Maletic (neuropsychiatry and behavioral science, U. of South Carolina, and psychiatry, Duke U.) et al. answer 100 questions sufferers and their families have about chronic pain. They provide background on pain and common disorders and discuss neurobiology, pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, interventional and surgical procedures, and coping strategies, with definitions of medical terms in the margins of the text. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

You do not have to live with constant pain or interrupted sleep

If you are one of the millions of people suffering from chronic pain, it can often seem as if your discomfort is running-and ruining-your life. Maybe you’ve even been told that “it’s all in your head” and you just have to endure the debilitating effects of migraines, arthritis, back and neck pain, and chronic illness. You can feel good again! Defeat Chronic Pain Now ! is your survival guide to preventing, reversing, and managing chronic pain. Referencing breakthrough medical research, two of the leading pain specialists in the field, Bradley S. Galer, M.D., and Charles E. Argoff, M.D., present hidden and little known causes of common chronic pain conditions, how to avoid misdiagnosis, and the latest treatments under development including: -Myofascial Dysfunction: The real (undiagnosed!) culprit in 90% of Back and Neck Pain -DMARDS and NSAIDS: Two breakthrough drugs that promise significant relief for Arthritis -Nutraceuticals: The natural wonder treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy -Focal heat trigger-point (FHTP) therapy: The new drug-free approach to Migraine relief The first practical book on integrative pain management, Defeat Chronic Pain Now ! gives you the latest information on surgical options, new medications, complementary therapies, and psychological interventions that can be used to rewire your body for pain relief. For each condition and procedure, you’ll learn what to expect in the hospital and the doctor's office, and what self-therapy solutions you can do on your own. Detailed illustrations and easy-to-understand descriptions help you select the best treatment options to improve your unique type of pain and take back your life.

Has chronic pain become part of your family? Your suffering is important, too. Chronic pain is a life-changing condition, and not just for the person in pain; chronic pain afflicts the whole family. Even a well-functioning family is likely to be thrown out of balance when one of its members has chronic pain. Family members commonly report experiencing feelings of guilt, helplessness, depression, anxiety, and even resentment. Yet their suffering is often overlooked. In many cases, the pain sufferer's problematic use of painkillers or other substances prescibed for pain management adds to the family's confusion and distress. Pain Recovery for the Family provides a solution-oriented approach for family members to maintain a healthy life balance while providing support to someone with chronic pain, Includes self-assessments and writing exercises designed to address the many facets of chronic pain and addiction and their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual effects on the family.

In Take Charge of Your Chronic Pain, Dr. Abaci sets forth a comprehensive approach to chronic pain, one rooted in cutting-edge research and case studies. He empowers readers by teaching them how they can take control of their pain by pairing traditional medicine with unconventional treatments - such as meditation, tai chi, art therapy, diet, supplements, acupuncture, and yoga. Writing in a reassuring tone throughout, he also reveals groundbreaking new information about how functional MRIs can now measure pain for the first time before and after treatments, as well as startling information about the pharmaceutical industry and the surprising new discovery that narcotic pain medications can actually worsen the pain.

If you have a soft tissue injury, you face a confusing array of choices for your treatment, including the possibility of surgery. By carefully analyzing the treatments available to you, Healing Joint and Back Injuries offers hope for permanent healing. This book will guide you through the process of understanding your inquiries, your pain, and your options. And if you've tried a variety of treatments and haven't found relief, prolotherapy may be your best choice. With its balances, integrative approach, Healing Back and Joint Injuries will help you explore the most promising new therapies in your search for true healing and lasting relief from chronic pain.

It's no secret that yoga increases muscular flexibility and strength, but you may not know that yoga is a proven treatment for back pain, knee pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other chronic pain conditions. Yoga also helps to ease the stress, anxiety, and depression that can create and reinforce pain, making you feel more comfortable in both your mind and your body.

Your mood, thoughts, and emotions can affect your perception of pain and even your ability to heal. In fact, your past life experiences influence your current physical challenges: "your biography influences your biology." While treatments like medication and physical therapy can be enormously beneficial to the body, to maximize pain relief, it's necessary to take advantage of the mind's healing abilities. This book offers a revolutionary new treatment approach, mindfulness-based chronic pain management, that helps you harness your mind's power to quiet your pain and put you in control. Mindfulness practice, which includes stationary meditations, movement meditations, mindful art, and other strategies, will help you: Understand how emotions #38; thoughts affect physical symptoms, Reverse the debilitating effects of some chronic pain conditions, Prevent pain from becoming chronic or long-term, Life the anxiety #38; depression that may accompany chronic pain. Book jacket.