Ronald Melzack – författare

Pain has many valuable functions. It can be a warning or force us to rest our bodies. Yet most ongoing chronic pain, such as unrelenting backache or headache, has no discernable cause and diminishes countless lives. Over the years a scientific revolution has taken place in chronic pain research and therapy. A major catalyst for this was the introduction of the ‘gate theory’ by Professor Ronald Melzack and Professor Patrick D. Wall, which argued that pain is a unified stream of experience generated by the brain, incorporating a whole host of psychological functions. Their now-classic book, with a new introduction taking in all the latest medical developments, examines every facet of pain: the psychological and clinical aspects, the physiological evidence, the major theories of pain and the developments in its control. The challenge in the twenty-first century is to look at how memories, personal and social expectations, genetics, gender, aging and stress patterns all play a role in pain, and how understanding this could lead to the relief of the suffering endured by millions.

The essential companion to the Textbook of Pain, this book provides the pain specialist and trainee with an easy-to-access overview on the management complexities, assessment tools and multiple treatment modalities that are currently available to the physician dealing with the full spectrum of pain syndromes. The emphasis throughout is on the clinical aspects of pain medicine. It contains the core information that the practitioner and trainee needs. Each chapter is brief and succinctly written, with key information provided in accessible tables and summary charts. The book is divided into two main sections: clinical states (acute, chronic and cancer pain) and therapeutic aspects (pharmacological, surgical, physiotherapy, psychotherapy) - and it presents a rational, multidisciplinary approach to the management of pain.