Dennis C. Turk, Ph.D., Director, Professor of Psychiatry, Anesthesiology, & Behavioral Science, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Dr. Caudill's narrative is crystal clear and insightful, demonstrating great empathy for pain sufferers. She has a knack for clearly and concisely discussing relevant information while anticipating readers' misconceptions and reservations, addressing them throughout the volume. This volume can be used by people with chronic pain on their own as well as an adjunct to treatments provided by professionals. If followed carefully, this volume will surely make a difference in the lives of those with diverse chronic pain syndromes. Dr. Margaret Caudill has produced an outstanding volume that will set the standard against which all future volumes targeting those with chronic pain will be judged.


Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., President, Mind/Body Health Sciences, Inc., and author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind (NYTimes bestseller) and The Power of the Mind to Heal
Managing Pain before It Manages You is a well spring of wisdom and practical approaches that can help transform your life as well as your pain. Dr Caudill's enormous wealth of knowledge, extensive clinical experience, and compassionate understanding combine to make this the single best book on pain available today. It will surely become a classic.


From Book News, Inc.
Like the foreword writer, Herbert Benson, MD, author of The Relaxation Response, Caudill (Dartmouth Medical School) is a physician who subscribes to complementary alternative medicine. She explains the mind-body connection, common chronic pain conditions, and self-help tasks. Worksheets include a pain diary. No data is given for the first edition.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


Review
"She has developed a clinically tested program recognized throughout the world. Her program for chronic pain has been scientifically proven to significantly lessen anxiety and depression, as well as anger and hostility....The publication of Managing Pain Before It Manages You allows those who are not participating in a formally structured program to make use of its approach. The book is user-friendly, providing practical advice in an engaging fashion. Those who have used this approach report that in addition to lessening their suffering from pain, they have learned how to apply its principles to other aspects of their lives. They communicate better, have a more positive attitude, and frequently achieve other elusive health goals. Overall, they report having gained more control over their lives."--The Pain Clinic

"This is a revised edition of a well-known workbook for self management of chronic pain. The first edition of this book was published in 1994 and received numerous accolades from the popular press as well as notable scholars in pain medicine. The book has also been enormously popular among lay audience including chronic pain patients and their families. The revised edition includes updated information to accommodate today's healthcare climate, particularly in the areas of medications....the book is likely to serve as an excellent supplement to therapy."--Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy

"I can assure you this is a five-star book! Race to your nearest bookstore for your own personal copy that will help you, or someone you know that is suffering daily pain. Not only is there a world of information, but work sheets and records for the ¿patient'....This book can change the way a person with pain thinks and reacts. This is a guarantee: After reading and studying this book, the person suffering will feel better about himself."--News Chief

"This very complete manual on how to manage one's own chronic pain will be a very useful adjunct to psychotherapy whenever a patient is struggling with long-term pain despite a physician's care....Many 'special features' make this book's approach powerful--the author provides chapter-end summaries of important points, exploration tasks which reinforce chapter learning, supplementary reading lists for use in further development of coping skills, several very handy appendices ("Common Chronic Pain Conditions," "Complementary Alternative Medicine," and an appendix on preventing workplace injuries, "Working Comfortably"). The book is well indexed and has an excellent bibliography of sources for self-help and self-education. Many useful tables for tracking pain experienced, behavior, etc. are given at the end of the book in a format that is easily copied for use: a pain diary sheet, a relaxation response diary sheet, and a sheet for recording self-talk, emotions, automatic thoughts and their distortions....I would recommend this book to anyone whose practice will find them in relationship to others with chronic pain, be they physicians, psychologists, counselors, nurses, or other practitioners. It would be very useful as an adjunct text in a graduate clinical psychology course on the treatment of chronic pain, cognitive behavioral therapy, or rational emotive therapy, among others."--Psychological Reports

PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION
" ...This book does not just provide excellent content; it is also structured to motivate people and is written in a manner that seems to invite learning....It is written in a clear and articulate style that is friendly and informative but not condescending, while at the same time educational and scientific without being pedantic. The book is both philosophical and practical, providing learning experiences on several levels. The chapters are well organized, including essential information on a wide variety of topics, backed by references to relevant research and citing the principal investigators involved in the research. There is a nice combination of education, examples, and exercises in each chapter, providing a positive and inviting learning atmosphere. The summaries at the end of each chapter are excellent as are the bibliographies that are provided. The coverage of different approaches to pain management is notable for its breadth and the obvious comfort the author has with her material. A good deal of very practical and useful information is presented in a concise fashion....I recommend this volume without hesitation both as a self-help book for chronic pain sufferers and as an important source of treatment information for professionals who may wish to become more knowledgeable about chronic pain and its treatment."--Journal of Pharmaceutical Care in Pain & Symptom Control

"This book presents a well defined and clearly articulated program designed to teach persons who live with pain how to manage pain and feel more in control of their lives....Occupational therapy practitioners who work with this population should find this book appealing and useful. It is practical and offers clear materials to reproduce and use in group and individual sessions....This book should fit nicely as a valuable resource in any occupational therapy department."--American Occupational Therapy Association

"....This book may be used in conjunction with a formally structured pain-control program or on an independent basis. Its practical, jargon-free style is geared towards the lay reader. A user-friendly style and many simple measurement scales facilitate application...."--Child and Family Behavior Therapy

"...a how-to workbook."--The Bookwatch



Review
"She has developed a clinically tested program recognized throughout the world. Her program for chronic pain has been scientifically proven to significantly lessen anxiety and depression, as well as anger and hostility....The publication of Managing Pain Before It Manages You allows those who are not participating in a formally structured program to make use of its approach. The book is user-friendly, providing practical advice in an engaging fashion. Those who have used this approach report that in addition to lessening their suffering from pain, they have learned how to apply its principles to other aspects of their lives. They communicate better, have a more positive attitude, and frequently achieve other elusive health goals. Overall, they report having gained more control over their lives."--The Pain Clinic

"This is a revised edition of a well-known workbook for self management of chronic pain. The first edition of this book was published in 1994 and received numerous accolades from the popular press as well as notable scholars in pain medicine. The book has also been enormously popular among lay audience including chronic pain patients and their families. The revised edition includes updated information to accomodate today's healthcare climate, particularly in the areas of medications....the book is likely to serve as an excellent supplement to therapy."--Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy

"I can assure you this is a five-star book! Race to your nearest bookstore for your own personal copy that will help you, or someone you know that is suffering daily pain. Not only is there a world of information, but work sheets and records for the ¿patient'....This book can change the way a person with pain thinks and reacts. This is a guarantee: After reading and studying this book, the person suffering will feel better about himself."--News Chief

"This very complete manual on how to manage one's own chronic pain will be a very useful adjunct to psychotherapy whenever a patient is struggling with long-term pain despite a physician's care....Many 'special features' make this book's approach powerful--the author provides chapter-end summaries of important points, exploration tasks which reinforce chapter learning, supplementary reading lists for use in further development of coping skills, several very handy appendices ("Common Chronic Pain Conditions," "Complementary Alternative Medicine," and an appendix on preventing workplace injuries, "Working Comfortably"). The book is well indexed and has an excellent bibliography of sources for self-help and self-education. Many useful tables for tracking pain experienced, behavior, etc. are given at the end of the book in a format that is easily copied for use: a pain diary sheet, a relaxation response diary sheet, and a sheet for recording self-talk, emotions, automatic thoughts and their distortions....I would recommend this book to anyone whose practice will find them in relationship to others with chronic pain, be they physicians, psychologists, counselors, nurses, or other practitioners. It would be very useful as an adjunct text in a graduate clinical psychology course on the treatment of chronic pain, cognitive behavioral therapy, or rational emotive therapy, among others."--Psychological Reports

PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION
" ...This book does not just provide excellent content; it is also structured to motivate people and is written in a manner that seems to invite learning....It is written in a clear and articulate style that is friendly and informative but not condescending, while at the same time educational and scientific without being pedantic. The book is both philosophical and practical, providing learning experiences on several levels. The chapters are well organized, including essential information on a wide variety of topics, backed by references to relevant research and citing the principal investigators involved in the research. There is a nice combination of education, examples, and exercises in each chapter, providing a positive and inviting learning atmosphere. The summaries at the end of each chapter are excellent as are the bibliographies that are provided. The coverage of different approaches to pain management is notable for its breadth and the obvious comfort the author has with her material. A good deal of very practical and useful information is presented in a concise fashion....I recommend this volume without hesitation both as a self-help book for chronic pain sufferers and as an important source of treatment information for professionals who may wish to become more knowledgeable about chronic pain and its treatment."--Journal of Pharmaceutical Care in Pain & Symptom Control

"This book presents a well defined and clearly articulated program designed to teach persons who live with pain how to manage pain and feel more in control of their lives....Occupational therapy practitioners who work with this population should find this book appealing and useful. It is practical and offers clear materials to reproduce and use in group and individual sessions....This book should fit nicely as a valuable resource in any occupational therapy department."--American Occupational Therapy Association

"....This book may be used in conjunction with a formally structured pain-control program or on an independent basis. Its practical, jargon-free style is geared towards the lay reader. A user-friendly style and many simple measurement scales facilitate application...."--Child and Family Behavior Therapy

"...a how-to workbook."--The Bookwatch



Book Description
Now in a revised and expanded edition, this popular workbook teaches coping skills proven to decrease the discomfort, depression, and anxiety associated with chronic pain. The information and techniques presented have been used by tens of thousands of people over nearly two decades, and have been demonstrated to empower pain sufferers and decrease pain-related disability and distress. The approach is also valuable for people coping with other chronic illness-related problems, such as fatigue. Through hands-on exercises and homework assignments, readers are helped to understand the pain process, learn about medications and their effects, and recognize factors that exacerbate or relieve symptoms. The revised edition features updated coverage of commonly used pain medications and specific pain disorders, current nutritional recommendations, and a new appendix on complementary alternative medicine. Also included are a wealth of helpful new ideas on coping with pain flare-ups, staying active, accomplishing personal goals, and more.




Book Info
Consumer workbook features updated coverage of commonly used pain medications and specific pain disorders, current nutritional recommendations, and a new appendix on complementary alternative medicine. Includes new ideas on coping with pain flare-ups, staying active, accomplishing personal goals, and more.


About the Author
Margaret A. Caudill, MD, PhD, is a board-certified internist and a Diplomate of Pain Medicine. She is Adjunct Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Dartmouth Medical School and has served as Co-Director of the Arnold Pain Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, and as Co-Director of the Department of Pain Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock, Manchester, New Hampshire. Dr. Caudill has long been interested in empowering people with chronic illness through medical treatments that bring mind and body together. She has researched and written extensively on mind/body medicine and lectured internationally on the importance of the biopsychosocial treatment model of pain.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Now in a revised and expanded edition, this popular workbook teaches coping skills proven to decrease the discomfort, depression, and anxiety associated with chronic pain. The information and techniques presented have been used by tens of thousands of people over nearly two decades, and have been demonstrated to empower pain sufferers and decrease pain-related disability and distress. The approach is also valuable for people coping with other chronic illness-related problems, such as fatigue. Through hands-on exercises and homework assignments, readers are helped to understand the pain process, learn about medications and their effects, and recognize factors that exacerbate or relieve symptoms. The revised edition features updated coverage of commonly used pain medications and specific pain disorders, current nutritional recommendations, and a new appendix on complementary alternative medicine. Also included are a wealth of helpful new ideas on coping with pain flare-ups, staying active, accomplishing personal goals, and more.

SYNOPSIS

Like the foreword writer, Herbert Benson, MD, author of The Relaxation Response, Caudill (Dartmouth Medical School) is a physician who subscribes to complementary alternative medicine. She explains the mind-body connection, common chronic pain conditions, and self-help tasks. Worksheets include a pain diary. No data is given for the first edition. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

FROM THE CRITICS

Doody Review Services

Reviewer: Louis G. Salib, MD (University of Chicago)Description: This book explains practical ways to relieve pain by using social, psychological, mental and nutritional methods rather than using medication. It uses a practical questionnaire and self-testing to apply the information delivered in the initial paragraphs of each chapter. Purpose: According to the author, the purpose is to explain current ideas about chronic pain and treatment, update recommendations for using drugs to treat pain, emphasize the importance of maintaining activities inside and outside the home, emphasize the power of the mind to help the body, explain extensively the value of proper nutrition to fight pain, explain how to accomplish personal goals, suggest how best to manage future pain flare-ups and discuss information about alternative medicine. Finally, it expands its reach to health professionals to encourage the dialogue between the patient and health professionals. These worthy objectives are met with this book. Audience: According to the author, the book is written to help people who are suffering from chronic pain. It can be applied in groups or individually in pain clinics, independent psychotherapy, primary care, and physical therapy. In my view, it is written to help people who are in pain and to help pain management practitioners guide those people to the proper management of pain. Features: The book covers the relationship of the mind, nutrition, psychological development in childhood, physical therapy, and communication to the management of pain. What is best about the book are the charts in each chapter, which help readers evaluate themselves and diagnose and treat many problems that exacerbate pain. The different stories in each chapter are interesting and helpful in clarifying the concepts. Unique features include the appendix about different common pain conditions, alternative medicine, and working comfortably. Shortcomings include the lack of some pictures or illustrations. Assessment: This book handles the extremely important problem of chronic pain in a different but more practical and effective way. It incorporates other essential elements to help fight pain, which may be ignored or forgotten by either the patient or the treating pain practitioner. There is a lot of significant updating which makes the new edition essential as a replacement for the previous one.

RATING

5 Stars! from Doody

ACCREDITATION