Pain: The Science of Suffering (Maps of the Mind)

Wall, Patrick

ISBN 10: 0231120079 / ISBN 13: 9780231120074

Editore: Columbia University Press, 2002

Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. An apparently unread copy in perfect condition. Dust cover is intact with no nicks or tears. Spine has no signs of creasing. Pages are clean and not marred by notes or folds of any kind. Codice articolo rev6256952700

Riassunto:

Pain is one of medicine's greatest mysteries. When farmer John Mitson caught his hand in a baler, he cut off his trapped hand and carried it to a neighbor. "Sheer survival and logic" was how he described it. "And strangely, I didn't feel any pain." How can this be? We're taught that pain is a warning message to be heeded at all costs, yet it can switch off in the most agonizing circumstances or switch on for no apparent reason. Many scientists, philosophers, and laypeople imagine pain to operate like a rigid, simple signaling system, as if a particular injury generates a fixed amount of pain that simply gets transmitted to the brain; yet this mechanistic model is woefully lacking in the face of the surprising facts about what people and animals do and experience when their bodies are damaged.

Patrick Wall looks at these questions and sets his scientific account in a broad context, interweaving it with a wealth of fascinating and sometimes disturbing historical detail, such as famous characters who derived pleasure from pain, the unexpected reactions of injured people, the role of endorphins, and the power of placebo. He covers cures of pain, ranging from drugs and surgery, through relaxation techniques and exercise, to acupuncture, electrical nerve stimulation, and herbalism.

Pain involves our state of mind, our social mores and beliefs, and our personal experiences and expectations. Stepping beyond the famous neurologic gate-control theory for which he is known, Wall shows that pain is a matter of behavior and its manifestation differs among individuals, situations, and cultures. "The way we deal with pain is an expression of individuality."

Informazioni sull'autore: The late Patrick Wall was professor of physiology at St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School, London and a fellow of the Royal Society. His books include Defeating Pain, The Challenge of Pain, Natural Pain Relief, and Textbook of Pain.

Dati bibliografici

Titolo: Pain: The Science of Suffering (Maps of the ...
Casa editrice: Columbia University Press
Data di pubblicazione: 2002
Legatura: paperback
Condizione: Like New