The Pain Chronicles by Melanie Thernstrom

Thernstrom describes nocioception, the neural apprehension and processing of “noxious stimuli”, hyperalgesia, wherein the brain overreacts to painful stimuli, and its wingman, allodynia, or pain response to normally innocuous stimuli. The face, lips, and hands are enormous compared to the distant feet and relatively senseless toes. We learn of the homunculus, the brain’s internal “picture”, or map of the body, a distorted representation delineated not by actual physical proportions, but by levels of enervation and sensation. Thernstrom describes the major types of pain and why some, particularly neuropathies, or nerve pain syndromes, are so intractable. Much of The Pain Chronicles, following scientific research trends, is devoted to studying the brain, brain chemistry, and how pain “works” in the body. Thernstrom is fascinated by the brain and its interaction with pain. In a book so capacious it nearly defies reviewing, a few themes reiterate themselves.

The reason? We trust that our doctors not only believe us-a significant issue in chronic pain management-but are invested in our well-being. According to Thernstrom, this lands me in a category of patients who are satisfied with their care even when, as in my case, treatment doesn’t completely eradicate suffering.

I feel my condition is as well-managed as an incurable orphan disease can be. While I cannot call myself “healthy”, I have health insurance and a compassionate doctor. ver the years I have seen countless medical practitioners, swallowed a pharmacy’s worth of medications and supplements, tried specialized diets, and had almost a dozen surgeries. I have a rare, incurable collagen disorder causing, among many other amusing symptoms, joint degeneration and digestive abnormalities. Nor is it pleasant to be reminded that pain is the most effective method of torture, or learn that medical treatments intended to reduce pain may unwittingly increase it.įull disclosure: I am a chronic pain patient. Reading about the sufferings of others is never pleasant. Profound and engrossing, yes, if not exactly a pleasure. On the cover of my paperback copy, People magazine burbles “Profound and engrossing, this exploration of pain is a pleasure.” The ensuing onslaught of severe pain down her neck, right shoulder, and arm sent her on a medical and literary odyssey resulting in The Pain Chronicles, a comprehensive investigation of chronic pain in its many manifestations. Hoping to impress a possible boyfriend, she swam across a pond. When writer Melanie Thernstrom was 29 years old, she went vacationing on Nantucket with friends.

The Pain Chronicles by Melanie Thernstrom