Well written and meticulously researched, this was one of the most interesting books I've read in a while. The author is a chronic pain sufferer, which explains her interest. The beginning of the book is her story; how she developed the pain and how she lived with it. This part was irritating to me, because she seemed SO wishy washy about how to help herself, and how she felt like she had to hide it from the man (and eventually, other men) in her life. She also did not pursue treatment as aggressively as she should have. When I had my chronic pain, I did everything I could to try to fix myself. How Thernstrom made it through year after year, I cannot imagine.

The best part of the book is all the amazing and scary statistics and gems about pain. Men and women have different pain receptors (mu vs kappa) and so they need different drugs. Pain truly does cause loss of gray matter in the brain, which affects memory and reasoning. Women show pain differently, and therefore they are perceived differently by doctors (Listen up, MD's: we are not hysterical...we are in PAIN!!).

I got this book from the library, but will get my own copy so I can highlight and write in the margins. Anyone who is in chronic pain, deals with someone who is, or who just wants to learn some very cool facts about the history and theory of why things hurt us should get this immediately. ( )

We all experience physical pain in our lives, some chronic pain. I have been fortunate enough for the most part not have had to deal with the daily chronic type. But if we live long enough that is more likely. Today the focus is very much on pain relief and the resultant opioid addiction we see so much in the news.

In this book, which I listened to as audio Melanie Ternstrom discusses and picks apart at length her life experience with pain that stemmed from her shoulder. It is much discussion and probing into the many aspects of pain, yet we really don't get a sense of the degree of the pain or answers or cures for it. Much discussion and pondering is what is offered.

It was clearly apparent to me in concluding the book there are no concrete answers and many variations. It is also clear to me that we are still very much in the dark ages of understanding, managing, or curing pain. Despite our perceived super medical technology we still pretty much are clueless and impotent in conquering pain. Eons from now maybe a different scenario, but not for now. ( )

The story of a woman's journey to discover the cause of her own chronic pain, and a history of pain itself - how it has been explained and treated through history. Sympathetic insight for the healthy and the healers. Comfort and revelation for those suffering from chronic pain themselves. ( )

Certainly interesting and some useful info. A bit dated on medications and not too specific on side effects. What really bothered me was this chatty journo speak. I mean why do we readers need to know that doctor X has a finely chiselled chin or that patient Y has dark auburn curls. That just diminishes the sincerety for me.

This combines a first person account tracing the origins of the author's chronic pain with the history and philosophy of pain. It may open readers' eyes about the plight of people with chronic pain, making it all too real. Leaves one with empathy and a sense of the hopelessness some feel with lack of diagnosis or treatment options. ( )