The Chronic Pain Control Workbook, 2nd ed.

Catalano ME, Hardin NK, ed 3. Oakland, CA 94609, New Harbinger Publications, 1996, paperback, 250 pp, illus, $17.95.

The purpose of this book is essentially to provide those persons who have a chronically painful condition with an informational resource that offers insight into their problems. The comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach adopted by the primary authors also ensures that this self-help manual could be a useful educational guide for entry-level pain practitioners. The contributors do a reasonable job of synthesizing a large amount of data into their respective chapters. All of the chapters are well written, well organized, and nicely illustrated. Each deals with a unique aspect of chronic pain syndrome. Many of the most important biopsychosocial and environmental variables inherent in chronic pain management are described in this text. With the exception of the first 10 chapters, each chapter is written by different authors whose backgrounds vary.

The scope of this text is broad. A large amount of pain-related material is covered in a format that allows someone who is not a health care professional to understand it. The shortcoming inherent in this approach is that there is often a trade-off between simplicity and accuracy. The authors of this text have managed to minimize this problem by using a wide array of illustrations and charts. With an expanded section on pain treatment strategies, therapeutic exercise, and pain mechanisms, this manual could very easily find its way into physical therapy curricula. As it stands, however, it is ideally suited for the person with chronic pain who seeks the optimal solution. In that sense, this manual is a key roadmap to recovery.

The format of this text is appropriate for the subject matter. It is designed to be interactive with the reader and includes such additions as a "chronic pain action plan." This plan allows readers to formulate his or her own daily contract containing a list of daily objectives that represent positive steps toward recovery. These objectives relate to specific goals, such as physical and psychological pain management, relaxation training, and any functional activity that promotes good health. This format is used throughout the manual for such exercises as self-examination of attitudes, motivations, and work values.

A useful feature that adds to the pragmatic aspect of this book is the information listed at the end of each chapter, including a list of key pain organizations and their addresses. The list also includes agencies that disseminate information or direct interested readers to appropriate support groups and medical facilities. Of special interest to those readers with access to the World Wide Web, relevant Internet addresses are included. The reference list at the end of each chapter is not lengthy but is appropriate for the content it supports, and it allows readers to further research their topic of interest.

This self-help manual is written in a very user-friendly manner. The style promotes reader involvement and participation through its pencil exercises and interactive nature. The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 includes such topics as coping strategies; pain theories; psychological and vocational aspects of chronic pain; and the role of exercise, stress, sleep, and nutrition in chronic pain syndrome. The chapter on pain facilities is concise and does an excellent job of differentiating between a multidisciplinary pain center and a pain clinic, which often uses a unimodal approach to treatment. Part 2 of this manual describes the most often seen pain syndromes, including back and neck pain, fibromyalgia, cephalalgia, temporomandibular joint disorder, and the sympathetically maintained dystrophies. This section of the book has contributions from various specialty authors, which adds to the contextual diversity of the manual. The use of illustrations in the exercise chapter and the use of tables and graphs to explain medication are good examples of how the authors organize and improve reader understanding of key concepts.

This book can be a valuable addition for the practitioner who treats chronic pain syndromes. By virtue of its design, the book is intended primarily as a self-help manual for patients and their families; however, this does not preclude its use by health care practitioners. There are enough important pain management concepts contained in this workbook to justify its use by health care professionals. The language is simple, but the concepts are critical for both patient and clinical to understand. This book can provide physical therapists with some fundamental principles in the management of pain syndromes. This is an excellent teaching manual for those involved in developing a pain management course.

Tiziano Marovino, PT
Preferred Medicine & Rehabilitation
Services
Allen Park, Mich

Mr Marovino is former Director of Rehabilitation and Pain Therapy at Detroit Riverview Hospital, is currently Director of Rehabilitation in private practice, and is involved in forensic and disability analysis in Michigan.