TG957
Beloved Grand Eagle
If I may, I would like to add my 2 cents to this discussion. In my almost 9 years on this forum, I observed three methods that seem to work for people, in their pure form or in combination.
All three method are based on the same foundational premise that chronic pain is a psychosomatic condition generated by a traumatized brain. How they achieve the goal of restoring the brain to a normal state of mind is different, but it does not mean that they are not consistent with the main concept of brain plasticity that is both a cause of a problem and a solution to it.
Here they are:
1. Classic Sarno method based on Freud's theory (book or lecture + therapy as needed). Tried, tested, proven. Works for many, probably majority.
2. Just Do It. Start walking, running, lifting weights or whatever else your pain prevents you from doing, and force your brain to give up and cooperate. Works for very few in it's pure form, but is employed by nearly everybody is some form, because we all have to decide how to stop limiting ourselves in movement.
3. Neuroscientific method. Practiced by Schubiner, Moseley, Gordon etc. Uses a more neuroscientific explanations of the chronic pain mechanism but employs therapy, meditation, tapping, pain reprocessing and various other ways of calming down and healing the brain that have not been used by Sarno.
Important to note that when Sarno developed his method, neuroscience did not exist, so he used a more simplistic language to explain why his method would work. His students like Schubiner and Schecter sought constructs that would be consistent with the scientific knowledge that was acquired in 1970es-1990es. It would be very interesting to find out what was Sarno's own reaction to the works of practitioners pursuing this path. I would not be surprised if he was fully receptive to it. After all, he was a scientist, through and through, and based his work on observation and proof. Science is not a set knowledge, it stands on the shoulders of previous scientists.
In my very humble opinion, it does not matter how people get rid of their debilitating symptoms, as long as they accept the foundational premise. Even more so, I encourage every person to chart their own path, because what works for some may not work for others. I used a mix of all three methods, but it was the neuroscientific explanation that helped me build up my confidence after Sarno showed me the path.
I think we need to encourage all success stories, all non-orthodox techniques people used, because this is how science is being made. I feel very proud of this community because without us agreeing to experiment on our own brains, without us raising funds, without us providing our success stories and sharing our experiences, our TMS doctors could have never produced their now famous Boulder clinical study and all of their statistics that proves them right.
None of the later developments can diminish the value of Dr. Sarno's genius to develop the method that went against the orthodoxy, of Dr. Sarno's courage to defy the pushback from establishment, of Dr. Sarno's persistence to not give up. May his name never be forgotten.
All three method are based on the same foundational premise that chronic pain is a psychosomatic condition generated by a traumatized brain. How they achieve the goal of restoring the brain to a normal state of mind is different, but it does not mean that they are not consistent with the main concept of brain plasticity that is both a cause of a problem and a solution to it.
Here they are:
1. Classic Sarno method based on Freud's theory (book or lecture + therapy as needed). Tried, tested, proven. Works for many, probably majority.
2. Just Do It. Start walking, running, lifting weights or whatever else your pain prevents you from doing, and force your brain to give up and cooperate. Works for very few in it's pure form, but is employed by nearly everybody is some form, because we all have to decide how to stop limiting ourselves in movement.
3. Neuroscientific method. Practiced by Schubiner, Moseley, Gordon etc. Uses a more neuroscientific explanations of the chronic pain mechanism but employs therapy, meditation, tapping, pain reprocessing and various other ways of calming down and healing the brain that have not been used by Sarno.
Important to note that when Sarno developed his method, neuroscience did not exist, so he used a more simplistic language to explain why his method would work. His students like Schubiner and Schecter sought constructs that would be consistent with the scientific knowledge that was acquired in 1970es-1990es. It would be very interesting to find out what was Sarno's own reaction to the works of practitioners pursuing this path. I would not be surprised if he was fully receptive to it. After all, he was a scientist, through and through, and based his work on observation and proof. Science is not a set knowledge, it stands on the shoulders of previous scientists.
In my very humble opinion, it does not matter how people get rid of their debilitating symptoms, as long as they accept the foundational premise. Even more so, I encourage every person to chart their own path, because what works for some may not work for others. I used a mix of all three methods, but it was the neuroscientific explanation that helped me build up my confidence after Sarno showed me the path.
I think we need to encourage all success stories, all non-orthodox techniques people used, because this is how science is being made. I feel very proud of this community because without us agreeing to experiment on our own brains, without us raising funds, without us providing our success stories and sharing our experiences, our TMS doctors could have never produced their now famous Boulder clinical study and all of their statistics that proves them right.
None of the later developments can diminish the value of Dr. Sarno's genius to develop the method that went against the orthodoxy, of Dr. Sarno's courage to defy the pushback from establishment, of Dr. Sarno's persistence to not give up. May his name never be forgotten.
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