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Can You Cure Chronic Pain with Your Mind?

Discussion in 'General Discussion Subforum' started by Eric "Herbie" Watson, Aug 19, 2013.

  1. Eric "Herbie" Watson

    Eric "Herbie" Watson Beloved Grand Eagle

    You may not have to live with chronic pain. Some experts assert that rather than mask or tolerate chronic pain, you may be able to stop it by learning to regulate your body with the power of your mind.

    How Do Mind-Body Interventions Work?

    Mind-body advocates contend that you have more power over your pain than you realize. Your brain and central nervous system are connected and constantly talk to each other, sending and receiving signals such as pain messages. Typically, these messages result from injury or illness and stop once the body is healed. Mind-body interventions are based on the idea that this messaging system can break down, causing miscommunication between the mind and body.
    When pain messaging systems break down, constant or chronic pain messages may be sent even after the original cause of the pain is fully healed. Pain treatment programs that use mind–body interventions help interrupt these pain messages and reestablish healthy communication along the nerve paths to the brain.
    You Do Have Control Over Pain

    Over the past few decades, a wealth of research has confirmed that mind–body therapies, either alone or with other treatments, may help cure various types of pain and prevent pain recurrence. Techniques that were once considered complementary or alternative, such as, behavioral therapy, biofeedback, cognitive therapy, guided/visual imagery, hypnosis, meditation, and relaxation therapy have now become mainstream.
    Studies have demonstrated the usefulness of various mind-body interventions in the management of many types of pain, such as migraine or tension-type headaches, fibromyalgia, acute sciatica, and several other conditions for which no specific cause has been found.
    Your Chronic Pain: What's Mixing Up the Messages?

    Feelings of anxiety, tension, anger, or depression could cause a disconnection between your mind and body. When your brain is frequently forced to respond to such emotions, it essentially rewires itself to keep up with the barrage of negative stimuli. As a result, your brain may send erroneous pain messages to your body. With mind-body intervention, the first step is to examine your behaviors and environment with a doctor or therapist to identify factors that may be causing the pain reaction. The next step is to develop more productive ways to handle the stressors that you face every day so that you have more control over your physiological response to these emotions. Depending on your condition, this process may take only a few weeks or may become a regular part of your health routine.
    Approach with Caution

    Whether you are recovering from illness, injury, or surgery or are unsure what's causing your pain, do some homework before you dive into this pain therapy. First, check with your healthcare provider to rule out the possibility of a more serious condition. Then, get advice on reputable practitioners and mind-body treatment centers available in your area. Also, be aware that not all are covered by health insurance, so cost may be a consideration.

    Real age- July, 2009
     
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  2. Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)

    Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021) Beloved Grand Eagle

    You have it right, Herbie and your suggestions for the mind controlling pain are what Dr. Sarno tells us in
    Healing Back Pain:

    "It is my impression that virtually any organ or system in the body can be used by the mind as a defense
    against repressed emotionality... Most physicians either do not recognize the disorder as psychophysiologic,
    or if they do, treat it symptomatically as through it were organic."

    In another part of his book he tells us "Hippocrates advised his asthmatic patients to be wary of anger,
    which suggests that 2,500 years ago there was some appreciation of the impact of the emotions on illness."

    And in Sarno's The Mindbody Prescription, he says "Where the group of mindbody conditions described
    in this book is concerned, knowledge of the process, and most particularly knowledge of its emotional
    sources, is essential and almost invariably results in a 'cure.'"
     
  3. StevieG 2013

    StevieG 2013 New Member

    If you do cure your body with your mind is that a placebo as I feel it is different to this "program" where you have to understand the process and then allow you nervous system to adjust to this new insight (unveil the mask/the whole Wizard of Oz analogy). I have wondered about this and feel that by forcing my mind (not that I have any control of my mind) through meditation I am forcing it and not dealing with the issue. so although they might provide a temporary relief - I wonder will they solve the problem. I tried them all including Biofeedback and felt a better connection via Sarno's book. Had a relapse 10 years after initially banishing TMS. I'll post my story now in an effort to remedy it.
     
  4. Eric "Herbie" Watson

    Eric "Herbie" Watson Beloved Grand Eagle

    StevieG 2013) - I tried them all including Biofeedback and felt a better connection via Sarno's book.

    Eric)- Yes, its the combination of the above and Sarnos work- The Rage Soothe Ratio mentioned on page 29 of The Mindbody prescription by Dr. Sarno Talks about how the above is a great tool for helping us sooth the rage and tension that builds into Tms. Its all part of the big picture.
     

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