Watch this when
The mystery of chronic pain - Elliot Krane
It's not in your head. Sometimes the nervous system keeps the alarm ringing after the fire is out.
Who it's for
People with persistent pain are often told, directly or by implication, that it is in their head; hearing a pain physician explain it as a nervous-system problem directly counters that invalidation.
Feelings it meets
What it is
In this TED2011 talk, pediatric pain specialist Elliot Krane opens with the story of a teenage girl whose sprained wrist turned into severe, lasting pain, where even light touch became unbearable. He explains that while pain is normally a symptom, in some people the nervous system develops feedback loops and pain becomes a disease in its own right.
Where to find it
YouTube, TED-Ed channel (free). Also on TED.com and as a lesson on ed.ted.com.
Before you start
Heads up: A young patient's severe pain.
Age: Ages 12+
Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.Helen Keller, Optimism: An Essay
