Author: David E. Smalley M. D.

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 9781732287303

This nonfictional 360-plus-page book with full color cover dust jacket describes my experiences with pain and will be in the Health and Self-help categories of books. The book is written for a general audience, especially for those dealing with acute or chronic musculoskeletal pain. It is for persons, their family and friends, who are looking for better ways to deal with pain, when what they are trying is not working. There are 19 original grayscale illustrations. I relate personal experiences with pain, beginning at the age of 5, when I was hospitalized for over 3 months with a severe autoimmune illness. My injuries since then have taught me more about pain, especially after medical school. During my practice of orthopedic surgery, trauma surgery and spine surgery, I enjoyed learning from my patients. In the 1980s, three spine patients, all with severe pain, sparked my intense learning experience while dealing with their challenging conditions, including cancer of the spine. I give true stories and teach principles that have worked for the benefit of many. Experimenting with the principles has helped my own health challenges. Understanding the healing capacity of the human body gives hope and perspective. How average patients get into trouble trying to copy elite athletes in the news is reviewed to give perspective for the rest of us. I describe physical, emotional and spiritual tools that can alleviate all levels of pain, whether it is from automobile accidents or from an ankle sprain. One of the simplest tools is when to use ice or heat, but there are many other good tools. How to recognize them and ways to keep from misusing them are given. Pain that is not improving, as expected, is all too common and frustrating for patients and doctors. Dependencies and addictions of many kinds are addressed. What I learned about pain as a patient and as an orthopedic surgeon includes timeless principles and ideas that will help with the ongoing opioid abuse epidemic. By understanding true stories and with the application of principles, many painful musculoskeletal problems can be resolved.