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American Pain Society
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John D. Loeser, MD, Department Editor
Reviewed by John D. Loeser, MD
D. Starlanyl & M.E. Copeland, New Harbinger Publications, Oakland, CA, 1996, 401 pages, $19.95 (softcover), ISBN 1-57224-046-6
This large softcover volume was written by a physician and by a teacher-writer, both of whom suffer from fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome. This is, therefore, an insiders' tale of these perplexing chronic pain conditions. The book is written at the level of an intelligent layperson, and it does a good job of simplifying some difficult issues. The first part is a description of these conditions in a traditional format that will be familiar to any healthcare provider who has read the basics. The second part describes a wide array of traditional and nontraditional treatments for both conditions. As is so often the case, most of the evidence for efficacy of treatment is anecdotal or authoritative; there is little room for outcomes-based medicine in this type of text. Nor is there much in the literature for either of these syndromes. The importance of the patients' belief systems and willingness to conceptualize the problem in terms of self-actualization is appropriately emphasized.
There is also a good section on strategies for dealing with the healthcare delivery and disability systems. A good list of resources for additional information and help constitutes the last section of the book. There is also a useful index.
This volume could be a valuable resource for patients with fibromyalgia or myofascial pain syndrome. I think that the reader must have comprehension skills above those of the average American high school graduate to make good use of this book. The content seems to be well-balanced and all-inclusive; no one set of ideas about these illnesses is promulgated. The price is quite reasonable, considering the size and scope of the text. This book could be a useful addition to your patient library.
John D. Loeser is professor of neurological surgery and anesthesiology at the University of Washington in Seattle.
