TMS in the News!

I came across a news story a few minutes ago that seems like TMS. Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors (NBA), just announced that he is out indefinitely because of chronic back pain. Some background for those who aren't crazy sports fans like myself: Kerr is the coach of perhaps the best NBA team right now. He won a championship 2 years ago and nearly won it last season too. His team is in the middle of their playoff run, the most important (and stressful) time in a season. He has a history of back pain and has missed time sporadically because of pain. He has undergone surgery in recent years. And yet, the pain has returned. This was the statement he released today...

“The symptoms for whatever reason has taken a turn for the worst maybe five days ago,” Kerr said. “I was able to manage the pain and discomfort over the last year and a half, and suddenly things got a lot worse and I don’t know why.

“…This is not going to be a case where I’m coaching one night and not the next. I’m not going to do that to our team and our staff. We’re hoping over the next week or two – whatever it is – I can sort of make a definitive realization or deduction or just feel that I’m going to do it or I’m not.”

Like many with chronic pain who have gone through surgery to "fix" it, he doesn't understand WHY he's having problems again. I don't know Kerr personally, but I remember a few years ago, during his broadcasting stint between coaching jobs, he mentioned that he enjoyed being an outsider to the game. He didn't have the stress of coaching. He got to watch the games and talk about them. He got to use his knowledge of the game to inform fans about the ins and outs of basketball. There was no emotions tied to it, and when the game was over, he could go back to his hotel room and relax. Fast forward a few years, and he decided to return to coaching. I get it, he's a competitive guy who played in the NBA for a decade and won championships as a player with Michael Jordan. It's hard to resist that competitive nature. The urge to be successful is very powerful, and the prospect of being one of the top 3 in your field can be both enticing and terrifying. I can't diagnosis Kerr, but this story screams TMS. I want to send him "Healing Back Pain"! I want him to see someone like Schubiner or Schechter. I want him to check out this wiki. But alas, I have no way of contacting him. For those of you interested in this story, here are a couple recent articles...

http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/steve-kerr-reportedly-was-in-excruciating-pain-as-warriors-try-to-diagnose-his-illness-042317 (Steve Kerr reportedly was in excruciating pain as Warriors try to diagnose his ‘illness’ | FOX Sports)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/04/23/warriors-coach-steve-kerr-reportedly-in-excruciating-pain-to-be-out-indefinitely/ (Warriors Coach Steve Kerr out indefinitely while battling chronic back pain)

What do you guys think?

 

Thanks for sharing. I'm a pro sports follower and can't tell you how many professional athletes and coaches I've seen that also scream TMS. They're under a huge amount of pressure to perform while in the public eye. The golfer who was runner up at the Masters tourney a couple of weeks ago had been battling back pain during the tournament. Pro tennis player Andy Murray, WNBA player Ellena Delladone....the list goes on. I would think it's even more overlooked since their bodies are physically stressed and structural issues seem so logical.

 

Get the address for the Warriors and mail him a copy of the book with a letter--you never know, it may get through to him and you may get free tickets to the play-offs.

 

Steve Kerr seems like he has a classic case of TMS. He fits the bill both in terms of his personality and his circumstances (it's the playoffs!). I am incredulous and sad that someone like him, who must have access to the world's premier experts in physical medicine, must suffer like this. There is no shortage of information out there about TMS (thank you TMS Wiki!) but the word is just not getting out to people. My husband is a huge Warriors fan and asked me to write a letter to Steve Kerr, so I did that today and sent it to the Warriors front office. MSZ812, I think you should also contact him. The more of us who do it the more likely he'll get the message.

 

Very cool of you! I tweeted to both Kerr and the team, and noticed that many other people have tweeted at him recommending Healing Back Pain. I think you're right though, a letter is a great idea!

- Matt

 

Because of the "blotched" surgery does Steve Kerr now have a legitimate physical spinal problem?

(which is outside of the scope of TMS)

 

Depends on what the surgeon did. If he went in and did a little poking around and some tweaking then probably not, the body is resilient and great at healing wounds, the biggest bone in the body, the femur heals stronger then new in a couple of months.

 

I live in the Chicago area and am a patient of TMS doc. Dr. Stracks here at Northwestern. He has recently reached out to us on his mailing list as he too believes it be TMS and wanted to know if any of us have knew how to reach out to Steve. He was of course a long time Chicago Bull. I do not know how to reach but message me if you do and I can put in touch with Stracks.

 

Maybe one way Dr. Stracks can help would be to reach out to the Stanford physicians who are treating Steve Kerr right now?

 

Tiger Woods is another prime example. Tiger was dominating golf like no other golfer ever had before, then as soon as his marital and adultery problems came to light, all of a sudden his back started "falling apart".

Obviously Tiger puts a lot of pressure on himself to be perfect, it's one the reasons why he was able to get so good. But now his TMS has gotten so bad that he can't even play a full round of golf,

 

I contacted Dr. Schechter. He said that he is aware of Kerr's issues, and has reached out to another TMS doctor in the Bay Area.

 

MSZ812, that's great that you talked with Dr. Schechter. Do you know who that TMS doctor is here in the Bay Area? One reason I ask is that I've volunteered to help Michael Galinsky, director of "All the Rage: Saved by Sarno," pull together a list of contacts here in the Bay Area to publicize the film, which is just being shown now around the country. It's a wonderful film! They got into SF DocFest and will show it on June 10. That, along with Steve Kerr's story (which draws a lot of local media attention), could help get the word out. It's almost like the stars are aligning! But... you probably know how hard it is to get people to pay attention to this. Maybe we just need one open minded sports reporter to get that ball rolling.

 

Unfortunately, it was just a quick reply he gave me. I'm happy to even get a response and to know that he pays attention to these things. I know he's a busy man and one of the most prominent TMS doctors. It seems like a lot of people have contacted the team and Kerr with TMS advice. Now, whether he gives the TMS treatment a try is up to him. I became aware of TMS because of two celebrities, John Stossel and Greg Gutfeld (both on Fox). I think they have a great platform to get the good news out to the masses. As nice as it would be to have TMS treated as a legitimate diagnosis from the medical community, I'll happily take a more cultural impact. After all, the vast majority of TMS treatment is done without a doctor. The price tag for most TMS patients is tiny compared to going down the structural/physical path. I believe the upcoming movie that you're helping market could potentially have a major impact on our society! I'm beyond excited to see it and pass it on to fellow chronic pain sufferers.

- Matt

 

San Francisco area

Clark GroveClark Grove, PhD (Therapist)
Clark has a masters in Humanistic Psychology (Mind/Body focus) and a PhD in Clinical Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies. He is a licensed psychologist in California. He receives most of his referrals from Dr. Parvez Fatteh in the San Francisco Bay Area, who is a Sarno adherent and is board certified in physical medicine & rehabilitation, with a sub-specialty (Board Certified) in pain medicine.

He says, "About 8 years ago I was working with a client who had a number of issues, with the most compelling one severe tendon/muscle pain in his arms. He was diagnosed with repetitive motion injury and was so incapacitated that he couldn't even pick up his two year old daughter. This client introduced me to Sarno's work as he worked through his pain. The philosophy of Sarno's beliefs were familiar to me because of my background in mind/body psychologies in my Master's program at Sonoma State University. Approximately 7 years ago I had a close family member go through excruciating back pain. She consulted with over 10 health practitioners (mainstream and alternative) and did not find any diminution of the pain until she read "The Mind Body Prescription". She was pain free in about 2 months." (Source)

Available via Phone
1902 Webster St
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 923-6760
clarkgrove@sbcglobal.net
Survey Response / TMS Wiki Profile / Website
Insurance Accepted: Aetna, Managed Health Network.


Parvez Fatteh, MD (Physician)
Dr. Fatteh is Board Certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and subspecialty Board Certified in Pain Medicine. He has been practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1998. His practice philosophy is that of a people-based approach. All treatment is tailored to the individual needs and comfort levels of each patient. He offers TMS treatment for a host of chronic conditions. (Source)

24301 Southland Dr, #411
Hayward, CA 94545
(510) 265-5795
and
115 Ryan Industrial Ct. #208
San Ramon, CA 94583
(925) 552-6363
pfatteh@pain-medicine.net
Website / TMS Wiki Profile
Insurance Accepted: Most PPO, Medicare, Workers Compensation


Katy Wray, MFT (Therapist)
Katy Wray graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies in 1989, and has been in practice for over 20 years. She specializes in relationship issues, anxiety, chronic pain, and depression. She describes her therapeutic style as "interactive and collaborative." She says, "We will work together on coming to a deeper understanding of what is happening in your life. Different possibilities and choices can then become available to you." (Source)

2506 Clay Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 922-8121
kwraymft@yahoo.com


Santa Cruz area

Bruce Eisendorf, MD (Physician)
Dr Eisendorf MD is a doctor with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in California. He says:
“I try to understand my patients. I want to know what their experiences have been, what their joys and challenges are, and what's getting in the way of their more full enjoyment of life. My studies with Dr. John Sarno, author of "Healing Back Pain", "The Mindbody Prescription", and other books, has strongly influenced my practice of medicine. The mind and emotions have a profound effect on our physical and mental health and well-being. To better understand this relationship and help patients use the mind to their advantage, I teach classes and offer monthly support groups.” (Source)

2025 Soquel Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 458-5524
Website
Insurance Accepted: Cigna, Healthnet, Wellcare, Humana, BCBS, United Health Care, Wellpoint



Hasanna FletcherHasanna Fletcher, LMFT (Therapist)
Hasanna received a M.A. in Clinical Psychology in 1992 from JFK University and has been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 1995. She says "For the past fourteen years I've been helping people with a wide range of issues, such as relationship problems of all kinds, depression, grief and loss, anxiety, life transitions, spirituality, parenting, self esteem, and chronic physical pain. I cured my own long-standing back, neck and hip pain 10 years ago after reading Sarno's Healing Back Pain. Unfortunately, I didn't discover TMS in time to avoid two unnecessary shoulder surgeries in both shoulders. It has been so satisfying to help my clients avoid a similar mistake! " (Source 1) (Source 2)

Available via Phone and Skype
2715 Porter Street
Soquel, CA 95073
(831) 476-8556
hasanna@baymoon.com
Hasanna has contributed a short article on Choosing a TMS Therapist to the TMS Wiki.
Survey Response / TMS Wiki Profile / Website
Insurance Accepted: Not on any preferred provider lists, but some PPO plans will reimburse at a lesser amount



Emmett MillerEmmett Miller, MD (Physician)
A traditionally trained physician, Dr. Emmett Miller is one of the founders of modern mind-body medicine. Although Dr. Miller is not trained in the treatment of TMS specifically, his treatment methods have been very helpful to others with TMS, including author Steve Ozanich, as he mentioned in a forum post (listed below). Dr. Miller now practices in California. using different holistic approaches such as guided meditation and deep relaxation as well as cognitive behavioral techniques, his practice focuses on helping people overcome a variety of chronic illnesses and problems, including stress, anxiety, and physical pain. Dr. Miller also provides life coaching sessions. (Source)
Read Steve Ozanich's forum post mentioning Dr. Miller and mindbody medicine.

Available via Phone and Skype
To make an appointment with Dr. Miller, follow the steps listed on this webpage
329 S San Antonio Road, Suite 9
Los Altos, CA 94022

18834 Rock Creek Rd
Nevada City, CA 95959
(530) 478-1807
(530) 478-0160 fax
Website

 

Kerr has likely heard about TMS by now, and you're right: it's up to him to decide whether to give it a try. Whether or not he does that, one thing I do appreciate is what he said about surgery: "I can tell you, if you're listening out there, if you have a back problem, stay away from surgery. I can say that from the bottom of my heart. Rehab, rehab, rehab. Don't let anybody get in there." Those words were heard by many.