Book review: Your Pain Playbook by Helen Roome

There is an enormous missing link in pain management today. That link is, as I see it, how to translate from theory (decontextualised ideas) to daily life. To my life, to your life, to the unique and varied lives people living with pain had before their pain arrived. Your Pain Playbook is written by Helen Roome, pain occupational therapist living and working in South Africa. The South African vibe runs through her book, giving this Kiwi a lovely taste of Helen’s country via the metaphors she uses – ever heard of the ‘Go-away bird’? It’s a bird that warns impala of impending danger and Helen uses this as a metaphor for the unhelpful attention-grabbing aspects of pain where pain isn’t necessarily an indication of danger to our tissues. I love the way Helen brings not only a modern understanding of pain from a ‘brain’-centric perspective, but also weaves in knowledge about the way our entire body ‘eco-system’ is primed to inform us of potential harm. Pain emerges from this eco-system, giving us many options to help settle the experience down. She draws on experiences you and I will most certainly have had (like random bruises appearing without us being aware of how we got them!) to help readers understand their own bodies and how pain can be influenced by many things. The book is divided into six weeks of seven day brief readings and activities. She starts with a word about goal-setting – and a lovely ap...
Source: HealthSkills Weblog - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Book reviews, site reviews Coping strategies Chronic pain Occupational therapy pain management Source Type: blogs