Mastering Pain [Mass Market Paperback]

Richard A. Sternbach M.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1988

Pain can be devastating. It can lead to depression, loss of sleep, tension in the family and a reduction of productive hours on the job. Now, Dr. Richard A. Sternbach, director of the Pain Treatment Center at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, presents a dramatic easy-to-follow program that he has found can help you take control of your pain -- and take control of your life -- while significantly reducing the amount of medication you may need. He targets the specific causes of pain -- sports injuries, back problems, migraines, arthritis and more -- and offers specific techniques to combat them, including:
* A comprehensive conditioning plan
* Prescription analgesics and nonprescription alternatives
* Proven relaxation exercises such as biofeedback
* Positive reinforcement from friends and family
* A psychological training program for changing the way you confront pain
* Plus, a complete chapter on how to manage cancer pain, and an appendix listing the major pain treatment centers across the country.
"Advice that might be more important than your medicine cabinet when it comes to living with pain."
-- USA Weekend

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Sternbach, a researcher and program director at the Pain Treatment Center of California's Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, describes a plan for mastering pain, composed of acceptance, goal-setting, constructive anger, medication control, fitness, relaxation activity, pace, positive reinforcement from loved ones, openness with one's physician, empathy, and hope. A moderate, practical approach to a widespread problem (some 12 percent of American adults suffer from chronic physical pain), this book will appeal to general readers and is highly recommended for consumer health and patient education collections. Judith Eannarino, George Washington Univ. Lib., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

Pain can be devastating. It can lead to depression, loss of sleep, tension in the family and a reduction of productive hours on the job. Now, Dr. Richard A. Sternbach, director of the Pain Treatment Center at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, presents a dramatic easy-to-follow program that he has found can help you take control of your pain -- and take control of your life -- while significantly reducing the amount of medication you may need. He targets the specific causes of pain -- sports injuries, back problems, migraines, arthritis and more -- and offers specific techniques to combat them, including:
* A comprehensive conditioning plan
* Prescription analgesics and nonprescription alternatives
* Proven relaxation exercises such as biofeedback
* Positive reinforcement from friends and family
* A psychological training program for changing the way you confront pain
* Plus, a complete chapter on how to manage cancer pain, and an appendix listing the major pain treatment centers across the country.
"Advice that might be more important than your medicine cabinet when it comes to living with pain."
-- USA Weekend

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345354281
• ISBN-13: 978-0345354280
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,242,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic guide to living with an invisible handicap, August 7, 2000

By 

Evans Thompson (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mastering Pain (Mass Market Paperback)

I've had chronic pain for 5 years and have been to see a number of different pain management practices. The one that worked the best for me is modeled on the same approach Sternbach advocates.

Our bodies normally experience pain for a reason. Acute pain indicates tissue damage and forces us to stop and take care of an injury. Chronic pain, on the other hand, is pain without an organic stimulus; there's no tissue damage and we don't need to take care of an injured body. Chronic pain, by definition, isn't going anywhere. So the best way to deal with chronic pain is to find ways to *cope* with it and not hope for some miraculous cure.

Sternbach does an excellent job explaining a multidisciplinary approach to managing chronic pain and learning to live with it. It makes a fantastic reference no only for those of us with chronic pain, but also for our loved ones who want to help but don't know how. I made my immediate family and closest friends read it. While they initially protested, they thanked me afterwards and have been much more supportive, and their desire to help has been more productive.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST book on chronic pain I've found., October 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Mastering Pain (Mass Market Paperback)

I've lived with chronic pain for 2 1/2 years as a result of a car accident which left me with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. This book addresses issues that apply to all kinds of chronic pain. It is practical and easy to understand. I've bought many, many books on chronic pain, and this is by far the best. I believe this approach to living with chronic pain is realistic, positive and allows the sufferer to make the most of his/her life. The book relates very well to the psychological effects of living with chronic pain. This physical and psychological program allows the sufferer to take back control over his pain and his life. If you or a loved one suffer from chronic pain, this book is a must.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read for those w/ chronic pain, April 26, 2002

By 

Glenn Nichols (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mastering Pain (Mass Market Paperback)

I've had to live with severe chronic pain following a lumbar spine fusion 2 years ago that put me in worse pain than before the surgery. Since the surgeon has been worthless in helping me, i've been on my own and when i found this book i was delighted because it described me to a tee. While i haven't found nirvana and will never be pain free, this book has given me a strong set of tools to help deal with the severe pain i live with 24/7. Highly recommended for anyone in a similar boat.