What does Sarno mean “most disk abnormalities don’t cause pain”?

I received my MRI along with X rays to rule out any tumors, cracks or cancer and am really trying to get from my 80% belief in TMS/Sarno to 100%.

My MRI essentially was pretty dramatic and showed 2 (significant) herniated disks that are likely pushing against the nerve

My pain is in my lower back and I have numbness and loss of strength in my left leg, calf muscle and foot.

I’ve read Sarno’s books and watched his old school lecture where in both, he (more than once) stated that herniated disks rarely cause back pain or structural abnormalities rarely cause pain…

can anyone clarify on behalf of his vagueness on this - my doubt is hanging pretty hard on this statement mainly because there is not much clarification of when the bulging disk is significant and not related to TMS.


Thanks everyone,
Kyle

 

Hherniated disks are ALWAYS pushing against the nerve.
What about your pain?
Decreases and increases? Disapears temporaly? Changes its position?
Can you link changes in your pain with changes in your mindset, stress level, psychological pressure, familiar or professional relationships,...?
Sarno was a kind of Sherlock Holmes! You also can think out of the box.

 

Obsessing over details like this is your brain on TMS. It's a great way to keep you stuck. You need a 180-degree mind shift.

When you find yourself going there, say "Think Psychologically, NOT Physically!" And repeat. And read Success Stories (on that subforum) for other peoples' descriptions of how they came to realize that Sarno was right.

I have been realizing recently that I don't believe in the absolutism of the 100% rule. We achieve 100% belief just like we achieve 100% recovery. Sometimes we're there, sometimes we're not, especially in the early days of learning about the brain theory, and really becoming mindful of our brain messages. 80% is good enough to do the work, and obsessing over the 100% is just another distraction, so my advice is fuggedaboudit.

The only 100% that I DO believe in is that you must do the work with 100% self-honesty. Anything less is a waste of time.

~Jan

PS: Did I already recommend Dr. David Hanscom to you? Or was it someone else with back pain? He's the back expert - the back surgeon who quit his career in Seattle to concentrate on his Back In Control program, based on what he learned from Dr. Sarno after his own failed back surgery. If he doesn't have the details you crave (but seriously, that you don't need if you let go) then they don't exist. We have a whole sub-sub forum for his older blog posts, but it's also super-easy to find him on the web.

 

Chronic pain is considered to be present in anything ongoing past 6 weeks -3 months of pain in the human body. Things like broken bones or disc involvement usually heal in that time, and any pain should fade within that period according to my own non-tms believing neurosurgeon and primary doctor. That helped me immensely in my own belief that something else is going on. That said, you do not have to 100% believe in Sarno’s theories to realize there is a mind body connection and start doing the work to change your situation.