Progress in Pain Research and Management: Narrative, Pain and Suffering (Volume 34)

Studies of pain narrative focus not simply on engrossing tales, but on complex and subtle processes rooted in the neurobiology of self-representation, emotion, and social interaction. These processes shape how individuals and cultures experience and report pain. Studies of narrative in its broadest sense not only deepen our understanding of pain and suffering, but also teach us about meaning, motivation, and discourse as represented in the biomedical, human, and social sciences.

This book embodies the path-breaking multidisciplinary perspective that was created when leading contributors in neurobiology, integrative physiology, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and clinical research joined with clinicians, writers, and journalists from developed and developing countries. Together they have produced a unique volume that speaks to core issues integral to emerging pain research and humane health care in the 21st century.

Daniel B. Carr, MD, is the Saltonstall Professor of Pain Research in the Departments of Anesthesia and Medicine at Tufts-New England Medical Center, Vice Chairman for Research of NEMC's Deparatment of Anesthesia, and Co-Director of the MS Degree Program in Pain Research, Education and Policy at Tufts University School of Medicine.

John D. Loeser, MD, is a professor of Neurological Surgery and Anesthesiology at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is on the Attending Staff of the University of Washington Medical Center (Seattle), Harborview Medical Center, and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

David B. Morris, PhD, is a writer, scholar, and professor at the University of Virginia.