The Pain Chronicles: Cures, Myths, Mysteries, Prayers, Diaries, Brain Scans, Healing, and the Science of Suffering

Written by Melanie Thernstrom

Narrated by 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changes to the brain and spinal cord, many doctors and patients still labor under misguided cultural notions and outdated scientific dogmas that prevent proper treatment, to devastating effect.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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Aug 24, 2010
• ISBN: 9781400188543

Melanie Thernstrom

Melanie Thernstrom is a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine and the author of The Pain Chronicles, The Dead Girl and Halfway Heaven: Diary of a Harvard Murder.

Reviews for The Pain Chronicles

[gratefulyoga · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story of a woman's journey to discover the cause of her own chronic pain, and a history of pain itself - how it has been explained and treated through history. Sympathetic insight for the healthy and the healers. Comfort and revelation for those suffering from chronic pain themselves.

[knightlight777 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

We all experience physical pain in our lives, some chronic pain. I have been fortunate enough for the most part not have had to deal with the daily chronic type. But if we live long enough that is more likely. Today the focus is very much on pain relief and the resultant opioid addiction we see so much in the news.In this book, which I listened to as audio Melanie Ternstrom discusses and picks apart at length her life experience with pain that stemmed from her shoulder. It is much discussion and probing into the many aspects of pain, yet we really don't get a sense of the degree of the pain or answers or cures for it. Much discussion and pondering is what is offered.It was clearly apparent to me in concluding the book there are no concrete answers and many variations. It is also clear to me that we are still very much in the dark ages of understanding, managing, or curing pain. Despite our perceived super medical technology we still pretty much are clueless and impotent in conquering pain. Eons from now maybe a different scenario, but not for now.

[michaelbartley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

a very interesting study and discussion of pain, the brain, and human consciousness. it's amazing that something as basic as pain we have so real understanding of it.

[stbalbach_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Most people with chronic pain are on a long journey to find a cure or even some relief, such as Melanie Thernstrom, a journalist and author, who has had chronic pain for over 10 years. After she was given a magazine article writing assignment about pain, she decided to take it a step further and expand her investigations into a book. Part history, part memoir, part science journalism, it's the sort of book that is easy and compelling to read, while also imparting a great deal of information that is useful for pain sufferers. There is no magic potion inside (other than perhaps physical therapy), in fact we learn pain is highly complex and not well understood and everyone is different. I read it mainly for hard facts, any information that might help in my own case, and I did learn a lot - the book is much cheaper and probably more informative than most pain doctor visits. I think anyone in chronic pain will learn something, it's wide ranging and offers jumping off points for further research and action.

[glitrbug_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating. Learned a lot. I'll have to see if my physical therapist has read it.

[wrmjr66 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Pain Chronicles is part medical reporting, part memoir. The author suffers from chronic pain, and she relates her experiences with suffering and treatment alongside the research and reporting she was able to do as a reporter. The combination is an interesting and readable foray into what it means to have pain and to treat pain patients in contemporary society. She covers many of the problems that pain patients face, including a lack of belief from doctors and friends, but at the same time she shows how difficult it is for doctors to treat pain because of our limited understanding of how pain works.The book is made up of a series of very short chapters, and that is sometimes a weakness, as it feels like Thernstrom is not pushing some ideas as far as she could. Nevertheless, she has still produced an interesting and useful book for those who suffer with chronic pain.

[sleahey_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This combines a first person account tracing the origins of the author's chronic pain with the history and philosophy of pain. It may open readers' eyes about the plight of people with chronic pain, making it all too real. Leaves one with empathy and a sense of the hopelessness some feel with lack of diagnosis or treatment options.