Explains how pain evolved through time as a natural process that affects the body's ability to function, with narratives describing the various types of pain suffered by patients.

Why Things Hurt is a collection of true stories and meaningful explanations about how our bodies work and the journeys we travel to maintain them. It provides accessible answers and structured principles on topics such as posture, pain, pregnancy, exercise, footwear and sports. Physiotherapist, Brent Stevenson discusses how to navigate your medical systems and what you should and should not expect from your physicians. He outlines what everyone should know about their own body, both physically and emotionally, by combining conversational lessons with cathartic true stories of injury, pain, resilience and perseverance. This book will empower you to make proactive choices for your body and help guide your journey in the right direction. Praise for Why Things Hurt: "This book encapsulates Brent's wisdom beyond his years and is extremely well written. It is personal, yet professional. Through his blogs and patient's stories Brent explains the current state of the art and science of physiotherapy and has made the complex topic of chronic pain simple to understand. Experience doesn't always create wisdom, but reflection and sharing of experiences often does. I personally and professionally resonated with many parts of this book and look forward to using it as a tool in my practice to help clients understand Why Things Hurt." -Diane Lee, Physiotherapist & Educator "From cover to cover, Why Things Hurt is a rare and exciting reading adventure. He explores the ever-fascinating multiverse of the dynamics of the body and mind, related with his own unique heart, empathy and practicality. A handbook for every health care professional and any "body" that loves to move regardless of age or stage of life." -Siobhan O'Connell, Physiotherapist & Clinical Pilates Instructor 'First and foremost, Why Things Hurt is a great read. Through his interaction with thousands of patients, Brent has developed a unique and special insight into how our bodies work, both on a functional and holistic level. What is remarkable is how he has translated this into a book that has useful lessons and guidance for everyone; there is valuable learning here in terms of how to manage pain, both physically and psychologically, as well as how to prevent it. He advocates for a multidisciplinary approach to pain management which is key. A must read, even if you don't hurt, yet.' - Dr. Kenneth Ryan, MD, Anesthesiologist "Why Things Hurt takes you on a wildly entertaining journey of discovery into how your body actually works or doesn't work, and how to fix it according to Brent's unique mastery of physiotherapy, IMS and complex problem solving. Being a detail-oriented PhD scientist, and having competed at numerous world championships in triathlon and mountain running, this book is a fantastic resource for keeping my body moving and pain-free even with all the twists and turns life throws at me! -Mike McMillan, PhD Scientist & Triathlete

Solid evidence now shows that knowing why we hurt will help us heal. All pain is real, and for many people it is a debilitating part of everyday life. In a world where 1 in 5 of us experience ongoing pain and where there is increasing evidence for the failure of synthetic drugs, take heart: help is at hand. It is now known that understanding more about why things hurt can actually help treat pain. Recent advances in fields such as neurophysiology, brain imaging, immunology, psychology and cellular biology have provided an explanatory platform from which to explore pain. In everyday language accompanied by quirky illustrations, Explain Pain Second Edition discusses how pain responses are produced by the brain, how responses to injury from the autonomic motor and immune systems in your body contribute to pain, and why pain can persist after tissues have had plenty of time to heal. Co-author Dr David Butler, founder of the Neuro Orthopaedic Institute, says that "it is no longer acceptable that pain be just managed: we must expect that it can be treated, and sufferers can alter it themselves through education." Explain Pain has sold around 60,000 copies world-wide in 5 languages and continues to inspire clinical research and multidisciplinary pain treatment globally. Explain Pain aims to give people in pain the power to challenge pain and to consider new models for viewing what happens to your body and brain during pain. Once they have learnt about the processes involved they can follow a scientific route to recovery. Why a second edition? A decade of scientific research is a lot – and we need to keep on top of it. In the last 10 years there has been increasing support for therapeutic neuroscience education from clinical trials, educational science, neuroscience, plain logic and the failure of drug therapy on chronic pain outcomes. Lorimer and David have subtly changed some of the language so that the second edition can be delivered with much more authority than the first. Noigroup Publications (2013), 133 pages, 90+ illustrations and diagrams, half-canadian wire bound. ISBN: 978-0-9873426-6-9 Authors: Dr David S. Butler and Prof G. Lorimer Moseley.

A sociological analysis of self-injury, the causes of it, and the conditions surrounding those who commit it. Why does an estimated 5% of the general population intentionally and repeatedly hurt themselves? What are the reasons certain people resort to self-injury as a way to manage their daily lives? In Why Do We Hurt Ourselves, sociologist Baptiste Brossard draws on a five-year survey of self-injurers and suggests that the answers can be traced to social, more than personal, causes. Self-injury is not a matter of disturbed individuals resorting to hurting themselves in the face of individual weaknesses and difficulties. Rather, self-injury is the reaction of individuals to the tensions that compose, day after day, the tumultuousness of their social life and position. Self-harm is a practice that people use to self-control and maintain order—to calm down, or to avoid “going haywire” or “breaking everything.” More broadly, through this research Brossard works to develop a perspective on the contemporary social world at large, exploring quests for self-control in modern Western societies.

What can illusions teach us about pain? Is what we see, hear, and feel as simple as it appears to be? The modern science of perception has unearthed new ways to think about pain - as a multi-sensory and multi-factorial phenomenon. Leading pain researchers, Dan Harvie and Lorimer Moseley, walk us through this science by interacting with illusions that challenge our assumptions on how perception actually works. A visually stunning, fun and accessible read to help anyone better understand and respond to pain.

A compulsively readable explorer’s journal of the hidden territory of pain, as profound and insightful as the work of Oliver Sacks and Sherwin Nuland. A bee sting on the lips was the tiny lance that set Marni Jackson off on a four-year exploration of the many ways in which we suffer. Exiled for an afternoon in the country called pain, she realized that no one had the words to describe her condition although it was as familiar as a headache. A fusion of emotion, nerve and memory, pain inspired only questions. “Why do we still distinguish between mental pain and physical pain,” she asks, “when pain is always an emotional experience? Why is pain so poorly understood, especially in a century of self-scrutiny? Hasn’t anyone noticed the embarrassing fact that science is about to clone a human being but still can’t cure the pain of a bad back?” North Americans spend $24 billion a year on pain relief while chronic pain is on the rise. If pain is the reason why most people visit the doctor, why are most doctors so bad at addressing the problem of suffering? Pain: The Fifth Vital Sign dives back into the history of pain and forward into the possibilities of pain genetics, bringing us stories of both people in pain and the pain pioneers: eccentrics and artists, wrestlers and writers, ministers and mothers, psychologists and philosophers, nurses and doctors. Marni Jackson has created a definitive, heartfelt, funny and beguiling portrait of a condition we can’t live with -- and can’t live without.

Pain is not something that most of us would count as a blessing; however, renowned surgeon Dr. Paul Brand and award-winning writer Philip Yancey shed fresh light on the purpose of our pain. Wouldn't it be nice to never experience pain or never have to take drugs to deal with pain? Many people think so, but they're missing one key piece of information: Pain is the body's built-in warning system that something is wrong and needs to be fixed. Follow world-renowned physician and surgeon Dr. Paul Brand around the world as he shares his humble beginnings as the son of medical missionaries in India to his medical training in London during the Blitz to his groundbreaking medical research with leprosy patients in the United States and India. His work with leprosy patients is what convinced him that pain truly is one of God's great gifts to us. In these pages he shares what he's learned about pain, its purpose in our lives, the impact it has on our daily lives and overall health, and how we can better respond to it. Perfect for those in the medical field or those looking for a firsthand look into the mystery of pain, this book will give you a new perspective on the gift that none of us want and none of us can do without. You'll never look at pain the same way again. Spanish edition also available. Note: The book includes some frank descriptions of medical procedures, illnesses, and diseases