If you know me, you know my back. I have been through the ringer, where the ringer is every medical-ish department in town. Chiropractor, acupuncturist, physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon…all having wildly different diagnoses of what could possibly be wrong with me. I tried all their treatments, their thousand dollar treatments, that left me with less hope (and money) than beforehand.
Two years of mystery chronic pain. I was giving up. The doctor analyzed my MRI results and told me I had degenerative disc disease. He told me I am almost guaranteed surgery before 30 years old, that my only hope is steroid shots, and that most importantly, I should never put weights over my shoulders or run again.
An engineer at my work overheard my situation and chimed in. He had a very similar history yet has been pain free for the last 10 years, claiming he’s in the best shape of his life now. His life changed after being introduced to Dr. Sarno, the father of psychosomatic medicine, who revolutionized the mind-body connection by discovering Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS).
Before I continue, let me warn that I would have trouble believing this if I wasn’t a first hand witness. I read “The Mindbody Perscription” and “Healing Back Pain” within one week. I never felt so seen in a topic that was overthrowing my life. I then moved on to Dr. Sarno’s YouTube lectures and related speeches from medical conventions. I was enthralled and addicted.
The concept is that the brain creates or perpetuates pain as a protective distraction. Through the nervous system, the brain slightly restricts blood and oxygen flow to certain muscles and nerves, creating real physical pain. The pain is not fake or psychological—it is very real—but it is driven by the mind rather than tissue damage.
The solution, once confirmed that there isn’t an injury, is to convince your brain that you are not broken. The engineer at my work said he took the list of exercises he should “never do again” and made that his daily workout routine.
At this point, I started running, lifting weights, and playing volleyball. Breathing, meditating, and pushing through the pain. My aches slowly faded away.
I have been pain-free for the past four months.
I’m not sharing this to convince anyone or dismiss real injury. I am forever blessed by that one engineer who sent me down this path and that I continue to spread Dr. Sarno’s teachings and legacy.