1. Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Our TMS drop-in chat is tomorrow (Saturday) from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern (***NOTE*** now on US Daylight Time). It's a great way to get quick and interactive peer support, with Steve2 as your host. Look for the red Chat flag on top of the menu bar!

Alan G. Old Pain in a New Place

Discussion in 'Ask a TMS Therapist' started by Guest, Aug 5, 2014.

  1. Guest

    Guest Guest

    This question was submitted via our Ask a TMS Therapist program. To submit your question, click here.

    Question
    I am a former patient of Dr. Sarno. At the time I attended his lectures in the late 1990's, he suggested as one part of my recovery that I read certain pages of "Healing Back Pain" for 30 days. I had been experiencing debilitating back spasms and after doing as he suggested, in these years that have followed, I no longer have these symptoms. But, I now am having pain in my hips and legs especially when I go to bed at night. I can find no comfortable position and keep moving my legs and body trying to find a comfortable position. I know this is TMS and have done the self talk and have also gotten out the book "The Mindbody Prescription" by Dr. Sarno but have no idea what pages I should be reading from this book. Since Dr. Sarno has retired and I cannot call him, I wonder if you can tell me the page numbers of this book that I should be reading?
     
  2. Alan Gordon LCSW

    Alan Gordon LCSW TMS Therapist

    Answer
    Interesting. There was nothing magical about the specific pages you read, essentially those pages served as a constant reinforce/reminder that there was nothing wrong with your back. You read the pages over and over and continually reinforced to yourself that you were fine, that you were healthy, that these symptoms were caused by your mind. You believed it, eventually you neutralized the fear, and the pain lost its power over you.

    Assuming you've been cleared by a physician regarding these new symptoms and they've been deemed TMS, there is nothing special or unique about your leg or hip pain. It's just a different manifestation of your back pain. That's it. You can read the same pages you read during your previous bout of back pain, and just replace "back" with "hip and leg," or you can just repeat to yourself throughout the day that there's nothing wrong with you. Once you're able to minimize your preoccupation with and fear of the symptoms, you rob them of their power and their days are numbered.

    Alan


    Any advice or information provided here does not and is not intended to be and should not be taken to constitute specific professional or psychological advice given to any group or individual. This general advice is provided with the guidance that any person who believes that they may be suffering from any medical, psychological, or mindbody condition should seek professional advice from a qualified, registered/licensed physician and/or psychotherapist who has the opportunity to meet with the patient, take a history, possibly examine the patient, review medical and/or mental health records, and provide specific advice and/or treatment based on their experience diagnosing and treating that condition or range of conditions. No general advice provided here should be taken to replace or in any way contradict advice provided by a qualified, registered/licensed physician and/or psychotherapist who has the opportunity to meet with the patient, take a history, possibly examine the patient, review medical and/or mental health records, and provide specific advice and/or treatment based on their experience diagnosing and treating that condition or range of conditions.

    The general advice and information provided in this format is for informational purposes only and cannot serve as a way to screen for, identify, or diagnose depression, anxiety, or other psychological conditions. If you feel you may be suffering from any of these conditions please contact a licensed mental health practitioner for an in-person consultation.

    Questions may be edited for brevity and/or readability.

     

Share This Page