From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This compassionate investigation into the multiple factors leading to pain disorders and the conditions associated with them should be required reading for health-care providers, patients with chronic pain and their families. According to neurologist Fors, patients with such disorders, from back pain and arthritis to chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, frequently experience allergies, headaches, digestive problems, anxiety and depression, leading many physicians to equate chronic pain with chronic patient rather than hunt for a constellation of cause and effect. Fors identifies primary culprits: the typical American diet, laden with sugar and saturated fats and low on nutrient-dense whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish; anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS); environmental toxins; and physical and psychological stress. By making positive lifestyle changes, Fors says, even patients who are suffering most severely will decrease their pain enough to then release neuromyofascial lesions (NMLs, or pain-causing trigger points) that have formed in the fascia (connective tissue) that encases muscle tissue and connects muscles to the rest of the body. In an extensive section on self-care, Fors instructs readers on how to manipulate NMLs; subsections with diagrams map trigger-point locations in specific areas of the body. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Dr. Fors' book, Why We Hurt is the most detailed, thoroughly peer-reviewed and evidenced-based guide for understanding the biochemical, physical and spiritual roles in sickness and in health available to date. It is written for both the practitioner and the 'walking wounded,' providing information addressing the cause and treatment of chronic pain in its many forms. I whole-heartedly recommend it!" -- Thomas F. Bergmann, D.C., F.I.C.C.
"Finally! A holistic, comprehensive book that not only understands pain but shows you what to do to alleviate it. Dr. Fors sets out a thorough program--physical, nutritional and spiritual--that guides the reader through the layers of healing. Why We Hurt is a godsend to all of us who have suffered with chronic pain. This book should be on the shelf of every massage therapist in the country and in the hands of all their clients." -- Mary Swander, L.M.T., author of The Desert Pilgrim: En Route to Mysticism and Miracles
"Why We Hurt is an excellent, well-organized and understandable complete guide to a science-based natural approach to chronic pain. It inspires people not to just seek pain relief, but to heal their pain. It is not only an excellent self-help book for anyone who suffers from chronic pain, but a primary reference guide for the health care professional for understanding and treating the neurological and metabolic causes of chronic pain. Why We Hurt certainly has my heartiest recommendation." -- W. Karl Parker BA DC FICC FACC
"Finally! A holistic, comprehensive book that not only understands pain but shows you what to do to alleviate it. Dr. Fors sets out a thorough program--physical, nutritional and spiritual--that guides the reader through the layers of healing. Why We Hurt is a godsend to all of us who have suffered with chronic pain. This book should be on the shelf of every massage therapist in the country and in the hands of all their clients." -- Mary Swander, L.M.T., author of The Desert Pilgrim: En Route to Mysticism and Miracles
"Why We Hurt is an excellent, well-organized and understandable complete guide to a science-based natural approach to chronic pain. It inspires people not to just seek pain relief, but to heal their pain. It is not only an excellent self-help book for anyone who suffers from chronic pain, but a primary reference guide for the health care professional for understanding and treating the neurological and metabolic causes of chronic pain. Why We Hurt certainly has my heartiest recommendation." -- W. Karl Parker BA DC FICC FACC
