Book excerpt: CONGRATULATIONS! Picking up this book shows you want to help yourself feel better. That's the first step toward having less pain and using less pain medication. You are not alone. About 100 million Americans—one in three people—have ongoing pain. It can be mild or very strong, come in waves or always be present, be simply annoying or make your normal life hard to live. Pain is the most common reason people visit their doctor. Many people mistakenly believe that chronic pain is best treated simply by taking powerful painkillers, also known as opioids. But people who think pills are the only answer are mistaken, because the best treatment for chronic pain includes much more than pills. In fact, the most important part of pain treatment isn't your medication or even your doctor: it's YOU. This book gives you the right road map and skills to help you reduce your own pain, so you need less medication. It is a formula for success—your own personal pain relief kit.