New Rights for People in Pain

The Declaration Montreal: Access to pain management is a fundamental human right is the title of a recent article in the prestigious journal PAIN (2011, 152, p. 2673) by Doctors Cousins and Lynch.

This article includes the Declaration of Montreal, created at the International Pain Summit of the International Society for the Study of Pain (IASP). Eighty-four countries supported this most basic of human rights.

This essence of this declaration is that health care providers, governments and health care organizations are obligated to provide adequate treatment and management of pain, even when it is difficult to diagnose the actual cause of the pain.

The Summit leaders also recognized that chronic pain, with or without diagnosis is highly stigmatized - and that all levels of health care should work to reduce this stigma.

Thank you to the IASP for their continuing dedication to the millions of people who live, all over the world, each day in pain.

Yours with Care - Michael
michael@renfordbooks.com

Be The Voice

Be the Voice - for those who have no voice. This is the slogan for an ad for the World Wildlife Fund. It is incredible that so few words can say so much.

Many people who live in pain also feel that they have no voice. They feel powerless in the face of constant pain and powerless in their ability to get the help the need.

Health professionals have power. They know the system and have the energy to fight for what their patients need. Let's use this power to do the best work we can. Let's use this power to care. Let's use this power to put our opinions on paper to help validate the true needs of people who live every day in pain.

We can make a difference. I see it every day.

Caring IS good medicine. Thank you to the late Bill Moyers for his wise words.

Yours with care - Michael

Undeniable Scientific Support for Fibromyalgia

In case you haven't heard, there is a new book on fibromyalgia.

It is by Dr. Kevin White (M.D., Ph.D.), entitled  Breaking Through The Fibro Fog. This book is incredible and documents the clear and significant scientific basis of fibromyalgia. Dr. White is a rheumatologist and well-recognized pain researcher. This book is for patients as well as scientists.

Please check it out at www.wortleyroadbooks.com

Take that all you skeptics! 

Yours with care - Michael

A Lot of Suffering

One of my patients made an interesting comment the other day. She said, .." you must see a lot of suffering."

Although this is true, I hadn't really thought about it that way. Probably, because it does not feel like a burden. For some reason, this kind of work is a good fit for me. For over 25 years, I have been working with people who live every day in pain. Each person is different and each person's life has been affected in a different way by physical pain and the loss and suffering it can lead to.

I am lucky to be able to do the work I do.

Yours with care
Michael

Chronic Pain - 25 Years in the Field

Please check out this new article,

Chronic pain in context: Some observations from 25 years in the field

published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology Practice (2011,2, 22-32).  It was written for an invited presentation I did at the Pain Grand Rounds, St. Joseph's Hospital in London Ontario.

This article is written in easy to understand everyday language and includes ideas and methods from my 25 years of work in this field.

I think you will enjoy it.

Here is the link

http://jcpp.scarthmckillop.ca/2011/2011V21P022032.pdf

Yours with care
Michael

Dr. Oz and Time Magazine Talk about Chronic Pain

Thank you to the American Pain Foundation for alerting me (and now you) to 2 new articles about chronic pain. You can also sign up for Action Alerts from the American Pain Foundation and have new articles and research sent directly to your email inbox. No stress, no hassles. Just solid helpful information.

You can sign up at www.painfoundation.org 

These 2 articles were published recently by Time magazine. One is by Dr. Mehmet Oz

"The End of Ouch" 

The other one is by Alice Park     "Healing the Hurt"

Both these articles add much needed recognition, scientific backing and credibility to the field of chronic pain.

I hope these articles can help make your life even a little better.

Yours with care
Michael

Compassion Can be a Powerful and Practical Tool

I came across a fascinating talk, recently, at TED.com. This is a great website to watch short videos from leaders in a variety of fields. Most talks are only 6 minutes and get right to the point. Plus they are free.

I was captivated by a talk from Krista Tippett, called Reconnecting with Compassion. It was not a sentimental appeal for more compassion in our lives, although more is definitely needed - everywhere. It was a highly intelligent discussion of what compassion really means, and can mean in our daily lives.

You can find her talk at

http://www.ted.com/talks/krista_tippett_reconnecting_with_compassion.html

She outlined how kindness is at its' core, as well as beauty, empathy and mystery. She described how compassion can be a practical tool for solving problems.

She mentioned how compassion can be thought of as curiosity without assumptions.

This describes, to me, the perfect attitude for health care providers to take when trying to understand others' pain.

Be careful, this talk may change you.

Yours with care
Michael