Main draft of new tmswiki.org home page
Do you have pain or other symptoms that might not be entirely caused by physical problems in your body? Do you often feel worse when you are unhappy, stressed or anxious? Are you willing to consider solutions that involve thinking “outside the box?” If so, we've been there, and we can help.
This website is written by a group of people who suffered from terrible pain (and other symptoms) until they discovered ideas first popularized by John Sarno, MD. These ideas have transformed our lives and we hope that they will transform yours as well.
The PPD/TMS Peer NetworkWe’ve been there. We can help.
The PPD/TMS Peer Network (PTPN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 that sponsors the TMS Wiki. (What is PPD?) We seek to relieve suffering from Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) by raising awareness, providing information based on scientific evidence, facilitating expression of a wide variety of perspectives, and giving individual support to people with TMS. Read More...
Interacting with other TMS peers online is a great way to learn more about Tension Myositis Syndrome and how you can overcome it. Our forum has over 11,000 posts on eight different subforums that help teach you what you need to know to become symptom-free.
Click here to go to the forum.
Structured Educational Program
A common stumbling block for many people is figuring out how to put the TMS knowledge to work. The Structured Educational Program was designed to give people daily activities to do that will help them recover. It was developed entirely by people who have recovered from TMS and is based on the techniques other peers used to heal. Read More...
Every Saturday at 3 PM ET, we host an online chatroom moderated exclusively by peers, where people can discuss TMS, and provide and receive support from each other. Click here to go to the chatroom
Every Tuesday at 9 PM ET, we host a call-in discussion group focusing on a section of a TMS book. Callers discuss that week's material and other TMS-related issues, deepening their understanding of TMS through conversation with others. Read More...
Dr. Sarno hosted lectures for his new clients as a way to help educate them about TMS. With a similar mindset, we host special webinars with TMS practitioners and authors in hopes of teaching people with TMS more about the condition, and the emotional sources of their symptoms. Read More...
There are currently in-person TMS support groups in Boston, Kansas City, and London. These meetings are organized and led by people who have or have had TMS, and are a great way to receive support. Read More...
Alan Gordon's TMS Recovery Program
The TMS Wiki proudly hosts a free TMS Recovery Program, developed by TMS practitioner Alan Gordon, LCSW. Using clips of recordings of sessions with TMSers, this multimedia recovery program both tells you and shows you what to do to overcome your TMS. Click here to go to the program
We have a number of resources specifically for medical and mental health practitioners. Visit the For TMS Practitioners wiki page for more information.
Meet Andy
Overcame foot pain using the TMS approach
Healthy active 40's backcountry skier, canoer, hiker, worked as wilderness ranger...then 3 years worsening foot pain, in the arch of the foot. Pain so bad that I could barely stand more than 15 minutes, minimum walking, wheel chairs and crutches for stores, lost all my former life of activity. Two weeks from "tarsal tunnel" surgery I began Sarno's practices. 2 months into it, my first overnight hike (8 miles round trip), and my first backcountry skiing in 4 years. Pain 70% to 90% gone. I have my life back. Read the full success story
Is TMS a new concept for you? Read through our pages in the section For People Just Learning About TMS. These pages will provide you with an introduction to this approach and describe the steps you can take to recover.
Directory of TMS Practitioners
The first step for anyone interested in the TMS approach is to see a TMS practitioner. Only a doctor can rule out serious medical conditions and diagnose you with TMS. To find a practitioner near you, visit Find a TMS Doctor or Therapist.
Have a question about TMS? Check out our Q&A with an Expert section. Some of the most prominent TMS practitioners have posted their responses to common questions our members have asked.
Accepting that your symptoms are benign is key to recovering from TMS. A great way to help you gain confidence in this approach is to read success stories from people who have recovered. The TMS Wiki’s Success Stories Database provides you with hundreds of stories, organized by symptom, all in one place.
In honor of Dr. Sarno's retirement, the PTPN developed the Thank You, Dr. Sarno project, in which we collected personal thank you notes from individuals who have recovered from using this approach. These personal messages can be viewed online at www.thankyoudrsarno.org, and is a great resource to help you gain confidence in this approach.
Education is the key to recovering from TMS. There are a number of books that will help you learn more about this condition and how to get better. Check out our Books and DVDs page for a comprehensive list of books and other materials that can help you overcome your TMS.
Forget Google - the TMS Wiki's search engine provides you with information specifically related to TMS, without having to type "TMS" or "Tension Myositis Syndrome" or any other keywords to get the right results. Just quick, easy access to the information you need. Check it out at search.tmswiki.org .
Mailing List for TMS and Parts Therapy
We now host a specialized email mailing list focused on parts-based approaches to TMS healing, such as Internal Family Systems (IFS) and related therapies such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Visit the Parts Therapy and IFS Mailing List wiki page for more information, or check out the forum thread discussing the mailing list.
Flyers for the Peer Network
We have created three flyers (below) for you to distribute to TMS practitioners. You can print them yourself, or you can email us at info (at) tmswiki.org with your address and the number of flyers you would like and we will print and send them to you free of charge.
About the PTPN
So You Think You Have TMS
Practitioners and the PTPN
Pathways to Pain Relief now available in paperback
Originally published as an e-book in January 2013, the TMS book Pathways to Pain Relief, written by Dr. Frances Sommer Anderson and Dr. Eric Sherman is now available for purchase in paperback format at Amazon.com. The book describes both psychologists' experiences treating patients with TMS, and incorporates case histories which illustrate how chronic pain and other medically unexplained symptoms originate as a means to protect an individual from unbearable emotional distress. Pathways also includes a foreword by Dr. John Sarno.
Thursday December 5 at 6:30pm (Central Time): Kansas City TMS Support Group
The next meeting of the Kansas City Support Group will be held on Thursday, December 5th, 2013 from 6:30pm - 8:00pm at Medical Plaza West behind Overland Park Regional Hospital (12200 W. 106th Street, Overland Park, KS). Participants are welcome to come at 6:00 for light snacks and social time. For more information, contact Stella.
About Us
We’ve been there. We can help.
The PPD/TMS Peer Network (PTPN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2009. We seek to relieve suffering from Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) by raising awareness, providing information based on scientific evidence, facilitating expression of a wide variety of perspectives, and giving individual support to people with TMS. Like many others, we suffered from terrible pain and other symptoms for many years before learning about this approach. All of the members of our organization suffered from TMS at some point in their lives, and the majority of these members consider themselves to have recovered from chronic pain and experience little to no pain.
This Wiki was the PTPN's first project. The TMS Wiki currently hosts 594 different articles on TMS. Our other projects and programs include a weekly drop-in chat, a weekly call-in discussion group, the Thank You, Dr. Sarno project, special webinar events, and Peer Supervision Teleconferences for TMS practitioners.
