Praise for Taming Chronic Pain
“Clear, engaging, and with the authenticity of personal experience.”
—Patricia Morley-Forster, MD, FRCPC
Professor Emerita, Western University
Former Director of Pain Management Program at Western University
Former Medical Director of Pain Management Program
at St Joesph’s Hospital
2013 Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society Gold Medal Winner
“I would recommend this book to all chronic pain sufferers, family members, and doctors involved in managing chronic pain.”
—Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD, founder of Pain Physician
“An essential handbook for anyone who has to manage pain at some point in their life. And isn’t that everyone?”
—Dr. Linda Clever, author of The Fatigue Prescription
“In this practical and empowering guide, Amy Orr offers hands-on strategies and insights that combine the wisdom and empathy of someone who has lived with pain with the clear-eyed precision of a skilled writer. Taming Chronic Pain is a concise yet comprehensive toolkit for living with—and moving beyond—chronic pain.”
—Laurie Edwards, author of Life Disrupted and
In the Kingdom of the Sick
“Amy Orr has written a clear and persuasive primer on what it means to live with chronic pain. With a light, breezy style, she gives realistic advice on how to manage pain. No quack cures here; no shady fixes. Instead, you’ll find useful tips on everything from how to talk to your doctor to knowing when to be weird (you’ll understand when you read the book!). Relevant not only for people living with chronic pain, but also for those whose loved ones live in pain.”
—Peter A. Ubel MD Professor of Medicine, Public Policy and Business Duke University Author of Sick to Debt (Yale, 2019)
and Critical Decisions (HarperCollins)
“In Taming Chronic Pain, Amy Orr sets out to offer guidance and support to chronic pain patients in virtually every aspect of their lives, and she succeeds in her mission masterfully. As she writes: ‘You are not your body but you are in your body, so it’s your job to take care of it.’ Orr helps every patient to do exactly that—sensibly, purposefully, and with optimism and good humor. She is frank in offering her advice or expertise, but without being preachy or didactic. Readers will come away feeling they have found a friend and valued advisor. I highly recommend Taming Chronic Pain and know that pain patients will benefit from reading it in many, many ways in their present and into their future.”
—Joy H Selak PhD Author of You Don’t LOOK Sick! Living Well with Invisible Chronic Illness with Dr. Steven Overman
Taming
Chronic
Pain
A Management Guide
for a More Enjoyable Life
Amy Orr
[no image in epub file]
Mango Publishing
Coral Gables
Copyright © 2019 by Amy Orr.
Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.
Cover Design: Roberto Núñez
Layout & Design: Roberto Núñez
Illustrations by Jules Hall
Jules Hall is a Graphic Designer in Kitchener-Waterloo, where she lives with her partner and two cats. This book is close to her heart as she lives with chronic illness. If you’re interested in seeing more of her work, visit juleshall.ca.
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Taming Chronic Pain: A Management Guide for a More Enjoyable Life
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: 2019941780
ISBN: (print) 978-1-64250-037-0, (ebook) 978-1-64250-038-7
BISAC category code: HEALTH & FITNESS / Pain Management
Printed in the United States of America
For little Amy.
The hardest lessons are learned with time.
Table of Contents
Exercise: Making Notes for Your Doctor’s Appointment