Foam! I Found Foam! Am I excited today! As I progress this path of pain, I retain my non-negotiable pointers – one of which is my need for my custom made seating aid. I would love to ditch this damn thing from under my backside and from my clutch every time I go out for a seated event, but it's just too valuable for my capacity. Figuring out the big 'dangers in me' (remember we talked about DIMS and SIMS?) has been key to my pacing forward.
Ages ago, I blogged about this magic move my diagnosing physiotherapist showed me. It was the first time in 4.5 years that my pain was shut off. It was heaven and I can still remember the moment of silence and [...]
MEDIA RELEASE 17 June 2019 At last – A national plan for better pain management Painaustralia has today launched the new National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management. Millions of Australians live with ongoing persistent pain. Chronic pain can have [...]
A virtual event not to be missed! Date, Time & Cost Wed, May 1, 2019, 9:00 AM Cost: $25 – $50 Description The Pudendal Neuralgia Online Patient Conference is a virtual event that will be available online as of May [...]
A few months before I decided to ease on the advocacy, I contacted my dear friend Dr John Quintner asking him if he was up for a followup interview. Ever willing to help and share his research and knowledge, John [...]
I'm not exactly enthused about health admin. There's already enough admin and digital filing to do in life. But I've found that my PT health summary is saving me, not only admin time, but alot of stress having to remember details of my experience. I've included a self portrait for my specialist today!
No, not me! I feel I’m in a little control… But this, is exactly what I was thinking about after my GPADD18 presentation, wouldn’t it be great to host events such as GPADD18 for patients? [...]
(Image from my book, Art & Chronic Pain – A Self Portrait) Navigating the horrific pain journey is complex enough. Patients need GPs who steer them to appropriate treaters via the shortest route – our GPs are our GPS! Do [...]
I’m not talking about the food kind. As you’re all aware, this is a site about chronic pain education and pain management. But what do DIMs SIMs have to do with chronic pain you would so rightly ask? If you [...]
The Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) is one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century. Although famous for her colorful self-portraits and associations with celebrities Diego Rivera and Leon Trotsky, less known is the fact that she had lifelong chronic pain. Frida Kahlo developed poliomyelitis at age 6 years, was in a horrific trolley car accident in her teens, and would eventually endure numerous failed spinal surgeries and, ultimately, limb amputation. She endured several physical, emotional, and psychological traumas in her lifetime, yet through her art, she was able to transcend a life of pain and disability. Of her work, her self-portraits are conspicuous in their capacity to convey her life experience, much of which was imbued with chronic pain. Signs and symptoms of chronic neuropathic pain and central sensitization of nociceptive pathways are evident when analyzing her paintings and medical history. This article uses a narrative approach to describe how events in the life of this artist contributed to her chronic pain. The purpose of this article is to discuss Frida Kahlo's medical history and her art from a modern pain sciences perspective, and perhaps to increase our understanding of the pain experience from the patient's perspective.
