THE MEANING OF PAIN

What it is, why we feel it and how to overcome it

A brilliantly thought-provoking examination of how the stress of modern life is making us hurt by acclaimed osteopath Nick Potter – “The man who taught me how to breathe.” – Sir Elton John

“In this excellent, practical and optimistic book, Nick Potter applies his extensive expertise to helping readers understand the root causes of pain and reveals a range of effective methods for coping with and overcoming it.” Professor Robert Bor, Consultant Psychologist

“With his easy, flowing prose Nick makes the science of pain understandable, dispels the myths and emphasises the importance of equilibrium of the individual, by recognising and dealing with stress in all its forms… A book that is written from the heart by someone who is truly passionate about his subject and cares tremendously for his patients.” Dr Sean White FRCA FIPP FFPMRCA

“Nick Potter is an exceptional osteopath. He has an extraordinary ability to instantly know what I have been doing wrong physically to cause me pain and then immediately alleviate it. I am certain that if I followed all his advice and did all the exercises he wants me to do I would never be in pain again. Unfortunately, I am too lazy, which is why I’m booked in again with him next Thursday at 2pm!” Michael Macintyre

“Thoughtful and provocative” Gail Rebuck

We all fear pain and we will do almost anything to avoid it. We take to our beds, swallow pills, even submit to surgery and think we are solving the problem. But what if everything you thought you knew about pain turned out to be wrong or only half the truth?

In The Meaning of Pain, renowned osteopath Nick Potter draws on insights from biology, evolution and social behaviour to present a radical new understanding of pain and why we feel it.

Although pain is unpleasant, it is essential – nature's way of alerting us to danger – and is often a sign that something is out of balance in our lives. Stress and anxiety corrode our health in hidden ways and, as Potter shows, understanding this is crucial to treating pain.

In this sage and enlightening book, drawing on 25 years of clinical experience and success stories from his consulting room, Potter presents a timely, compelling roadmap for wellbeing, showing us how to break the vicious cycle of stress, pain and anxiety before the damage is done.

Chapters cover the following subjects alongside case studies:

A new understanding of pain – how it fits into the context of your wider lifestyle and how it can become a habit
Why stress makes us hurt
How we can protect our children from developing chronic pain; advice for parents with regard to social media, studying, competitive sports and sleep
Breathing – how to predict when you are stressed and how to take back control and alleviate pain through monitoring and changing your breathing
How we can work towards a pain free future without resorting to opioids

“In this book, I discuss pain in all its guises: why it is that we hurt; why medicine and science are ‘missing the point’ in many areas; why chronic pain has become a new and silent epidemic, for which we don’t yet have all the answers and which has led to the opiate crisis we see today. I also look at the relationship between stress and pain, how we see our symptoms and what we can do to fix ourselves – above all, why pain is at the heart of what it is to be human.”Nick Potter