Comments on: Doctors repress their responses to their patients’ pain http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/ Dive into the awe-inspiring, beautiful and quirky world of science news with award-winning writer Ed Yong. No previous experience required. Sat, 26 May 2012 10:52:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Joseph http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/comment-page-1/#comment-9383 Joseph Mon, 31 May 2010 08:13:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/#comment-9383 Pain reduction is more likely with male doctors if you hold their testicles and say, "We won't hurt each other, will we?" Old joke. Pain reduction is more likely with male doctors if you hold their testicles and say, “We won’t hurt each other, will we?”

Old joke.

]]> By: Meat Robot http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/comment-page-1/#comment-5182 Meat Robot Sun, 27 Sep 2009 07:27:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/#comment-5182 Acupuncturist = Physician??? Acupuncturist = Physician???

]]> By: LKL http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/comment-page-1/#comment-5181 LKL Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:07:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/#comment-5181 I am a lowly phlebotomist, not an acupuncturist or a doctor, but I can absolutely vouch for the generalizability of this study to medical practitioners. I'm good enough at my job that most of the time I can keep it from hurting very much, but sometimes and with some procedures it's just not possible. In addition, in emergent situations pain management has to be way down on the list. A man had a heart attack in the ER last week (having walked in with chest pain), and he was zapped right there on the table, while still conscious. I've heard conscious cardioversion described as one of the most painful things a person can ever experience - but in this case, it saved the patient's life. If the medical staff had hesitated out of compassion for the patient's pain, his long term outcome would have been worse. I am a lowly phlebotomist, not an acupuncturist or a doctor, but I can absolutely vouch for the generalizability of this study to medical practitioners. I’m good enough at my job that most of the time I can keep it from hurting very much, but sometimes and with some procedures it’s just not possible. In addition, in emergent situations pain management has to be way down on the list. A man had a heart attack in the ER last week (having walked in with chest pain), and he was zapped right there on the table, while still conscious. I’ve heard conscious cardioversion described as one of the most painful things a person can ever experience – but in this case, it saved the patient’s life. If the medical staff had hesitated out of compassion for the patient’s pain, his long term outcome would have been worse.

]]> By: gammidgy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/comment-page-1/#comment-5180 gammidgy Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:40:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/#comment-5180 Why do you refer to acupuncturists as "doctors"? To do so lends credibility to these quacks. Why do you refer to acupuncturists as “doctors”? To do so lends credibility to these quacks.

]]> By: speedwell http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/comment-page-1/#comment-5179 speedwell Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:43:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/#comment-5179 Gee. I'd cry, but my doctor wouldn't care. Fortunately my shrink is a compassionate and insightful sort. Maybe I should have her handle my after-surgery care instead. Gee. I’d cry, but my doctor wouldn’t care.
Fortunately my shrink is a compassionate and insightful sort. Maybe I should have her handle my after-surgery care instead.

]]> By: Sandra Mora http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/comment-page-1/#comment-5178 Sandra Mora Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:00:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/09/23/doctors-repress-their-responses-to-their-patients-pain/#comment-5178 While I think this study is very interesting, a great follow-up would be to compare acupuncturists' responses to pain with those of more traditional medical doctors. Study after double-blind study has shown that acupuncture is pure placebo effect (google "Science Based Medicine" for more info) -- perhaps acupuncturists are aware on some level that their treatment isn't truly effective, and supress their response because of this? Just a thought. Thanks as always for a great article! While I think this study is very interesting, a great follow-up would be to compare acupuncturists’ responses to pain with those of more traditional medical doctors. Study after double-blind study has shown that acupuncture is pure placebo effect (google “Science Based Medicine” for more info) — perhaps acupuncturists are aware on some level that their treatment isn’t truly effective, and supress their response because of this? Just a thought. Thanks as always for a great article!

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