Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are 2 disorders for which there are lots of unknowns – including major areas such as causes and treatments. Reviving the Broken Marionette provides a great deal of solid information about medication treatment for these conditions. The author, Maija Haavisto, is a Finnish medical writer who developed an illness in […]

Two of the most interesting new treatments for chronic pain are graded motor imagery and mirror therapy. A related experimental treatment is called “tactile discrimination.” Chronic pain creates changes in your brain. We think that these brain changes cause other functions to become impaired as well, for example, right-side and left-side discrimination. Right-side and left-side discrimination is simply knowing […]

Pain + Work = ??? The combination can go well, like a burger with fries. You may be able to accomplish great things despite pain, and work can be a focus away from discomfort. Or it can feel like trying to whip up a 10-course gourmet dinner in 5 minutes with your eyes closed. But what if […]

If the only sentence describing a book was that it contained “harrowing descriptions of pain,” most people would probably run the other way. But for me, a pain management psychiatrist, that phrase is a clear invitation to rush to the first page. South African author J. M. Coetzee has written Age of Iron which describes the pain of apartheid, loneliness and […]

Have you ever come across something that puts into words exactly how you feel, or what you think? Your own ideas may be slightly fuzzy, but here in front of you is the finished product. Maybe you’ve had this experience when reading a poem, or listening to someone summarize a discussion. Your thoughts – well […]

You’ve just turned 90 years old. You now have to wear glasses, take an aspirin each day, and you just can’t bungee-jump like you did at 89. Unfortunate, but not unexpected, right? However, what if you’re in grade school and already you’ve: been diagnosed with asthma had more hospitalizations than the number of years old […]

What if the benefits of the relaxation exercises you do, such as breathing, visualization, guided imagery and hypnosis, continued 24/7? That would be pretty great, right? I’d guess most people would hope and expect to get some benefit, say reduced pain, during their meditation practice. If this benefit continues outside of those 15 or 30 minutes, that’s extra. […]

Nickie Coby has written an inspirational book, Nickie’s Nook: Sharing the Journey. Nickie, a college student, is the author at Nickie’s Nook, a blog about her experience with pain, sight-impairment and living. I found her book really interesting and enjoyable to read. It talks about her pain condition (RSD), how she copes, and the challenges she experiences because of […]

A recent study showed that mindfulness exercises can significantly help low back pain in older adults. 8 sessions of training in mindfulness, which is awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment by moment, were given to older adults with chronic low back […]

Wouldn’t it be comforting to have a friend who knew what you were going through with chronic pain? Wouldn’t it be encouraging to have a support whom you found inspirational? Sister Janice McGrane shares with us these resources in her book Saints To Lean On: Spiritual Companions for Illness and Disability. I recently interviewed her about her own experience […]