I don't remember that part of Dr. Hanscom's book, but I would not take it too much to heart. I had back surgery almost 20 years ago and spent years and years in physical therapy. I wish so much that there was all this information and support on TMS then. I did read Dr Sarno's book but I don't think I completely understood it. I gave up on it too quickly and went back to all my physical remedies(therapy, massage, back exercises etc.) The very best thing you can do to avoid future back pain or some other pain condition that could develop later on due to TMS is to be very kind and patient with yourself and work on the TMS. You mentioned in your other post that you have a lot of anxiety. Well, I have a lot of anxiety too and from what I understand that goes along with the TMS. So as we treat our TMS, the anxiety will subside as well. I have been having very good results with the anxiety by trying to experience and accept it when it comes. In other words not panic and try to run from it like I used to. So when I feel really anxious, I close my eyes, breathe, and try to notice what physical sensations are accompanying the anxiety. Then I do my very best to try to mentally describe in physical terms what I am feeling, welcome it, and tell it that it is ok to be. For instance, "hello buzzy feeling in my arms and stomach. You are okay to be here. I am fine with you." And don't forget to breathe deeply and I usually remind myself that I am ok, that I am not in danger. I didn't make this up, it was in a video Stocktrader posted. I started trying it and it really helped. I know the back pain can feel really awful. I had it in my lower back, right side, sciatica, numbness in my feet etc. for years. I did everything the doctors and physical therapists told me to do. I spent thousands and thousands of dollars. I was always really afraid there was something really bad going on, that I needed to do more somehow. But clearly now I realize that there wasn't anything physically wrong with me. I had TMS and did not realize or accept it. If you've seen a doctor and they say it is okay for you to try conservative treatment ie: physical therapy etc. then you should really try to have confidence and work on the TMS. It is what will protect you the most in the future. After enduring all those years of back pain I could never have imagined all the other pain conditions I would later develop with the TMS - foot pain, bladder spasms, occipital neuralgia... The pain is real and believe me I know how hard it is to imagine there isn't something structurally wrong that needs to be fixed. Looking back I realize that many doctors/surgeons gave me clues that there could be something else going on by saying things like "oh, you are fortunate, your pain corresponds to what we are seeing on the MRI." or asking me questions like "you need to ask yourself why you have a ruptured disc at 32 years of age?" Why would they ask things like that if they were truly confident in their ability to accurately and predictably diagnose the causes of back pain.
