Chronic Pain

MY PRISON OF PAIN

by Perry Bulwer

My prison of pain
Keeps me locked in
Misery and sufferin'
Are my life's bane

Insufferable invisible
No one knows my pain
Worse than whip or chain
Unbearable terrible

You could ease my pain
With care and compassion
Though that's not in fashion
It would not be in vain

****************************************

Can't explain
The sources of this hidden pain  

- Bob Dylan 

I've had some bad times,
Lived through some sad times,
This time the hurtin' won't heal. 

- Kenny Rogers


They say that time will kill the pain
I say that pain is gonna kill my time 

- Ben Harper


What it's like being alone
It's like hurting from your teeth to your toes
And nobody knows 

- from the poem "What it's like being alone"

• • Pain: The Fifth Vital Sign
    Marni Jackson explores the history, variety, acknowledgment, and treatment of pain, the fifth vital sign.
  • Chronic pain needs to be recognised as a disease in its own right, experts say.
    "There is a cultural problem where it's thought that there is a benefit from suffering. "We have to get over this. It's not acceptable for people to suffer significant pain in the 21st century."
  • Chronic Pain Harms The Brain
    People with unrelenting pain don't only suffer from the non-stop sensation of throbbing pain. They also have trouble sleeping, are often depressed, anxious and even have difficulty making simple decisions.
  • Is pain all in the mind?
  • Baffling Chronic Pain Linked To Weird Rewiring Of Brain
    ScienceDaily (Nov. 27, 2008) — Scientists peered at the brains of people with a baffling chronic pain condition and discovered something surprising.
  • Chronic pain can be 'paralyzing' for women
    A 2008 study found that people with chronic pain have neurons firing too much in certain brain regions, which could lead to permanent damage. This may explain the repeated findings in other studies that chronic pain is linked to depression.
  • Bad early life experiences may harm hormone signals in the brain, causing both behavioural problems in childhood and chronic widespread pain in adulthood.
    "While the factors associated with developing chronic widespread pain are slowly being revealed, it is becoming clear that events that happen early in childhood are important."
  • Pain Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
    ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2008) — By manipulating the appearance of a chronically achy hand, researchers have found they could increase or decrease the pain and swelling in patients moving their symptomatic limbs.
  • Pain Is Not A Symptom Of Arthritis, Pain Causes Arthritis, Study Shows
  • Chronic Pain Might Contribute To Suicidal Thoughts
    “Pain is one of those factors that may make someone feel more hopeless and less optimistic about the future and increases the chances that they will think about suicide”
  • Science Daily: Chronic Pain Can Impair Memory
  • Pain 'linked with low vitamin D'
    Low levels of the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D, may contribute to chronic pain among women, scientists believe.
  • Physical Activity Is Natural Pain Reliever For Arthritis
  • Nine Alternative Techniques for Coping with Chronic Pain
  • Could Medical Marijuana Have Saved Michael Jackson?
    We know — repeat, we know — that marijuana can be effective against certain types of pain. As The Lancet Neurology put it a few years ago, “cannabinoids inhibit pain in virtually every experimental pain paradigm.”
  • Marijuana May Be Effective For Neuropathic Pain
    The growing body of evidence that cannabis may be effective as a pain reliever has been expanded with publication of a new study in The Journal of Pain reporting that patients with nerve pain showed reduced pain intensity from smoking marijuana.
  • New Cannabis-like Drugs Could Block Pain Without Affecting Brain, Says Study
    People have used cannabis for medicinal purposes for centuries. Queen Victoria used it in tea to help with her period pains, and people with a variety of conditions say that it helps alleviate their symptoms.
  • Marijuana-inspired Painkiller? New Chemical Pathway Discovered
    ScienceDaily (Nov. 27, 2008) Marijuana kills pain by activating a set of proteins known as cannabinoid receptors, which can also regulate appetite, inflammation, and memory.
  • Alexander Technique Offers Long-term Relief For Back Pain
    Alexander technique lessons in combination with an exercise programme offer long-term effective treatment for chronic back pain, according to a study published on the British Medical Journal website.
  • Science Daily: Drug-free Treatments Offer Hope For Older People In Pain
  • Gene Therapy For Chronic Pain Gets First Test In People
  • Physicians Focus On Stopping Pain Epidemic
    The public health problem that needs to be addressed next is the epidemic of pain, according to pain medicine physicians who have come together to discuss the latest in pain research and treatment at the 24th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain
  • Antidepressants have potent pain relieving properties alone, or through enhancing narcotics, and they enhance sleep, appetite and occasionally energy.
  • Just What the Doctor Ordered: A Massage
    It has been fairly well documented that massage therapy provided by a licensed or certified professional produces real relief that may last even months.
  • Why Some Hospitals Are Allowing Unnecessary Suffering
    Easing pain is arguably as important as saving a life. But far too many U.S. physicians focus only on the latter.
  • Risks For Painkiller Abuse Do Not Outweigh Benefits Of Chronic Pain Control, Expert Says
    Contrary to widespread beliefs, less than 3 percent of patients with no history of drug abuse who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain will show signs of possible drug abuse or dependence.
  • Methadone Rises as a Painkiller With Big Risks
    A synthetic form of opium, it is cheap and long lasting, a powerful pain reliever that has helped millions. But ... is now the fastest growing cause of narcotic deaths.
  • Science Daily: Doctors Urged To Change The Way They Prescribe Pain Relievers For Chronic Pain
  • Science Daily: Trying To Control Pain Can Be A Double-edged Sword, Say Scientists
  • Quest for Super Painkiller that Won't Addict
  • Science Daily: Strong Pain-killing Drugs Without The Addiction
  • Science Daily: Has Science Unearthed The Holy Grail Of Pain Relief
  • Drug derived from chillis is hailed as a breakthrough in pain relief
  • Hot Chili Peppers Help Unravel The Mechanism Of Pain
    Capsaicin, the active ingredient in spicy hot chili peppers such as the jalapeno, is most often experienced as an irritant, but it may also be used to reduce pain.
  • Studying chilli peppers is helping scientists create a new type of painkiller which could stop pain at its source.
    Ultimately, he hopes the drugs will be able to treat different types of chronic pain, including that associated with cancer and inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.
  • Science Daily: Experimental Gene Therapy 'Abolishes' Arthritis Pain And Lessens Joint Damage
  • Science Daily: Living With Cancer: Keeping Pain And Fatigue Under Control
  • Science Daily: Pain Relief Effectiveness Down To Mind-set?
  • Science Daily: Rating Your Pain From Zero To Ten Might Not Help Your Doct
  • A Step Forward In Targeted Pain Therapy
  • Managing Chronic Pain: When Does Morphine Become Less Effective?
  • Portable Device Effective In Zapping Away Migraine Pain
    A novel electronic device designed to "zap" away migraine pain before it starts has proven to be the next form of relief for those suffering from the debilitating disease, according to a study conducted at The Ohio State University Medical Center.
  • Nerves Behind Pain Relief Provided By Stressful Situations
    A component of the fight-or-flight response is the suppression of pain, also known as stress-induced analgesia (SIA).
  • How Crying Can Make You Healthier
    We all know a good cry helps to soothe our minds. Now doctors are discovering that tears may help to heal our bodies, too.
  • Want to Live Longer? Start Laughing More
    A good chuckle doesn't just cheer us up. Doctors are discovering that it can ease pain and even help fight disease.
  • Pain Hurts More If Person Hurting You Means It
    Researchers at Harvard University have discovered that our experience of pain depends on whether we think someone caused the pain intentionally.
  • Antioxidants Offer Pain Relief In Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis
    Significant improvement was noted with antioxidants in respect to all the parameters of pain in this study.
  • Can Cherries Relieve The Pain Of Osteoarthritis?
    According to researchers with the Baylor Research Institute, tart cherries, in pill form, may be a promising pain-reliever for this common and debilitating form of arthritis.
  • Computer Use Significantly Affected By Arthritis
    Computer use is a risk factor for pain and musculoskeletal disorders in the general population; arthritis patients are more at risk because of difficulties performing tasks due to pain, restricted movement, muscle weakness, or fatigue.
  • Science Daily: More Than A Pill: Complementary Medicine Can Help With Chronic Pain
  • Non-traditional Therapy Is Effective As Pain Management, Study Suggests
  • England's National Health Service pins its hopes for treating back pain on acupuncture
    Unprecedented approval for alternative therapies from health service watchdog
  • Pain Relieving Effects Of Acupuncture Are Limited
    The pain relieving effects of acupuncture compared with placebo are small and seem to lack clinical relevance, according to a study published on the British Medical Journal website.
  • Acupuncture And Myofascial Trigger Therapy Treat Same Pain Areas
    Ancient acupuncture and modern myofascial pain therapy each focus on hundreds of similar points on the body to treat pain although they do it differently.
  • Zen meditation – a centuries-old practice that can provide mental, physical and emotional balance – may reduce pain according to Université de Montréal researchers.
  • Ocean coral 'offers pain therapy'
    A compound harvested from soft coral off the coast of Taiwan could provide a new treatment for pain from intractable nerve damage, experts say.
  • Music can take the pain away, study finds
    A recent study done at Glasgow Caledonian University found that people who were listening to their favourite music felt less pain and could stand pain for a longer period.
  • Music reduces pain and 'nurtures' premature babies
    There is preliminary evidence to suggest that music may have beneficial effects in terms of physiological parameters, behavioural states and pain reduction during painful medical procedures.
  • B.C. researchers develop virtual reality for pain sufferers
    Research shows a 3-D stroll in the forest has the power to help people manage chronic pain, sometimes with better results than traditional means such as morphine.
  • Patients play their way to pain control
  • The Placebo Effect: Studies Reveal How Fake Medicine Actually Reduces Pain
    New medical research is finding that the pain relief induced by placebos may come from releasing the body's own chemical pain relievers.
  • New research shows feelings of intense love can relieve pain.
    Find things to give you pleasure in life. Activating this intrinsic reward system ultimately can reduce your pain.