A Pioneer in Pain Management and Anesthesia

Each year, several millions of people undergo surgeries and medical treatments requiring anesthesia. Anesthesia provides freedom from pain that a patient is experiencing and can be administered generally, locally and regionally throughout the body. While this is common medical practice today, one would be surprised to know the roots behind this type of pain management. John J. Bonica was a professional wrestler and circus entertainer who pioneered the need for a form of pain management. Living two completely different lifestyles as a doctor and wrestler, Bonica accumulated pain from his matches and performances throughout the majority of his career. He struggled to cope with the challenges of constant injuries and searched for a reason for doctors to take pain seriously. After saving his wife and unborn daughter from a medical disaster during labor, Bonica devoted his life to convincing medical professionals that pain management needed to be taken serious. He spent eight years documenting his experiences with pain, creating new treatments, and offering suggestions for pain clinics. His voice was finally heard, and in the early 1970s pain clinics opened to the public and accepted patients. Today, he is considered pain relief's founding father. Learn more about this incredible story that provides insight into a common medical experience. http://www.ted.com/talks/latif_nasser_the_amazing_story_of_the_man_who_gave_us_modern_pain_relief#t-813646