Uncommon and Difficult Neuropathic Pain Syndromes Review of Pathophysiology of Pain Approach to Chronic Pain Syndromes Work Up and Treatments for Complex Regional Pain Syndromes Consolidates today’s available information and experience in this multifaceted area into one convenient resource.

Although pain is widely recognized by clinicians and researchers as an experience, pain is always felt in a patient-specific way rather than experienced for what it objectively is, making perceived meaning important in the study of pain. The book contributors explain why meaning is important in the way that pain is felt and promote the integration of quantitative and qualitative methods to study meanings of pain. For the first time in a book, the study of the meanings of pain is given the attention it deserves. All pain research and medicine inevitably have to negotiate how pain is perceived, how meanings of pain can be described within the fabric of a person’s life and neurophysiology, what factors mediate them, how they interact and change over time, and how the relationship between patient, researcher, and clinician might be understood in terms of meaning. Though meanings of pain are not intensively studied in contemporary pain research or thoroughly described as part of clinical assessment, no pain researcher or clinician can avoid asking questions about how pain is perceived or the types of data and scientific methods relevant in discovering the answers.