The War on Pain [Paperback]

Scott Fishman (Author), Lisa Berger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2001

If you are one of the 45 million Americans suffering from chronic pain, you've most likely seen numerous doctors and tried a wide range of medicines and treatments, only to alleviate your pain. You've probably come to believe that there's nothing to be done and that your chronic pain, is, well, chronic. Now, in a groundbreaking contribution, Dr. Scott Fishman introduces an interdisciplinary pain-management approach that integrates traditional and alternative techniques including pharmcology, neuroscience, experimental precedures and mind-body medicine. For anyone who suffers from chronic pain conditions such as back pain, post-surgical pain, migraines, and arthritis, The War on Pain, with the latest research personal stories of patients, and the wise and compassionate advice of a leading pain expert, is a patient's best defense.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A lucid and accessible explanation of pain in all of its dimensions, told through case histories with a very human face. With an understanding of pain's effects on body and mind, Dr. Fishman offers important physical and psychic strategies to loosen the grip of chronic suffering." -- Jerome E. Groopman, M.D., author of The Measure of Our Days<br /><br />"Dr. Fishman is a recognized authority on pain management. In this very lucid volume, he describes the extraordinary advances that have occurred in the scientific understanding of pain biology, and the remarkable translation of these advances to patient care. His book demonstrates well the expertise and compassion that a pain specialist can bring to the care of patients with persistent pain." -- Russell Portenoy, M.D., President, American Pain Society, Chairman, Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care, Beth Israel Medical Center<br /><br />"The management of pain has entered a new era, as Dr. Scott Fishman's book shows. The War on Pain could be a breakthrough for anyone who suffers. Bridging body and mind, this book exemplifies the best of integrative medicine." --Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Reinventing Medicine and Healing Words --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Dr. Scott Fishman is the newly appointed chief of the division of pain medicine and associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of California, Davis. He was formerly medical director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Pain Center and assistant professor of anesthesiology and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1 edition (February 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060930780
• ISBN-13: 978-0060930783
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #932,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relief for Sufferers..., January 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The War on Pain: How Breakthroughs in the New Field of Pain Medicine are Turning the Tide Against Suffering (Hardcover)

I am one of those people who want to know the where, why and what of medical problems. I have been surfing the Internet for a long time trying to understand the nature of the severe back pain that I suffer from and have found it frustrating. This book really goes to the core of the problem. Not only do I have a real sense of why and how I have this problem but what are the possible solutions. I live in a small town and while we have good medical help, sometimes it is not cutting edge. I recommend this book to ANYONE who suffers from chronic, long-term pain. Dr. Fishman sounds like just the kind of doctor I wish I could go see...this book is an important contribution to medicine and the consumer. Thank you Dr. Fishman!

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, the straight dope, January 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The War on Pain: How Breakthroughs in the New Field of Pain Medicine are Turning the Tide Against Suffering (Hardcover)

As someone who's been suffering from chronic pain for years, this book is a godsend. I've read just about everything out there, but found them either patronizing or smelling of snake oil. The War on Pain is for anyone who's ever wished they could sit down for a long afternoon (instead of for ten minutes) with a top pain doctor who really seems to feel for his patients. Dr. Fishman doesn't talk down to his reader or over his head, but he still manages to speak from the heart (which is pretty rare for a doctor.) I've always considered myself an unwilling expert in pain, but after reading this book, I've realized how little I really understood. This is a book I wish I'd had three years ago and that I'll be recommending to everyone I know that's battling pain. Thanks, Doctor Fishman!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive Yet Readable, August 21, 2001

By 

William A. Bergen (Auburn, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The War on Pain (Paperback)

Any sufferer of chronic pain knows the frustration of trying to communicate to others how pain seeps into every aspect of your daily life. Too many doctors ignore the patient's pain because long term suffering may be incurable, but that does not mean it is not treatable. This doctor understands that acknowledgement can bring relief and is an advocate of having the patient take an active role in seeking relief with everything from brand new drugs and technologies to alternative medicine. This book will educate you so you can better seek relief with your doctor. A lot has changed in the last decade and now almost everyone with chronic paid can get considerable relief as I found out when I thought I had run out of options. I read this book from the library, then bought the book so I could have my family read it. This is a very valuable book.