The Pain Chronicles · Cures, Myths, Mysteries, Prayers, Diaries, Brain Scans, Healing, and the Science of Suffering by Thernstrom, Melanie -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Introduction: The Telegram I. THE VALE OF PAIN, THE VEIL OF PAIN: PAIN AS METAPHOR

Dolor Dictat Pain Diary: I Keep a Secret Poena The Descent of Pain Their Eyes Were Open to Suffering Evil, Hurtful Things of Darkness No God Came to the Rescue, No Goddess Took Pity on Me Pain Diary: I Avoid Diagnosis Acute and Chronic Pain Destroyer of Grief The Plan The Placebo Dilemma Repressed Negative Emotions Thistles to Thee Jesus’ Pain The Martyr’s Paradox Trial by Ordeal Pain Diary: I Decide to Get a Diagnosis The Body in Pain Pioneer Girl

II. THE SPELL OF SURGICAL SLEEP: PAIN AS HISTORY

Conquering Pain The Craft and Its Terrors A Terror That Surpasses All Description Drowsy Potions Mesmerized A Chimera Not Permitted By Whom Pain in Surgery Was Averted and Annulled The Slavery of Etherization Pain Diary: I Get a Diagnosis One’s Whole Life and One’s Fate

III. TERRIBLE ALCHEMY: PAIN AS DISEASE

A Particular Chamber in Hell The Shape-shifter The Undeadness of Dead Nerves Neuropathic Pain Syndromes Surgical Pain Syndromes A Classic Misinterpretation “It’s Hard Work Behaving as a Credible Patient” The Paradox of Patients’ Satisfaction with Inadequate Pain Management The Scar Hypothesis Opioid Addiction and Pseudo-addiction Prosecuting Prescribers The Invisible Hierarchy of Feeling Pain Threshold and Pain Tolerance Individual Pain Sensitivity The Cellular Secret of the Chronic Pain Cycle The Wonderful Dream That Pain Has Been Taken Away from Us Pain Diary: I Try to Understand Science

IV. FINDING A VOICE: PAIN AS NARRATIVE

Finding a Voice Inspiration Suffering Integrative and Disintegrative Pain The Risks of Religious Belief The Phoenix The Feared-for Self, the Actual Self, and the Hoped-for Self The Rustling of Strange Wings Ghost of a Medical Meaning The Difficult Patient When Painkillers Create Pain Sinister Ideas of Pathology This Curse That I’m Living With A Partner in Wellness Pain Diary: I Wish for More Betterness At the Will of the Body More Betterness to Get A Hundred Blessings Fortune The Crack Where the Light Comes In Romantic and Physical Pain Only Not Showing You My Devotion Is Painful Kavadi

V. TO CURE THE MIND: PAIN AS PERCEPTION

What Is Pain? The Demon in the Machine Pain Perception and Pain Modulation Expectation Rivals Nociception The Magic Takes Place in Your Head A Less Dire Narrative Pain Diary: I Try to Change My Perception The Anesthesia of Belief Cognitive Control over Neuroplasticity Terra Incognita A Universe of Hurt Right Next Door Notes Acknowledgments Index