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Chronic Pain Lesson Shared

This excerpt was created in the absence of an abstract.

To the Editor:

Over three years ago, doing a routine two-man transfer, an injury led to a reversal in roles: I became the patient. No physical therapist survives a long, patient-oriented career without a muscle strain, and I had few initial concerns. It took months of "following doctors' orders" and not recovering before I fully experienced the helplessness and powerlessness of the patient whose condition cannot be either diagnosed or "fixed." Therapeutic attempts were of little benefit. When I crossed the imaginary line into the world of chronic pain, I was told "no more pain medication," which enhanced my sense of not being in control. I was dismissed by an orthopedic surgeon who said nothing could be done and I would never return to work. Set adrift without assistance and having lost most of my identity, the depression I'd battled since childhood engulfed me.

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