Paindemic: A Practical and Holistic Look at Chronic Pain, the Medical System, and the antiPAIN Lifestyle

by Melissa Cady

“Paindemic is a brutally honest portrayal of our current sick care medical model. No other book gives you such an in-depth and thought-provoking overview of how pain should be assessed and treated. Dr. Cady has truly outdone herself!”—Jamie L. Guyden, MD, Integrative Medicine Physician

Are you suffering from chronic pain? Do you feel that everyone, including your physician, thinks you are crazy? Are your loved ones and friends tired of hearing you complain? Are you becoming more depressed and anxious because of your pain? Do you find that you are isolating yourself from others? Are you sick of taking pain medications? Do you question whether injections or surgery are right for you? Is the medical system frustrating you or letting you down? Are you searching for a better way to address your pain?

Answering yes to any of these questions means you are part of the very serious pain epidemic in our society. You are not alone! Millions are suffering. The United States is the most advanced society in the world; yet, the majority of pain medications, procedures, and surgeries are not solving this Paindemic.

Paindemic will open your eyes to what you should know. Too many unnecessary and risky interventions are being done with little benefit and at great expense. It’s time to gain a better perspective to guide you down a more rational path to address and improve chronic pain, even low back pain. Ignorance is not bliss. What you don’t know about your pain could hurt you.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Medical, Medicine

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 2, 2016

About the author

Melissa Cady is a native Texan. With a love for learning and an active lifestyle, it is no surprise that she eventually pursued the medical profession. Her appreciation and fascination with the human body transitioned her from personal trainer to medical student.

Cady is a physician trained in an osteopathic medical school followed by allopathic postgraduate training. She is board-certified in anesthesiology and fellowship-trained with a board certification in pain medicine. She currently practices medicine in Austin.

Her initial desire to become an author originated from her realization that one of the greatest needs within the medical system is education, which is undervalued, underpaid, and therefore, under-delivered. Cady's belief is that education of the general public can empower and direct people toward better choices and health while avoiding unnecessary medical interventions.

Melissa Cady takes great pride in building rapport with patients by being educational and practical despite the overwhelming pressure by the medical system to minimize time with patients, move more quickly, or succumb to irrational expectations or politics.

Reviews

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

.Only a person in chronic pain knows the long endless hours at night of tossing and turning. Looking at the time and getting up to try sitting in a recliner to ease the pain.

It does not matter if it be neck, knees, hips, or back.
It is like the teeth of a dog grinding. The lower back in a grip like a vise. Will it ease off today?
Yes, sometimes turned down like a background noise. Always there.

Can you ever remember the time pain did not haunt your every step.?

This was personally a fascinating read for me written by a person with an in-depth understanding and empathy of how chronic pain can slowly erode the joy in life in every aspect.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the final pages of this book, it describes society as one that “focuses on instant gratification and self-entitlement.” Especially from our health care system. And that system is often more than willing to oblige.

This book preaches the gospel of personal responsibility pretty heavily. Pain is the body’s way of letting us know something is wrong—and we can either mask that pain and cover up the symptoms with drugs or procedures that are often unnecessary, or we can do our due diligence and work with our health providers to find the cause of those symptoms. Sometimes that may involve enduring the pain a bit longer. But it might just save us from needless medical expenses and undergoing invasive procedures that don’t end up working.

Example: sciatica. Pain that radiates down a person’s leg. The discomfort is felt in the leg, but the cause is often found in the lower back in a herniated or bulging disc. But that disc still might not be the root cause. The root cause may very well be poor posture, sitting at a desk 8+ hours a day, etc. Surgery will eliminate the bulged disc, but it doesn’t solve the problem if the posture and sitting issues aren’t addressed. And it’s quite possible that addressing those issues and some good physical therapy might do just what you hope to get out of that discectomy—reduced pain and increased mobility.

Seriously worth the read if you experience pain. Education is key. This book will help guide you towards accumulating that education.

[Gustavo Gomez, Ph.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information. Everyone experiencing pain-related issues should read this book.
It is a worthwhile investment of time and money.