The World Health Organization identifies pain as one of the most underestimated global health care problems. In the United States, the size of the affected community is staggering: an estimated 100 million people — more than all those with cancer, diabetes, and heart disease combined. The yearly cost in treatments and lost productivity is estimated at $635 billion, or nearly $2000 for every person living in the United States.

Those coping with chronic pain know what a nightmare it is to feel like you are in solitary confinement with no hope of relief. It is natural to seek both a possible cause and cure through tests, procedures, and surgeries but often the best that doctors can do is to suggest ways of managing pain in hopes of minimizing your agony.

Steven Richeilmer, a, associate professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry and chief of the Division of Pain Medicine at the University of Southern California, and Kathy Steligo, a freelance writer specializing in health topics, have written a top-drawer guide to treating chronic pain that takes such a heavy toll on the body and the mind. They provide the most up-to-date assessments of pain medications, exercise and nutrition, injections and neurostimulators, and complementary therapies.

Most unusual for a book dealing with pain management is a chapter containing seven spiritual tools for moving beyond pain. It is a positive sign of the times that Richelmer and other professionals recognize that we are spiritual beings and that prayer, meditation, gratitude, and service can be marshalled to help people cope with chronic pain. The authors also counsel readers on ways to minimize pain's negative effects on family solidarity. We highly recommend this excellent resource, which is a John Hopkins Press Health Book.