The main treatment for compression fractures of the spine is to inject bone cement to stabilize the fracture. This reduces the pain in most patients, including my mother. The Mayo Clinic did a double-blind study in which half the patients had a sham procedure with no cement. Both groups saw similar improvements in pain and movement. So either you have a huge placebo effect going on, or local anesthesia, sedation or being poked with a needle will reduce pain from compression fractures.

I wonder how much pain reduction in these cases is attributable to the feeling of relief and being cared for that comes from someone listening to you, taking your pain seriously, and trying to help you. Especially in a culture where doctors spend on average 7 minutes with a patient, dismissing most of what they say as irrelevant, listening only for symptoms, and prescribing the same medicine they prescribe every time they hear those symptoms, which half the time doesn't work or has bad side effects. I know I've lost a lot of my faith in doctors over the last 20 years. I have chronic problems I'm not even bothering to go to a doctor with anymore, because I don't believe they'll even find anything wrong, much less be able to help. If I thought acupuncture or "Chinese medicine" or a dancing voodoo priestess could help my right ear, I'd be there with my wallet out. Because the doctor told me there was nothing wrong with it.So my symptoms... what? don't exist? I don't know. But it still hurts.

I wonder how much pain reduction in these cases is attributable to the feeling of relief and being cared for that comes from someone listening to you, taking your pain seriously, and trying to help you.

No small amount, likely. Just think of how much better you feel when people actually listen and take you and your experience in your body seriously. I'm not saying it takes the place of actual medicine but it can reduce stress.

It's why chicken soup actually helps a cold -- it really helps if someone makes it for you, because you feel cared for.

Man, I love Charlie Pierce. Here's a long piece he did for Esquire: Life Under Romneycare.

Timelies all!

Took my car in to the dealer for the 100,000 mile tune-up. Needed new front brake pads and some fluidics flushing, but otherwise in good shape.

For no one thing I love you all and this place.

Oh, msbelle! I got that dress from Target, and it's good! A little short on me, maybe, but good. It's the fake-belt one, right? Because I also got another one that was not so good, but now I get to go back to Target to return.

I am definitely reaching the point where I have to self-medicate with doses of Five Thirty-Eight.

I found acupuncture to be relaxing but it did fuck all for my (low-level but persistent) pain issues. Not to mention doing nothing for my seasonal allergies or sleeping problems. So there's that.

Am bummed that my place was appraised at less than we were hoping (for purposes of refinancing and hopefully getting cash to cover an expected difference between what bob's place in chicago will sell for and what he owes). I don't really get how the appraisal works at all. Two identical places, next door and two down, sold for over $25,000 more than my place was appraised for. It makes no sense. If we were listing it to sell we'd list for around what they sold for. It's an annoying mystery!