The Pain Chronicles

The Pain Chronicles: Cures, Myths, Mysteries, Prayers, Diaries, Brain Scans, Healing, and the Science of Suffering by Melanie Thernstrom Summary:  In The Pain Chronicles, 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 pain clinics and medical research, and insights from a wide range of disciplines, Thernstrom shows that when dealing with pain we are neither as advanced as we imagine nor as helpless as we may fear. Angie's Comments: This book is more of a scholarly look at pain than a guide for people with chronic pain. As someone who does not have chronic pain, but has a low pain tolerance, it was interesting learning about chronic pain. It has made me more sympathetic to those with chronic pain. In the beginning, the author’s personal story takes up a lot of space. At first, I found her story to be intrusive, then later it become more seamless with the rest of the book. Some parts of the book are better than others, and I especially liked the third section, Terrible Alchemy: Pain as Disease. I wasn’t aware of the opiates/opioids information that Thernstorm provided.  Recommended for friends and family of people who have chronic pain.    Request this item