Dr. Sarno's book was literally a lifesaver for me. I had heard about his revolutionary theories on the radio, and was fascinated with the mind-body connection. I don't have any back pain, but read the book applying the same theories to my migraines and frequent heartburn. The results were amazing. Improvement didn't occur overnight or without many, many re-reads of this book. But I credit Dr. Sarno and his theory regarding TMS as minimizing the impact of these chronic conditions in my life. After one year, I experienced probably about a 90% reduction in the occurrence of migraines and 80% reduction in the incidents of heartburn.

Dr. Sarno's theories won't work for everyone. But for those open to exploring the mind-body connection, I believe his thought-provoking theory of pain is a revelation and provides an effective way to reduce chronic pain. It definitely worked for me.

Dr. Sarno's book was literally a lifesaver for me. I had heard about his revolutionary theories on the radio, and was fascinated with the mind-body connection. I don't have any back pain, but read the book applying the same theories to my migraines and frequent heartburn. The results were amazing. Improvement didn't occur overnight or without many, many re-reads of this book. But I credit Dr. Sarno and his theory regarding TMS as minimizing the impact of these chronic conditions in my life. After one year, I experienced probably about a 90% reduction in the occurrence of migraines and 80% reduction in the incidents of heartburn.

Dr. Sarno's theories won't work for everyone. But for those open to exploring the mind-body connection, I believe his thought-provoking theory of pain is a revelation and provides an effective way to reduce chronic pain. It definitely worked for me.

I understand that sometimes back pain can be in your mind, but to attribute every type of back pain to always being in your head is a little far fetched.

I've read this book about 5 years ago, and didn't think about writing a review for it. Just now, as I was searching for something else, I came across this book and I had to write about it.

Five years removed from my first encounter with it, I can safely say that it was a life changer. Like many here, I was suffering from back pain for many years, and did the whole chiropractor/muscle relaxers/x-rays/physical therapy thing, only to have my back pain come back some time later.

As I was reading this book, I was dealing with yet another episode and frustrated with the crap the doctors were slinging at me. I was skeptical, until I had the x-rays done again, and they showed that I had the problem with the exact same discs described in the book. I started listening. Then I noticed that I indeed had the worst episodes after very stressful times. I was hooked. To make the long story short, I have not had a single episode of back pain, even in the slightest, in about 4 years (it took me a year to master what Dr. Sarno is describing.)

People that rate this book low are doing it for the very simple reason - they do not get it. Many more do get it, and do free themselves from back pain - just look at the sales numbers of this book, and overall ratings.

Definitely read the book, but read it whole. There is a reason why it is so long - you have to be convinced that your back pain has nothing to do with physical state of anything. And Dr. Sarno's credentials, and arguments he is using, are very convincing. Then do a little experiment, and next time your back hurts, do not take drugs, or do your usual, just try to convince yourself that your pain is not physical. You'll see - it works, and you'll be done with it forever.

Finally, the reason why this book was a life changer for me, was because after going through it, and seeing how successful it is, I started to wonder what else am I capable of, what else do I convince myself of, and you'll be amazed at the answers.

This book was recommended to me during a time I suffered from severe back and neck pain. The pain went on for over a year. I went to see many doctors and physical therapists, and none of them mentioned the side-effect connection. Finally, a massage therapist brought it to my attention that the anti-depressants I was taking was causing the pain. I stopped them, and my pain went away. It blows me away that Dr. Sarno has written a book without considering any of the many, many causes of back pain. He is doing his readers a real disservice. Doctors in general need to be much, much aware of side-effects. Any one with back pain, who is on anti-depressants, should consider whether these drugs could be causing the pain. Of course the drugs may be extremely important to one's overall health, but side effects should be taken into account.

I was sort of amazed that at least five reviewers here knocked Dr. Sarno's book because they couldn't find a method in the book to follow. For example:

"I read it, and it didn't change a thing. And there is no description of the actual method."

"Sarno's book helped me understand the cause of my back pain, but I was left with no clear steps to take to get rid of the pain."

"Be warned -- there's no actual treatment plan in this book."

"He doesn't tell you how to heal it (as the title suggests), but rather tries to drum into you the idea that you may, indeed, have his syndrome. After which you discover that the only way to heal it is through workshops/videos/personal consultations."

"There's not one thing about his program. I certainly wouldn't have purchased it if I knew this wasn't his actual program, just a sales pitch for it. This was a waste of money."

While other reviewers' critiques consisted of (inaccurately) boiling the method down to something like "If you're in pain, ask yourself what you're angry about and you will be healed."

Well class, if you will kindly turn to page 70 in the book, as the table of contents suggests, here you will find the step-by-step method outlined under the unambiguously titled chapter called, "The treatment of TMS." Here are the steps, edited for brevity, for those of you who missed it, or haven't quite got the hang of learning how to read yet:

© 1991 by John E. Sarno, M.D. Text quoted under fair use copyright law. No infringement is intended.

The treatment program rests on two pillars:

1. The acquisition of knowledge of insight into the nature of the disorder.

2. The ability to act on that knowledge, and thereby change the brain's behavior. So, one must learn all about TMS. What actually causes the pain, and what part of the brain is responsible. Then one reviews the psychology of the disorder. The fact that we all tend to generate anger and anxiety in this culture, and that the more compulsive and perfectionistic of us generate a lot.

3. What one must then do is develop the habit of "thinking psychological, instead of physical." I suggest to patients that when they find themselves being aware of the pain, they must consciously and forcefully shift their attention to something psychological. Perhaps, something they are worried about. A chronic family or financial problem. A recurrent source of irritation. Anything in the psychological realm. That sends a message to the brain that they are no longer deceived by the pain. When that message reaches the depths of the mind - the unconscious - the pain ceases.

4. Talk to your brain. What one is doing is consciously taking charge, instead of feeling the helpless, intimidated victim which is so common in people with this syndrome. The person is asserting himself, telling the brain that he is not going to put up with this state of affairs. And it works. Patients report that they can actually abort an episode of pain by doing this.

5. Resume all physical activity, including the most vigorous. Though it is often difficult, every patient has to work through his or her fear and return to full, normal physical activity. One must do this to liberate oneself from the fear of physical activity, which is often more effective than pain in keeping one's mind focused on the body. That is the purpose of TMS, to keep the mind from attending to emotional things. As Snoopy, the great contemporary philosopher once said, "There's nothing like a little physical pain to keep your mind off your emotional problems." I suggest to patients that they begin the process of resuming physical activity when they experience a significant reduction in pain, and when they are feeling confident about the diagnosis. One has to confront TMS - fight it - or the symptoms will continue. Losing one's fear and resuming normal physical activity is possibly the most important part of the therapeutic process.

6. All forms of physical treatment or therapy must be abandoned. Conceptually, prescribing physical therapy contradicts what we have found to be the only rational way to treat the problem. That is, by teaching and through education, invalidating the process where it begins - in the mind.

7. Review these 12 key thoughts at least once a day:

1. The pain is due to TMS, not to a structural abnormality.
2. The direct reason for the pain is mild oxygen deprivation.
3. TMS is a harmless condition caused by my repressed emotions.
4. The principal emotion is my repressed anger.
5. TMS exists only to distract my attention from the emotions.
6. Since my back is basically normal, there is nothing to fear.
7. Therefore, physical activity is not dangerous.
8. And I must resume all normal physical activity.
9. I will not be concerned or intimidated by the pain.
10. I will shift my attention from the pain to emotional issues.
11. I intend to be in control, not my unconscious mind.
12. I must think psychological at all times, not physical.

Patients are then urged to give this information an opportunity to "sink in," to be integrated, to be accepted at an unconscious level. Conscious acceptance, though essential as a first step, is not sufficient to reverse the TMS.

Some people say just reading it and they aren't "cured" It won't happen right away.. But it will happen you need to believe in it and give it a chance. I used this book years ago and it worked for me. Now I had another stressful event of being abandoned and lied to and yup here is the pain again. I had to reread the book and talk to my mind.. try and let out all the emotions I was holding back. It's getting better. You can tell. The pain moves around. 1st it was in my shoulder blade, then my neck , now in the middle upper back!! Clearly its stress. I know alot of people this worked for too. You just need to be open minded!!!!!

As a personal fitness trainer I have seen how diet and exercise works
in preventing the reacurrence of back pain. Recently however, I saw a close family member in the midst of excrutiating back pain. We both felt helpless, and confused. Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection
Dr. Sarno's book really helped!
Richard Walters, MA. in Ed.
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Author The 16 Minute Body Sculpting Kit: Attain Your Dream Body in Just 16 Minutes a Day!

I stumbled on Dr. Sarno's book while I was searching for cure to my pain. I have had neck, leg and back pain for 6 months and it gets worse everyday. I tried everything I can find, nothing worked. Even pain killer didn't work. MRI shows L5 disc pressed the nerve, disc degeration... I was convinced that I will be bed ridden when I am in my 60s.
After I read the review here, I bought the book and read it as soon as I got it. The pain went away in a day!!! I shared this with my mother in law who is considering back surgery. She was in doubt. That alone will make her recovery long and slow. I strongly recommend this book.

This particular Dr. Sarno book has been extremely helpful to several of my acquaintances and myself in over-coming physical pain such as backaches, sciatica,headaches, arthritis, and more. If you follow Sarno's thoughts, and are able to be objective and self-analyze, you may find that many pain issues can be helped and conquered with TMS. It's worth the read.

This review will be quite short because so many folks have echoed my own experiences with Dr. Sarno's work... I just want to add my voice and enthusiasm about this book. I could not possible praise it's simplicity and effectiveness enough. If you are reading this, just buy the book - it's so very cheap and please, please believe me, it is worth your time.

This review is long overdue, but after recovering from 10 years of back pain, I've been having too much fun to write in (dancing, scuba, travel, bicycling, swimming). I've read a lot of books, but this by far is the most important. If you have any kind of chronic health problems, this is your best chance of recovery.It's no exaggeration when I say that Dr. Sarno saved my life with his groundbreaking theory.
I suffered with 10 years of chronic pain, muscle spasm, tingling in my neck, upper back and arms. I tried many treatments, both traditional and alternative. Cervical traction, chiropractic, massage, myotherapy, trigger point release, physical therapy, cervical collar, medications, acupuncture, homeopathy. I even had surgery on one of my shoulders for a supposed shoulder impingement. Some of the treatments gave short term relief only. The surgery did nothing to help. I spent years searching for an answer, and thousands of dollars out of pocket. I had testing and the diagnoses I received were bulging discs and degenerative disc disease (sound scary dont they?). I was offered no hope of a cure. I was 40 at the time, yet physically felt like I was 90 due to the pain. I had no hope for my future because if I had a degenerative process, it would only get worse. My pain went from a low level annoyance to becoming debilitating.I had pain every day, all day I struggled to care for my children and home. I felt like a failure as a mother and wife, and became depressed about my situation. At times, I wondered how I could go on as I feared continued worsening of my condition. But no matter how much pain I was in, I knew I could not take my life and inflict that kind of pain on my children.
Then a miracle, in the form of Dr. Sarno's Healing Back Pain book. Being a medical professional, I was skeptical as I began to read the claims of relief without surgery, PT, or specific treatments. I decided, I had nothing to lose by reading the book except a couple of hours of my time.
I found myself on every page of his book. I felt he knew me despite never having met me. He was telling my story. I literally wept as I read the book and found a glimmer of hope. I began to improve slowly and continued to read and re-read, began a gradual return to activites, as well as starting to journal about emotional issues and feelings. As I applied his theory to my life, I continued to improve both physically and emotionally. Amazingly, I'm still doing great 8 years later.
I don't want to mislead anyone. I did not have an instantaneous resolution of my symptoms (although I now know people who have). It has been a process of healing and self discovery for me, but well worth it. I have had occasional episodes of some discomfort over the years (during stressful times) but now I know how to address it and can make it go away pretty easily. The most important thing is that it has never been as bad as it was at it's worst, and most of the time I have no pain at all. I no longer have fear and I know that I am healthy and strong. I have no limitations in what I can do. I have proven that to myself over and over again in the past 8 years since recovering using Dr. Sarno's information. Probably the most physical things I have been able to do is that I painted an entire house, took a dance class, learned scuba and just last year I rode 110 miles in a day (having trained for it in only 3 weeks).
I realize these claims may seem hard to believe. Had I not experienced it personally, I'm not sure how I would feel about it. But I'm here to say that my life has been forever changed and enriched by learning about this incredible mind-body connection. If you are looking for someone else to fix you, then this is probably not the book for you. But if you're tired of being in pain, have an open mind, and are willing to do the work, then this information can change your life. I wish you health and peace.
I would like to share a Galileo quote that I found, which speaks to me regarding Dr. Sarno's work: "In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual."
Words can not express my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you Dr. John Sarno!

I bought this book, along with "Healing Back Pain Naturally" by Art Brownstein, M.D., after suffering from pain in the back, groin, abdomen and knee for some months. I skimmed over Dr. Sarno's book, but was sure that it didn't apply to me. MY pain was REAL, not something psychologically induced! So I launched into Dr. Brownstein's book, and, being sports-oriented, did many of his exercises for the back. I also had all the MRI's and x-rays done, all of which showed no physical problems at all.

After 8 months of sporadic improvement and setbacks, with their accompanying depression, I once again peeked into "Healing Back Pain," and suddenly, it all made perfect sense to me. I was able to perfectly correlate events that had been particularly upsetting to me with bouts of pain. Incredibly, just reading this and accepting it immediately made me feel much better.

I now scold any pains that pop up from now and then, reminding them that they're just a trick and not really physically based. They then slink off into the netherlands, where they belong. I intend to re-read Dr. Sarno's book from time to time, to try to avoid repressing anger and anxiety as I tend to do, and to review the daily reminders that he recommends.

My advice to you is to be open-minded and read this book, if you have had pain for some time. It really does make sense and it really does help.

READING IT DID NOTHING FOR MY BACK PAIN

I'm perplexed that so many say, "all I did was read this book and I was healed from years of back pain." I read it, and it didn't change a thing. And there is no description of the actual method, except for what boils down to: "If you're in pain, ask yourself what you're angry about and you will be healed."

SIMPLISTIC MIND-BODY CONNECTION THEORIZING

Sarno's approach is simplistic, although he does offer biophysical knowledge about how stress affects the body. He derives his theory from Freud's notion of conversion reaction--that the unconscious transfers unpleasant feelings into physical symptoms. The logical corollary: if you become aware of your inner feelings, the body will release the pain.

MIND OVER MATTER? DO NO HARM?

The relationship of mind, body, emotions, and spiritual states is a complex dance. Sarno's "mind over matter" approach does a disservice to conventional and alternative healing modalities that have proven effective for back pain. He suggests that you continue your active lifestyle, discontinue all other treatments (e.g., chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture, stretching, surgery), and essentially, act as though the pain isn't there. In his view, those treatments alleviate, they don't heal.

This concerns me because 1] with extreme back pain, you can't continue your usual activities, and 2] if you try to do so, you could cause worsen the injury.

Finally, this book is repetitive. He could have made his point with 1/2 the number of words.

CAVEAT

I gave it 2 stars because understanding your emotions and biopsychological process supports healing. I suspect a strong placebo effect coupled with emotional release worded for a lucky few with pain that was mostly stress-related.

Yes, be in touch with how your feelings connect with your physical states, but take care. Treat your body with respect. It is a tough little plant that may occasionally get bruised and need very gentle, deep healing; it's not an untamed wild thing over which you must gain dominion.

This book changed my life forever as well as the way I look at pain in all forms. I suffered from many different TMS imperatives throuout my life and Dr. Sarno has lead me out of those dark places. I wrote a book about my journey through TMS and I hope it helps many people as well.

Kevin Jarvis
kevinrobertjarvis.com

I had serious back pain for about seven years. I kept it in control by going to a chiropractor (who tried to convert me to Scientology), exercises, acupuncture, painkillers, and the rest. The pain was in the lower back, and was made worse by sciatica. There were many times when my symptoms were so severe that it was too painful to even drive a car.

I read the book. I found it refreshing to have a clinician lay out some simple logic: how your back is in constant use and is therefore strong, how it heals as well and as quickly as any other part of your body after it is injured, and how his observations from X-rays suggested to him that there had to be a non-physical reason for all the thousands of complaints of pain that he was dealing with.

I thought about what I had read, and thought about it some more. The pain started going away. In short order I dropped the chiropractor (forty bucks per visit), the painkillers, and everything else I was doing, and just got on with my life.

There will be people out there who will not be helped by this book. But if you have back pain and have not been diagnosed with a serious condition, hell, even if you have--give it a read.

All I can say is that this book sure helped me. I don't have pain anymore (almost never at least.) I don't think about my back anymore, and I don't think there's anything wrong with me anymore.

You may have the same experience I had: no more back pain. How does that sound for fifteen bucks?

P.S. Since then I have read up on chiropractic treatment, and realize that the whole profession is pretty suspect. Did you know that the founder of chiropractic was a certain D.D. Palmer, who until then had been waving his hands over people to transfer healing power to their organs? His first claim of success was to heal a deaf person by adjusting his spine. Only thing is, of course, that the aural nerves aren't anywhere near the spine....

If I was a chiropractor I would try to keep my patients as far away from this book as possible. I think their waiting rooms would be a lot less crowded if more people read this book.

I am an avid runner and I noticed some mild discomfort in my hip and glute this past fall. I ran a road race on Thanksgiving morning and then, as I do every year, I put my running shoes away for most of the winter. That next week the pain in my glute increased and to make matters worse I started to get a cold with coughing and sneezing that sent the pain shooting down my leg. Most of the discomfort was at night. Once I got moving in the morning I felt OK. An MRI showed a herniated disk L4-L5 and the doctor said that could potentially be pinching on a nerve, possibly causing the pain (note potentially/possibly). He admitted that herniated disks usually do not cause pain and they usually cannot say for sure what's causing the pain. He said that the only protocal at this time is PT and cortisone injections. If there is numbness, weakness or bowel control issues then surgery is the last resort. He made no guarantees. I started taking Yoga and Pilates classes. I consulted with a chiropractor who said my running days were over and recommended "Decompression Therapy" at a cost of $4,000 not covered by insurance. I went as far as the 3rd cortisone injection and after 5 months nothing changed better or worse. My sister sent me this book and I started reading it on my bus ride to work one day and that afternoon I went out and bought a new pair of running shoes and I am easing my way back into it. I am having mostly good days, now and then a spasm hits but I agree with Dr. Sarno that it is harmless.

Yes this book seems kind of light weight but the premise makes sense to me. Any medical jargon would mostly be over my head anyway. Dr. Sarno stresses that any lasting pain should be evaluated by a doctor to rule out cancer/tumors/fractures/etc...I disagree with the argument that he is taking advantage of desperate people to make money. I am sure he was already well off financially before he wrote any books. I think it's the other "alternative therapists" such as chiropractors that are taking advantage of those who are desperate. My doctor said that most back pain resolves itself and that whatever treatment you were pursuing at that time would get credit for resolving it. For $10 the book is a pretty reasonable bargain even if only for the placebo effect. Isn't that what Dr. Sarno is trying to say anyway!

Perhaps it's just telling me what I want to hear. Aren't we all like that? Notice the sedentary, overweight types who rationalize that running (and exercise in general) is bad for your body and makes no difference?

A friend of mine suggested I read this book about a year ago. I went to Amazon and read the comments and found both positive and negative comments. The fairly consistent chorus of negative comments led me to decide not to buy it. It was that and the fact that I just didn't believe that the mind could "heal" the very "real" and debilitating pain that I had experienced for 24 years.

Several months after my friend's recommendation, I found that my back had started to hurt more in direct correlation to an emotionally stressful situation that lasted several weeks. Since I was doing nothing physically that would have elevated the back pain, I realized that there was a psychological connection. So I bought the book, paid for the overnight shipping so I could read it on the plane to my surfing destination.

Surfing has always been hard on my back. My previous surfing trip to New Zealand was compromised by my back pain, I surfed about half as much as I could have without the pain.

On the plane I skimmed thru much of the first chapters and read the ones about the cure. The next day my back pain was gone. I surfed 5 days straight in powerful surf with some really heavy wipe-outs that would have killed my back without the knowledge in this book. On one wipe-out I was slammed hard to the bottom, hip-first. That would have normally put me out for a few days, but I surfed the rest of the day completely pain free (except for a bruised hip). I was able to surf with abandon, without fear, with joy again.

I can't express in words how elated and amazed I am and how grateful I am to Dr Sarno for this book.

Obviously, by reading the comments it doesn't work for everyone. I have a theory about that. In his book Dr Sarno says that the suppression of emotions are what cause the back pain. But the clincher for me was this fact that he laid out:

(I'm paraphrasing) The largest bone in the body, the femur, if broken will heal itself and you will be able to run a marathon on it again. If a muscle tears, it will heal itself also. The human body heals itself physically, period. There is nothing special about the muscles around the lower back (or anywhere else). It makes no logical or medical sense for a muscle strain or injury in the back to cause pain for years.

It was this statement that made tremendous sense to me. Literally overnight, I decided to not believe the b.s. I was telling myself subconsciously -- that I had a "bad back". The pain has been gone ever since. It's been 3 months of consistently pain-free life. Walking a distance of 10 blocks used to cause the pain to get worse, as did sleeping on a soft bed, or sleeping on my stomach or slouching in my chair. None of that bothers me any more. I hike 3-5 miles regularly, play volleyball (that would have destroyed my back), sleep on my stomach, slouch in my chair if I feel like it, no longer bring an air mattress to hotels. What a tremendous liberation -- it's really amazing!!

So back to my theory of why I think it doesn't seem to work for everyone:

Under-developed rational thinking skills.

In the U.S. and probably in all of western society (at least), we are not taught how to think rationally. It took a few months or more for me to learn (or re-learn) how to truly think rationally. I now know that my back pain was a myth that I had believed in. I have since proven that it was a myth, but it takes a very deeply rooted belief to create the kind of pain I experienced, and for so long. My theory is based on having enough of the proper mental skills to destroy that myth. My hypothesis is that those who read the book with poor results are lacking rational thinking and myth-busting skills.

My rational thinking skills were helped tremendously by the philosopher Stefan Molyneux (of freedomainradio dot com). I really think that it takes a mind that is well versed in rational thinking to truly grasp the power of Dr Sarno's book and to truly destroy the myth of back pain that is deeply rooted in the mind.

To truly and deeply understand that the body heals itself and that it makes no sense that the muscles around the lower back -- that they, and only they, just don't heal -- takes genuine rational thinking skills. Actually, I think it's the myth-busting rational thinking skills that listening to Mr Molyneux's podcasts and reading his books can help with immensely. So if Sarno's book hasn't helped, try taking the "red pill" of rational thinking and myth-busting that Mr Molyneux delivers. It will be the most potent (and liberating) red pill you will ever take.

So read Sarno's book, put it into practice, and if it doesn't work within a couple weeks, work on your rational thinking skills and read it again.

Dr. Sarno's discovery of psychosomatic causation may be the most important medical discovery of the century. If you suffer any type of chronic pain, spend the $12, read the book, and tell everyone you know.

I read this book back in September of 2006 and intended to come back and post a review but it had slipped my mind. However, the book helped me tremendously! I was so gratefully that I wrote Dr. Sarno a letter in December of 2006. Rather than re-writing my situation and opinion of this book, I will paste in the letter I sent him.

Dear Dr. Sarno,

I have been running for over 20 years and always maintained a very healthy lifestyle. In 2005, I gradually increased my training compared to recent years in an effort to get back into competitive shape. On January 1 of 2006 I began having pain in my lower back. Shortly after that, I had to curtail and eventually quit my running. An MRI in late February indicated bulging discs in the lower lumbar region. Throughout the year I continued to experience pain in my lower back despite having eliminated my running. The pain was amplified whenever I bent over. Things like brushing my teeth and flip-turning while swimming were the most aggravating. During this time, I saw a general practitioner, 2 chiropractors, 2 physical therapists and a stretching specialist - taking up lots of my time and money. All of them treated me with the conventional methods to no avail. In early September, I got the second referral to your book, "Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection", and finally decided to read it.

Shortly after beginning the book, I began to feel less pain in my back. By the end of the book a couple weeks later, I felt like the pain had dissipated enough and that I had enough confidence to resume running. I have been running pain-free now for 2 months and do not experience any pain when bending over like I used to. I believe that your theory on lower back pain (TMS) is very accurate and that all I needed to do was realize the true cause of my pain in order to eliminate it.

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge on back pain and for writing this book! I credit you and the book for getting me back into a pain-free state to where I can enjoy all the things in life that I did before the pain.

Sincerely,

I had been having lower back pains for like six months when I got this book, and I had a sever golfers elbow that I had treated with every conventional to unconventional therapy for more than two years (acupuncture shock wave treatment orthopedics etc) after just starting to read about TMS, I started to get better, and before I ever finished the book I was almost 100% free from any pain. Now I need to get rid off my hay fever too.

Indeed this book is a lifesaver if your are ready to accept the thesis.

I came down with a bad bout of sciatica last fall of 2007. I was in excrutiating pain. Pain started in my buttocks and radiated down to my knee cap. I could not sit, lay down, or sleep. I tried everything. I went to the chiropractor and had the electrodes, massage therapy, adjustments, acupuncture nothing helped. I went to the PC DR and was prescribed steriods and an MRI. The MRI showed a slipped disk on my left side note my pain was on the right. I researched the net to try to find an explaination of why this was happening and what I could do. My pain on a scale of 1-10 was a 10. A colleage shared the idea of this book with me. I went home watched the DVD and then read the book. My pain subsided in a matter of weeks. The self talk explained in the book was what really worked for me. Dr Sarno I thank you for relieving me of my excrutiating pain and allowing me to return to a normal life. I now have the knowledge of what lies beneath this pain that is 100% real.

I suffered from chronic lower back pain for over half a year before reading this book. I am only about a third of the way through it and am already almost completely healed.

It is nice to see that medical science is finally becoming science (again): self-transcending, undogmatic, honest in acknowledging the subject as always-already the foundation of faith/reason (for the two are here conflated) in any seeking of ('objective') truth which is not 'out there' but rather 'right here', at the core of consciousness itself, and capable of birthing much stronger physiological concomitants than the modern western mind is typically prepared to acknowledge. Indeed, the greatest medicine (self-Knowledge) is free and sets free, but requires the courage to face oneself in a most radical way. "Error is not blindness; error is cowardice."

I heard about Dr. Sarno from a friend who said that his back pain was completely cured after he read this book. I later picked it up for another friend with back pain and ended up reading it before giving it to him. It's such a revolutionary concept that its almost fantasy fiction. I continue to give this book to anyone with chronic back pain. A few weeks ago, my boyfriend's back went out, he got the MRI and the surgeon recommended immediate surgery for his ruptured disk. I made him read the book and he felt a bit better. He's scheduled to see a doctor that specializes in TMS to get a full diagnosis before he ignores the surgeon. But this gives hope to anyone who has back pain that they can get completely better. Read it before you do any invasive procedures, go to a doctor or get an MRI. It just might cure you.

After this book takes care of your back aches, read Dr Sarno's other books to fix additional pains in the NECK ;) !

I believed the concepts in this book for sometime but it did not help me in long term. I would recommend trying other alternative treatments such as "Pain Free" by Pete Egoscue.

Dr. Sarno, who I first heard about on the Howard Stern Show, has developed a fascinating and incredibly helpful tool for the elimination of pain: your own brain. I purchased the video tapes and hoped for the best. But by this time I had been experiencing extreme pain for years. Pain so bad I would have welcomed amputation of the offending limb. At times I was unable to move my head and stupid things like turning to look behind while backing up the car was turned into a circus of pain and weird body contortions.

Nothing I did used normal, fluid body motions. Everything caused pain. I couldn't even lean over the sink to brush my teeth. Lifting my neck to shave below the chin was unthinkable. Sitting too long made my low back ripple with waves of pain. Standing to long made my back hurt. Sometimes my jaw would hurt so bad I wished I could just rip it from my face. My legs would pulsate with deep, deep pain that roamed from my butt all the way down to my toes. It was insane. I was miserable.

I had done all the things I could think of, chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, braces, straps, ointments, unguents, creams, lotions, magnets, hot rocks, salts, and more. An endless search for the relief of pain seemed to consume much of my time.

It was with a skeptical mind that began Dr. Sarno's prescription. And I meticulously followed all the Doctor's advice. And slowly over a period of weeks and months, my pain was slowly removed. It took time and it took introspection, repetition, perseverance but it was not difficult. And just watching the video the very first time had an amazing effect.

It has been five years and I am still pain free. I think about it sometimes and I am amazed. I have gone from spending hours doing "therapeutic" neck exercises to rowing a mile every day. And as I continue to add more physical activities, I am gloriously thankful to Dr. Sarno. I have resumed normal daily activities. I bend, twist, jump, lean, sit, stand, walk, run, and climb and the only thing I get is sore muscles.

If you are at your wits end and just wished the pain would go away, just to melt away for once, then try this Doctor's prescription.

"Healing Back Pain" is 90% as good as "Mindbody Prescription" only because it's 1991, instead of 1999. Some of Sarno's assertions are not as confident. However, he DOES offer much more patient related stories and different examples than the later. I read "Mindbody Prescription" first, and I was cured of RSI. (I am a musician and didn't play cello for 2 years)
I then ordered "Healing Back Pain" as a follow up, and I enjoyed reading it as much as the first book. The two books a different enough that you should read both. I am currently reading "Divided Mind," and it is even more opinionated that the other two, but for good reason. Sarno is furious at contemporary medicine for their dangerous mis-diagnoses, and so am I.

Again, I HIGHLY recommend you read this book. If you haven't read any of Sarno's books, you may want to start with "Mindbody Prescription." It is a little more specific about treatment plans, although "Healing Back Pain" does this also.

p.s.
For the skeptics, these books are so cheap, what have you got to loose? I spent thousands of dollars on medical treatments that did practically NOTHING. Join me in a world of freedom where you can forget about all this pain insanity.

If you have a "bad back" Dr. Sarno's book is worth reading. There's an emotional component to all forms of chronic pain, and this book will shed light on how much thought is a factor. Some people think he's saying that you're to blame for your pain or that it's all "in your head," but this book is just giving you a different way to look at it. Very enlightening! I recommend it to all my clients with chronic pain.

Anita Boser, LMP, CHP, author of Relieve Stiffness and Feel Young Again with Undulation

it wont work if you dont believe it. read the whole book, figure it out, and fix the pain

I've been fighting spondy in my L5/S1 region, as well as nerve damage, since 1993/94 (due to injury). The diagnosis and prognosis continues to puzzle my orthopedic professionals for many years now because I refuse to have a fusion until the day arrives that I can no longer walk. Arthritic flare-ups during winter months have pretty much turned me against cold weather. The bursitis in my left hip has become so much worse that I was referred to a physical therapist who specializes in hip/pelvic work. At present, I am only 42 years old, but my doctors have taken everything away from me that I love doing. Most activities require more 'back' straining than they say I can handle. This is a hard pill to swallow for someone who had led a very active lifestyle until the age of 29.

I don't take med's. I truly believe in PT as a way to keep myself motivated to do what I can. So I visited this newly referred PT. She's great; she found so many things going on inside me. But to touch me was excruciating. When we started talking about how the injuries occurred, she learned more than she bargained for. There is much traumatic history that goes with the damage. I told her I had finished writing my book about what happened and how I had to dig up a lot of the memories to get the details in print (not published yet). She told me about a book another patient had told her about. I immediately bought this book. To be honest, as a psychology minor, I was rather skeptical about the content as far as the first chapter. Amazingly, by the end of Chapter 2, I was 100% pain-free!

I visited the PT at mid-way of the book. I said nothing about how I was feeling; just told her I'd been reading the book she recommended. (Note, she had NOT yet read this book). As she was palpating all the trigger points of where my pain lived, she commented something was so not normal for me, that I had not screamed the first time that visit! I told her she has to read this book because it speaks to the subconscious mind, somehow, for I had done nothing but read. There had been no written exercises, just enlightened reading. The following week I returned to her and she found that I was still pain-free, even with adding cardio (walks) to my daily routine... something that was not even in the picture for so long.

I've been pain-free for 1 month now. I'm a newbie at this, and I'm so enjoying the feeling of 'freedom' from the pain that had bound me for years. I added another activity this weekend: I had to wash my lawn tractor. To my surprise, there is still NO pain!!! My friends talk to me on the phone and comment how "calm" and positive I sound. They are amazed at the change in me. Chronic pain messes with the whole of a person, not just an area or two. My mood is upbeat always, stress doesn't bother me now (I've been juggling home ownership crises with a smile!), and I just feel I can conquer any mountain now.

I spoke with my GP about this book, also, as I have about other 'non-traditional diagnoses and treatment' books. He's a great GP and his favorite pass time is endocrinology. As I showed him the book, his face lit up and he said, "I love that book!"

I've recommended this book to friends and colleagues who have struggled with unending pain, some for far longer than I. It is my hope that others will learn of this theory and realize that TMS is a part of our culture that continues to evolve in the arena of those who still 'practice' medicine. I believe Dr. Sarno has finished his 'practice' and has hit the nail on the head with this! Denial is a very powerful thing, and once the issues are acknowledged and validated, they (and the denial) find their way to release a person. It seems Dr. Sarno's sermon is that it's okay to be angry, but not okay to hide it for fear of what others will think. It hurts only the person who bottles the anger.

It is a very useful tool.
Great support for one struggling with RSI.
Thank you!

This book is incredible and John Sarno really explains his practice well. The whole theory is fascinating and can be life changing if you allow it. I highly recommend this book especially if you have "tried everything" for your back pain and only get temporary relief.

...would be one sure way to silence any detractors. It worked for me and has obviously worked for others. It will obviously not work for everyone, particularly those with actual physical disorders. The hour or two it takes to read this book and the $15 to purchase it for the possible relief of chronic back pain? I'd say it's worth the risk. Or you could go throw your cash at a pseudo-doctor who has no vested interest in your getting well. (When is the last time you turned away an opportunity to increase your income?)

After over 20 years of pain in my neck from a double whiplash, and then back issues the past 3 months attributed to a herniated disc, within 2 weeks after reading the book and doing some relaxation techniques found in Somatics, I have my life back! No joke! I don't take this lightly at all. I like to think I am aware of the different things out there, but this took me totally off guard..But I am grateful. I went to 4 drs for my back in the past 3 months and I got 3 totally different opinions. One thing they were in agreement was to 'be careful', 'don't bend at the waist' don't do this, don't do that...I left feeling so depressed I wanted to cry. I'm only 46 years old, an avid biker and hiker, not to mention I love to mow our 2 acres, and they're telling me to live my life in a bubble...well I have a carefree spirit and I couldn't imagine that kind of life. Maybe I'll slow down when I'm 85 but I'm not ready yet. This book was recommended to me from my physical therapist and I am so grateful to him. It is worth your time and money. The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain by Sarno is the book that was initially recommended to me (I misread my paper and ordered this book instead) so that's what I would recommend as well if you're only going to buy one book... however I got excellant results with the information in this book..

Ordinarilly, I would never give even a poorly written book one star. And although this book is fairly well written, I would actually give it negative stars if at all possible. Dr Sarno makes the mistake of strongly suggesting that virtually all back and joint disorders are the result of mind driven oxygen deprivation...resulting from stress. This, while true for many, is also likely equally untrue for many more. However, if you follow his advice and try to physically perform as though your ailments were imaginary, as he seems to suggest, you could very very possibly turn an already damaging condition into a crippling one. If, for example, you decide to lift heavy objects like you used to, operating under the premise that you shouldn't give in to the "illusion of injury" that your mind is creating, then you could very well rupture discs, tear weak ligaments etc....

Ordinarilly, I would never give even a poorly written book one star. And although this book is fairly well written, I would actually give it negative stars if at all possible. Dr Sarno makes the mistake of strongly suggesting that virtually all back and joint disorders are the result of mind driven oxygen deprivation...resulting from stress. This, while true for many, is also likely equally untrue for many more. However, if you follow his advice and try to physically perform as though your ailments were imaginary, as he seems to suggest, you could very very possibly turn an already damaging condition into a crippling one. If, for example, you decide to lift heavy objects like you used to, operating under the premise that you shouldn't give in to the "illusion of injury" that your mind is creating, then you could very well rupture discs, tear weak ligaments etc....

I've been a back/nerve pain sufferer for two years plus. I've had the MRIs, the EMGs, the NCVs, etc. I've done physical therapy. I'm on medication. I've done the PT exercises. I've avoided straining my back. But I'm not better. What's going on? Oh joy! A cure! My brain has repressed emotions and to avoid these terrible emotions it has decided to create this back pain, as a way of avoidance... or so says Dr. Sarno. Perhaps if I could only tell my brain to cut it out then I'll be miraculously cured! Oh thank you Dr. Sarno!

It turns out I have small fiber neuropathy, which is tested and proven via skin biopsy. Neuropathy is nerve damage. Nerve damage = pain, numbness, muscle aches, etc. If I only read this doctor's book and left it at that I'd STILL be in pain AND be depressed and MORE upset. That would be the nail in the coffin.

Half of this man's book consists of a long-winded argument in favor of his theory. A good book for the buying public should not take up half its space trying to prove something to the reader. Red flag there! Dr. Sarno says that physical therapy is a waste of time and in fact any treatment (other than his own!) is a waste of time. Sounds like he's trying to sell more books and get people to go to his seminar if you ask me. He claims that PT is a placebo. Well, if that argument is true then couldn't we also say that HIS treatment is a placebo? And what about this "brain" argument--that the brain is the real culprit here. Well, isn't the brain the culprit of every action the body makes? How else do you feel pain? The brain. So his reasoning is silly.

A doctor who is telling back pain sufferers and a person with ANY injury (yes, his book talks about other injuries and how they ALL -surprise, surprise--are caused by his bunk syndrome... and also mentions cancer as being partially mental) to IGNORE the pain and go run that 5K and lift those weights and slouch in the chair and go help a friend move, can be dangerous--and I'm not just talking about physically but psychologically.

I won't go on, though I'm tempted to. I will conclude with this: You know those big "churches" with the preachers hooting in front of a microphone to a crowd of thousands singing "hallelujah's" and touching blind folks' foreheads and ladies with canes and men moaning because of their pain? Yeah. I think his philosophy is the same kind of thing.

Spent lots of money with chiropractors - what a waste of money!

This book fixed my back pain. Truly remarkable. Highly, highly recommend it. Chirpractors are flakes.....pseudo doctors...

I am a dentist and I thought I would have to retire due to both chronic and acute episodes of back pain. Dr. Sarno's book was recommended to me a couple of years prior and I dismissed it as something that couldn't help me as my symptoms were "real" and I have positive findings on my MRI such as severely degenerative discs and facet joint arthritis. I tried chiropractics, physical therapy, and injections all to no avail. I suffered for a couple of more years and during another acute episode, a patient also recommended Dr. Sarno's book. I read the book a couple of times and within 2 weeks my pain was gone and has not returned for over two years. As a dentist I have a strong scientific background, so I was skeptical that this would work for me. It did work and I can't recommend it enough.

Simply put, this was more than a book for me, it was a cure. I was suffering from back pain continuosly for two years, heard about Dr. Sarno from 20/20, Howard Stern and Rosie O'Donnell, decided to give it a try. All I can say is that I read it in about three weeks - and by the second week I noticed my back pain was gone and it has been gone ever since. If you have back pain, you must read this book, it will change your life. I have recommended this book and it has eliminated back pain from two acquaintances as well. Your brain is an amazing organ and Dr Sarno explains how it causes your back pain as a 'survival' mechanism, and understanding this point and internalizing it makes your back pain disappear. But read the book, it will open your eyes an amaze you.

They are misrepresenting (lying) about what Sarno's motives are.

Long story short: I was in agony until I read his books. It took a month or so for the info to sink in, but it worked. I am pain free.

And like he said- the pain will actually move to another part of your body once you start to understand and apply his theories (facts, in my opinion).

I was astonished. Even some allergies are "mental", too. I had hay fever. It's gone now. Sounds crazy- that's why so many people like the person below are dismissing it. It's understandable, I guess. I just ask you to keep an open mind.

In my opinion, this book reads like pseudo-science written by a guy trying to make a looooot of money off the desperate. Though it purports to heal your back pain without "drugs, surgery, or exercise," in reality, at least half the book is filled up by a ridiculously extensive listing of all the diagnoses and treatments traditional doctors hand out when a patient comes to them with chronic pain -- arthritis, fibromyalgia, scoliosis, tendonitis, etc. Sarno doesn't believe in any of them -- not the diagnoses, and not the treatments. Instead, he thinks they're all the same thing, a condition he calls "Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS)." But does it strike anybody else as odd that he spends half the book describing in great detail all the stuff he doesn't believe in? Because, personally, that made me suspect he ran out of relevant content pretty quickly and didn't think he could make enough money off a book that was only thirty pages long. Not a good sign.

More importantly, after mucking through all this extraneous stuff, there's something quite significantly missing from this book: an actual treatment plan or program of Sarno's own design. We're told that our minds are in charge of our bodies and that TMS is caused by a lack of oxygen in our muscles, but we're never really told what we can do with this information now that we know it. I've since read that one of Sarno's patients created a companion book that more clearly details Sarno's treatment plan -- a "workbook" of sorts with all the steps or exercises you implement in order to cure your pain. But, to be honest, I'm already feeling disillusioned about Sarno's theories -- I feel like his book misrepresented itself, telling me right on the back cover in boldface type that I "don't have to take it anymore." In reality, I apparently not only have to take IT, I also have to take its companion workbook as well. Which Sarno didn't even write himself! All in all, a major waste of time. Good thing I didn't actually buy a copy, but instead used my local public library!

I checked this book out of the library because of a burning pain in my left shoulder. I have been getting massages for years, and I would make the masseuse use his full body weight just to get through the tight burning muscles. After reading this book and recognizing what emotions and thoughts were contributing to it, I found the pain melting away, rather quickly! Then, as Dr. Sarno warned, the pain resurfaced somewhere else, again as a kind of "distraction" from emotions. I had a painful, tight jaw (like TMJ) for about a month. Once I recognized that it wasn't for any reason besides a distraction from my emotions, it went away, again, very quickly. Now, about a year later, it's resurfaced again, this time in my sciatic nerve. I haven't done anything to injure myself, so I am almost 100% sure it's the same thing. My pain goes away quickly, but after awhile it tries to sneak back in. I'm buying the book this time, since I will probably need to refer back to it throughout my life. I really recommend this book, even if you have an "injury", at least read it with an open mind and try the principles it suggests, before you scoff at it. Look at all the reviews...it really works for people. What more could you ask for?

I've had a seering pain in the hip joint of my right buttuck for over five years now. Two years ago a doctor finally x-rayed my hip and did a test for rheumatoid arthritis. Neither test showed anything, but my doctor said I most probably was in the beginning stages of rheumatoid arthritis. Over the last two years the pain in right hip grew to encompass the entire hip and my left hip started to hurt also. I've had recurring siatica in my right leg for about 10 years. So, when I heard about this book I was in more and more pain every day. I was unable to stand on my feet for extended periods, to bend over, or to climb short ladders without being in pain for days afterwards. I quit the gym a year and a half ago and have gained a lot of weight because a little bit of exercise would cause a lot of pain. 45 minutes on a cardio machine would leave me unable to walk for five days.

After reading this book the first night and realizing that my pain might be due to TMS and thinking back on what I was angry about I awoke without pain for the first night in months. I have had less and less pain each day and was able to spend an entire day on my feet by the time I was 2/3 through the book. I've finished the book and the only pain I have left is the initial pain in the hip of my right buttock. It's most probably a pinched nerve that has caused all the other pain, but the suggestion from my doctor that it was probably much more was what caused the pain to become incapacitating. Now, that my mind no longer accepts the doctor's probable cause the pain is gone.

If you have pain, get the book. It certainly won't hurt you, and you just may be pain free for the first time in years.

Last year I hit absolute rock bottom with my back issue. I finally went for physical therapy and religiously did my exercises with some improvement. My tail bone continued to throb and I felt sentenced to a life of limited movement. Naturally, depression set in. I had some good success with a back video in the past and decided to check out her website where John Sarno and his theory were mentioned. I checked it out on amazon and saw the reviews. I was at the point that I was open to anything and promptly ordered the book. The results have been amazing! I have become aware of the actual thoughts that bring on my back pain and have been able to use that knowledge to ward off "pulls" and "spasms". I tell everyone about this book if they mention pain. I often get their doubtful looks but I am so glad I was open minded. I figure anyone who isn't willing to give it a try is choosing to remain miserable. I followed up with the seminar tape and reference the book as needed to refresh my thinking. I cannot say enough good about this book. For under $15 it is worth a try.

The book works great if you don't have an injury, ie, it is in your head. Unfortunately I "Really" have a herniated disc. It's funny how back injuries seem to be blown off this way, when other injuries are not! Anyways, if you are not injured but think you are, buy this book! If you really are injured, don't waste your time money etc. It is an imaginary cure for a real injury!

I have had a re-accuring back injury for the past three months (keeps flaring up) so I purchased this book and read it. While I understand that holding tention in one's body can cause problems, he doesn't address that you really can have an injury. Also, he says that there is no right or wrong way to lift, bend or move and that there are no exercises that help. He says that all the pain is emotional pain. Well, there is something called PHYSICS and you CAN move in the wrong way to injure a muscle, tendon, ligament or even cause a herniated disc. Not to mention that am pretty in touch with my emotions. I don't hold a lot of stuff in. The book just seemed liked a bunch of balony with no basis in science. I would not recomment spending the money. Go see a good specialist.

I discovered this book 8 years ago after 4 years of severe and nearly debilitating back pain. I was a college athlete at the time and suffered through severe pains throughout college. I tried innumerable different approaches to improving my back pain without any success (yoga, acupuncture, chiropractics, massage, physical therapy). I had a MRI scan of back at a world class medical center by an orthopedist who found three bulging discs. His recommendation was that I refrain from really any sports except brisk walking!! I came across "Healing Back Pain" at the same time. His approach is completely different that everything anyone has ever suggested to you about back pain. Within three weeks of reading the book and practicing his exercises I was 95% better, and since then I've been almost completely pain free.