false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1189723072m/1883269.jpg 1883269 1 <P>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. </P><P>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. </P><P>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."</P> 1884368 15 6 2002 Pain: The Science of Suffering total:7|5:4|4:1|3:2|2:0|1:0| 7 30 11 4 4 0 false false Sat Dec 20 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 01 07:47:42 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 27 11:14:28 -0800 2008 1 how does the time lapse (if any) between injury and onset of pain, play into how the body deals w...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Nov 08 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 08 20:17:16 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 08 20:18:22 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Thu Sep 13 15:38:11 -0700 2007 Fri Nov 23 12:59:58 -0800 2007 Pain: The Science of Suffering is the complete title of this book. Written by a physician, but easily digestible by the layperson. Comprehensive and enlightening. (Charlotte, I want this back!)

addendum: Fixed title (it's good to be a librarian!) AND happily welcomed the return of this...more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Aug 18 07:58:46 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 18 08:00:23 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Sun Nov 22 15:17:45 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 22 15:17:45 -0800 2009 0 0 true false Mon Oct 05 05:19:31 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 05:19:31 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Oct 04 16:02:03 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 04 16:02:03 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun May 31 06:27:30 -0700 2009 Sun May 31 06:27:30 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Jul 25 09:10:34 -0700 2008 Fri Jul 25 09:10:34 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Tue May 13 02:37:57 -0700 2008 Tue May 13 15:23:41 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Sat Oct 13 21:08:46 -0700 2007 Sat Oct 13 21:08:46 -0700 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=1883269