Why Does It Still Hurt?

The way we understand pain evolves, and it is misunderstood even within the medical community. Part physical, part psychological, it is notoriously difficult to study. In Why Does it Still Hurt?, journalist, academic and former doctor of emergency medicine Paul Biegler gives a framework for understanding pain and how it affects the 3.4 million Australians living with chronic pain today. Biegler’s book is for those who want to understand the history of pain as well as the most recent breakthroughs in treatment. Looking at injuries and surgery in particular, we learn about the controversial history of surgery for tennis elbow and the journey of one surgeon from surgery zealot to sceptic. We look at the complicated process of ‘sham’ or blind surgery trials, in which doctors and scientists attempt to unpick the influences of the mind and the body on the experience of pain. Most importantly, Biegler explains the concept of central sensitisation, in which the body creates its own understanding of what is painful. This is an inherently optimistic book: the author delves deep into the positive effect that mental strategies such as hypnosis can have on pain and quality of life. Accordingly, it will be an invaluable resource for people suffering with chronic pain, and will hopefully open up alternative strategies and ultimately give readers hope. People who appreciated Karra Eloff’s The Chronic Pain Couple might find value in Why Does it Still Hurt? Rebecca Whitehead is a freelance writer from Melbourne.

Paul Biegler is a journalist, academic, and former specialist physician in emergency medicine. He is the author of The Ethical Treatment of Depression, which won the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics.