Listed below are a number of books that offer additional information regarding the self-management of pain and other life problems.  To skip to the other chronic pain resources (web sites, support organizations, professional organizations), click here.

BRAND, Paul, & YANCEY, Philip, Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants, 1993. New York: Harper Collins.  On the cover of this book is the statement, "Warning: Life without pain could really hurt you." This very interesting book by a physician who used to work with leper patients offers a very different perspective on the problem of pain.

BURNS, David D., Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, 1980 (paperback). New York: Signet Books.  Excellent book on coping with depression and other upsetting feelings by identifying and changing distorted thinking patterns.

CARLSON, Richard, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and it's all small stuff, 1997 (paperback). New York: Hyperion. 100 short articles on applying healthy self-management principles to your everyday life.

CAUDILL, Margaret A., Managing Pain Before It Manages You, 1995 (paperback).  New York: Guilford Press.  An excellent guide for self-management of chronic pain which recognizes the importance of the mind-body connection.

CATALANO, Ellen Mohr, The Chronic Pain Control Workbook: A Step-by-Step Guide for Coping With and Overcoming Your Pain, 1987 (paperback). Oakland: New Harbinger Publications.  Overview of self-management approaches for chronic pain.

DAVIS, Martha, ESHELMAN, Elizabeth R. and McKAY, Matthew, The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, 1982, (paperback). Oakland: New Harbinger Publications.  Covers various relaxation approaches and assertion training.

FENSTERHEIM, Herbert and BAER, Jean, Don't Say Yes When You Want To Say No,1975 (paperback). New York: Dell.  Guide to behaving more assertively, improving social relationships and working on changing bad habits.

GREENBERGER, Dennis and PADESKY, Christine A., Mind Over Mood: Change how you feel by changing the way you think, 1995 ( paperback). New York: Guilford Press,  A self-help manual for using cognitive therapy to change negative feelings.

HANSON, Richard, and GERBER, Kenneth, Coping with Chronic Pain: A Guide to Patient Self-Management, 1990 (available in paperback). New York: Guilford Press.  Written for a professional audience in mind, this book describes the authors' approach to teaching self-management principles to chronic pain patients.

KABAT-ZINN, Jon, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, 1990 (paperback). New York: Delta Book. Based on the program of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, this book is an excellent practical guide to the use of mindfulness meditation, as well as presentation of a more effective understanding of health and illness.

KHALSA, Dharma Singh, with Cameron Stauth, The Pain Cure, 1999 (available in paperback). New York: Warner Books.  Despite a somewhat misleading title, this interesting book, written for people with chronic pain, attempts to integrate Western medical and Eastern (alternative medicine) approaches to pain.  The author's program includes emphasis on nutrition, physical therapies, medication, and mental and spiritual pain control methods.

MARCUS, Norman, Freedom from Pain, 1994 (paperback).  New York: Simon & Schuster.  Book is based upon the author's experiences as Director of the New York Pain Treatment Program at Lenox Hill Hospital.

McKAY, Matthew, DAVIS, Martha and FANNING, Patrick, Thoughts and Feelings: Taking Control of your Moods and Your Life, 1997 (paperback).  Oakland: New Harbinger Publications. Book from which we reprinted the materials on distorted thinking included in your pain program manual.

McKAY, Matthew, and FANNING, Patrick, Prisoners of Belief: Exposing & Changing Beliefs that Control Your Life, 1991 (paperback). Oakland: New Harbinger Publications.  Guide to changing thinking patterns which contribute to excessive pain and misery.

McKAY, Mathew, ROGERS, Peter, and MCKAY, Judith, When Anger Hurts: Quieting the Storm Within, 1989 (paperback).  Oakland: New Harbinger Publications. Practical guide for learning how to manage problems with anger.

MOORE, James E., LORIG, Kate, VON KORFF, Michael, GONZALEZ, Virginia M., & LAURENT, Diana D. The Back Pain Helpbook, 1999 (paperback). Reading, Massachusetts: Perseus Books. Based on a clinically-proven self-care program, this practical book discusses medical, physical, and psychological approaches for managing chronic or recurrent back pain.

SINEL, Michael S., DEARDORFF, William W., & GOLDSTEIN, Theodore, Win the Battle Against Back Pain: An integrated mind-body approach, 1996 (paperback).  New York: Dell Publishing. An excellent guide to medical/surgical and self-management approaches for back pain.

STERNBACH, Richard A., Mastering Pain: A Twelve-Step Program for Coping with Chronic Pain, 1987 (paperback).  New York: G.P. Putnam. Excellent summary of 12 important pain self-management principles.

SWANSON, DAVID W. (Editor in Chief), Mayo Clinic on Chronic Pain, 1999 (paperback).  New York:  Kensington Publishing Corp.  This book, written by the original director of the Mayo Clinic chronic pain management program, presents an overview of basic self-management approaches to chronic pain including physical exercise, activity pacing, and psychological approaches.  The book also includes a chapter on complementary and alternative medicine approaches.  Additional health-related information can be found at the Mayo Clinic Web site.

WELLS, Chris & NOWN, Graham, The Pain Relief Handbook:  Self-Help Methods for Managing Pain, 1998 (paperback). Buffalo NY:  Firefly Books.   Book discusses the pros and cons of pain medications, the importance of diet and exercise, the use of relaxation and mental pain control techniques, and alternative medicine approaches.

Occasionally I hear of chronic pain support groups which meet in our local community area for chronic pain sufferers. At our Long Beach VA facility, we have a monthly follow-up/support group which meets the first Thursday of each month at 1:00 pm.  I strongly recommend checking out whether a support group exists in your own community.

The Internet and World Wide Web

As you may already know from viewing this web site, a whole host of information and resources on chronic pain can now be found on the Internet. For example, you can check sites such as "Chronic Pain Links," "Pain.com," or the Mayday Pain Resource Center. Large online services such as America Online also have various pain resources and discussion groups often centered around particular pain conditions such as arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, headache, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy.

Support/Educational Organizations and Web Sites for Chronic Pain Sufferers

American Chronic Pain Association

P.O. Box 850
Rocklin, CA 95677
Phone Number: (916) 632-0922.
Fax: (916) 632-3208
Contact Person: Penny Cowan

This self-help, mutual aid organization, established in 1980, is aimed at providing help and hope to those suffering from chronic pain. The ACPA is a non-profit organization with over 800 chapters in the U.S., Canada, and other countries of the world. They publish a newsletter called The ACPA Chronicle, relaxation tapes, and a 115 page workbook aimed at helping persons understand and cope with their pain more effectively.  The web site provides links to considerable information regarding chronic pain.

American Pain Foundation

36 S. Charles St., Suite 7-12
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 468-4101

This non-profit patient information, education and advocacy organization was established in 1997. It is dedicated to the cause of pain prevention and effective pain management.

Medical Information Network for chronic pain sufferers.  This information site is maintained by a chronic pain sufferer named Lois Randall.  In addition to information on chronic pain in general, the site provides links to information on fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and several other specific chronic pain conditions.  Ms. Randall also offers her own personal reflections on living with chronic pain which extend far beyond looking for medical information and cures.  Following is a quote from these personal reflections:

In my experience of chronic pain and illness, there are balances. Sometimes I have to remind myself of this, but there are aspects to chronic pain - if I open myself up to the whole experience, and not just part of it - that run the gamut from the deepest despair to sheer joy.

The despair comes when I think about what I have lost: a career I loved passionately; an active healthy body that could make love with abandon, ride motorcycles or rapids with ease; run and play and climb and dance; and do all the things healthy people take for granted.

The joy comes when I think of what I have gained: a sense of self that comes from looking inward and finding wholeness there, rather than focusing on whether or how I fit into others lives based on what I can do instead of on who I am; realization that I have hidden strengths that I never knew existed; skills learned from necessity that allow me to cope and create a good quality of life no matter how bad the pain gets at times; and enduring new relationships with people who are undergoing similar experiences and who have a depth and sensitivity that makes me realize how blessed I am to have found them.

National Chronic Pain Outreach Association

P.O. Box 274
Millboro, VA 24460
Phone Number: (540) 997-5004

This non-profit organization is aimed at lessening the suffering of people with chronic pain by educating pain sufferers, health care professionals, and the public about chronic pain and its management. NCPOA helps people with chronic pain regain control of their lives, spreading the message, "You can lead a fulfilling life despite pain." They publish a newsletter called Lifeline, a number of pamphlets and articles about pain management, relaxation tapes, and a series of pain self-management tapes by Dr. Richard Hanson.

National Headache Foundation 

428 W. St. James Pl., 2nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60614-2450
(800) 843-2256

This non-profit organization, established in 1970, is dedicated to helping headache sufferers, their families and healthcare providers keep informed about headache prevention and new treatments.

Professional Organizations

American Pain Society

5700 Old Orchard Road, First Floor
Skokie, IL 60077-1057
Phone Number: (708) 966-5595

The American Pain Society (APS), which is the national chapter of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), is a multidisciplinary, non-profit, educational and scientific organization comprising pain treatment clinicians and pain researchers throughout the United States. This organization was founded in 1978, and has grown to include more than 2,800 members.

The APS publishes a quarterly journal known as the APS Journal and a bimonthly APS Bulletin which includes articles and research reports dealing with various aspects of pain. The APS also publishes a Membership Directory and a Pain Facilities Directory listing pain specialists and treatment programs all over the country. You may be interested to know that Dr. Hanson is a member of this organization and our pain treatment program is listed in the Pain Facilities Directory.

International Association for the Study of Pain

Address: 909 NE 43rd Street, Suite 306,
Seattle, WA 98105-6020

This is the international umbrella organization with chapters all over the world. The organization is aimed at promoting research and scientific study of pain. The IASP publishes a scholarly journal called Pain, as well as a bimonthly newsletter and clinical updates for professionals.

American Academy of Pain Management

13947 Mono Way #A
Sonora CA 95370
(209) 533-9744

This is a nonprofit multidisciplinary credentialing society providing credentialing to practitioners in the area of pain management. Their web site also contains information and resources for pain patients.

Center for the Advancement of Health  

2000 Florida Ave, N.W. Suite 210
Washington, D.C. 20009-1231
(202) 387-2829

Although not devoted specifically to chronic pain, this organization embraces many of the basic principles discussed in this Handbook.  They state for example, 

"The most intractable health problems of today will never be solved without full recognition of how intimately our health is linked to our attitudes, emotions, thoughts, behaviors, social relations and economic status. Who we are, where we live and how we think and behave can powerfully influence whether we get sick, how sick we get and how best to manage our illness. We cannot send our thoughts and behaviors to one repair shop and our diseased organs to another. They flourish or perish together.  Health care should direct its energies toward treating the person, not simply the disease. The payoff will be healthier people, healthier communities, a healthier nation - at lower cost and with less stress on the system. To do otherwise is irresponsible."

Return to Pain Handbook Index

Updated 11/6/99