Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection

John E. Sarno

4.06 · Rating details · 3,645 ratings · 406 reviews

Dr. John E. Sarno's groundbreaking research on TMS (Tension Myoneural Syndrome) reveals how stress and other psychological factors can cause back pain-and how you can be pain free without drugs, exercise, or surgery.

Dr. Sarno's program has helped thousands of patients find relief from chronic back conditions. In this New York Times bestseller, Dr. Sarno teaches you how to ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 208 pages

Published February 1st 1991 by Grand Central Life & Style (first published 1991)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Healing Back Pain, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Best Self Help Books

1,739 books — 2,137 voters

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Before The Trumpet - Young Franklin Roosevelt 1882-1905 by Geoffrey C. Ward

YC’s 2017 Summer Reading List

20 books — 3 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.06 ·

Rating details

· 3,645 ratings · 406 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection

Jan 04, 2013 Trent rated it it was amazing

CHANGED MY LIFE! I have written this on so many sites now since reading this. In short, I am a long time sufferer of low back pain. Pain runs down the leg and all over the core area. Had surgery at age 19 in 2002. All my love of sports and competing was ruined. Angry most of the time and when I'm not, I am in pain and wishing something would change my life. I have done surgery, PT, Tensunit, Injections, Massages, Trainers, Creams, More pills than any person in life should ever take... I have don ...more

flag 70 likes · Like · see review

Jan 06, 2017 Jaie rated it it was ok

Shelves: nonfiction, read-2017, health

The premise of this book is all right there in the title. There is a mind-body connection and recognizing it you can heal your back pain. At it's core I believe this premise. Unfortunately I did not like this book for a variety of reasons. As has been stated in other reviews, it is repetitive and doesn't actually explain the process of healing. The author is dismissive of others and arrogant. The research cited is old. I read the 2016 reprint of the 1991 version of this book. I think the only th ...more

flag 24 likes · Like · see review

Apr 20, 2013 Jennifer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: psychology, books-i-own

I'm guessing people will have mixed feelings about this, but I felt this book helped me.

It does drag on (as many people have noted).

It does show it's age in some of its comments (Page 68 is TMS worldwide, and basically assuming the entire African continent does not experience this issue or stress comes to mind - yeah, 1980s early 90s clueless much? A better statement might have been about work environment culture rather than just lumping continents and ethnic groups).

This book isn't just about b ...more

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Jun 09, 2013 Laurel Marlantes rated it it was amazing

No book has changed my life more. I'm amazed and so thankful I was told to read this book. Anyone who has suffered from ANY difficult to diagnosis condition should read this. After 3 years of struggle with numerous doctors and procedures and tests and who knows how much in medical bills, I literally have had zero back pain since reading this book and adopting Dr. Sarnos beliefs. I know I sound like I drank the Koolaid, but its true!! It's weird, and crazy, I know. But its also so awesome and the ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

May 06, 2012 Mike rated it it was ok

First I will say that if this book worked for you then, more power to you! I am a big believer in his premise that tension can result in physical pain manifesting itself in various forms. With that said, the other 180 pages of this book consisted of Dr. Sarno complaining that most people don't believe him and the medical profession discounts his discoveries. His proof consists of stories from his patients and how he cured them and leaves out anything based on facts. Instead, he uses phrases like ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Sep 10, 2009 Gaijinmama rated it liked it

Shelves: nonfiction

The idea that deeply repressed anger can cause physical tension, resulting in not only back pain but digestive and sinus problems and headaches....yes, I can get behind that.
However, I agree with the other reviewers here who have said the book is too vague and repetitive. OK...Doc, so yes, I am tense, stressed out, and anxious and my back hurts like H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks, but what specifically am I supposed to do about it?
That said, it is nice to see a medical professional actually doing
resea ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jan 21, 2014 Gregg Bell rated it it was amazing

This book pulled me back from the brink of life-threatening problems. And I'll be the first to admit that the book sounds boring. "Healing Back Pain." Yawn!! I don't remember where I got the book. All I know is I'm glad I did.

The book is nothing as it seems. The second half of the title ("Mind-Body Connection") is really what the book is all about. "Bad backs" are just perhaps the most prevalent form of "recurring and chronic" physical pain, and so Sarno (or perhaps somebody at the publisher) we

We've all had physical symptoms that we've attributed (correctly) to our minds. Someone cuts us off in traffic and we get a headache. The boss gives us a tongue lashing in front of our co-workers and we get heart palpitations. And on and on it goes. That the mind can cause physical symptoms is disputed by no one.

But where is the line drawn that says the body can cause certain physical symptoms and not others? Sarno would say it's not very clearly drawn, if at all.

'Oh, that's quackery! Certain pains and symptoms are physical!' we cry. Well, yeah, I would say even Sarno would agree with that. If you're in a car wreck, you're going to have pain. But what Sarno argues is that a very great amount of the pain we experience is caused by our emotions and not our bodies. And more specifically that that pain is caused by subconscious repressed emotion. Sarno's theory postulates that the repressed emotion we often have built up through the years is so threatening to our minds, that instead of experiencing the emotion consciously (which our minds consider too dangerous to do), we develop physical symptoms, most often physical pain.

So it's the same principle as getting the headache or heart palpitations but on a macro level. So what sort of things does Sarno say can be caused by this repressed emotion? You'd be very surprised.

Of course back pain is there, as are endless varieties of muscle spasms and aches. But there are things like gastrointestinal diseases (eg. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, recurrent urinary tract infections), myriad skin issues (eg. hives, eczema) and all the way to heart disease and cancer. And again, Sarno wouldn't say such physical problems are never organically caused, but that very often, perhaps most often, they are not.

The good news is that Sarno lays out very clearly the ways to recognize when the process of repressed emotion is causing physical symptoms. He gives great examples of how people subtly and progressively become overwhelmed by the repressed emotion within them and how that leads to physical pain and illness.

But while the repressed emotion is subconscious, it is not unconscious. There is a solution. The first step of which is recognizing (no matter how clearly it seems that the pain is physically caused!) that the pain or disease is caused by the repressed emotion. When experiencing back pain (or whatever) Sarno would say to himself, "What am I avoiding feeling?"

And this sort of thinking opens the tiny crack in the door of our subconscious just a little bit wider--and often the pain (or physical illness) dissipates. Sometimes unbelievably quickly, sometimes over a longer period of time. But the fact is if your pain is not organic, Sarno's method works! I can attest to it personally. A couple of years ago I was so overwhelmed with physical problems I thought I was on my way out. Then I discovered this book. Yes, this book saved me. And if you pick up a copy of this book and you're helped like I was, you'll also want to pick up Sarno's The Mindbody Prescription.

...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Jun 21, 2018 Jane rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mental-health, self-help, nonfiction, psychology, health

All the stars!! If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. If a book can make your pain go away, that is all that matters. I’m surprised that anyone is even mentioning anything about writing style, etc. People complain that he is repetive and that he sounds like he’s trying to convince you of something. First of all, if your pain goes away from this book, are you really concerned about the writing? Second, the reason he is repetitive is because in order to make the pain go away, you ne All the stars!! If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. If a book can make your pain go away, that is all that matters. I’m surprised that anyone is even mentioning anything about writing style, etc. People complain that he is repetive and that he sounds like he’s trying to convince you of something. First of all, if your pain goes away from this book, are you really concerned about the writing? Second, the reason he is repetitive is because in order to make the pain go away, you need to reach the deep part of your brain that is trying to distract you with this pain, so you may need to hear the message several times.

I’ll now tell you my story since I believe that reading other people’s success stories is one of the things that help make the pain go away.

I have had head pain for a couple of years. I already knew about John Sarno and actually read one of his other books so I was already strongly suspicious that this pain was psychosomatic. I just didn’t know what to do about it. In the past couple of months I started to DO more things to make the pain go away, such as getting massages, doing asanas, going to a reiki healer and using hot compresses. Unsurprisingly (now that I read the book) all of these things would temporarily make the pain better but ultimately led to more intense pain. My brain was trying to get me to be hyper focused on my pain and every time I did something that involved attention to the pain it knew it was working so it gave me more pain. It put me in a loop that I couldn’t break. It is very similar to OCD in this way. Reading the book helped me to break the loop. Just really understanding what was happening made this brain trick less powerful. I also knew that I must have some repressed emotions (who doesn’t?) but I wasn’t sure what they were or how to access them. I then came across a YouTube video of a John Sarno meditation. When I did this particular meditation, deep emotions came up (and pouring out) and the pain disappeared. I’ve continued doing the meditation and leaning into emotions that come up in my daily life. I am much more aware now of how often I was sweeping my emotions under the rug. I thought I was being strong until this time but I was really just repressing. I would say that may pain is about 70% improved at this time and it has only been a few weeks. It is much less intense and also less frequent. I am confident that it will completely go away but I was eager to write about my results so far.

Also, I want to mention that I avoided this particular book for a long time because the title was about “back pain” and I don’t have back pain. The title is a misnomer. If you have any chronic pain or any condition that the doctors can’t really help with, please read this book! You have very little to lose and everything to gain!

Here is the link to the YouTube meditation in case you want to try it after reading the book:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HCe6PAp...
...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Nov 08, 2013 Brian rated it it was amazing

it really is like a miracle.

I've been dealing with lower back pain for many years now and after a car accident in 2009 it got severe enough to put me on medical leave of absence for about 2 years. I quit my real estate investing career partly bcos of this injury.

last week I came across an article in psychology today.

it basically says for some people with chronic pain the problem is no longer physical. but rather the brain getting stuck
re
creating the memory of physical pain.. maybe to distract yo it really is like a miracle.

I've been dealing with lower back pain for many years now and after a car accident in 2009 it got severe enough to put me on medical leave of absence for about 2 years. I quit my real estate investing career partly bcos of this injury.

last week I came across an article in psychology today.

it basically says for some people with chronic pain the problem is no longer physical. but rather the brain getting stuck
re
creating the memory of physical pain.. maybe to distract you from emotional pain.

I looked up on Amazon, the book referenced in the article and was amazed at the reviews. people with 5, 10 or more years of chronic pain claiming their pain disappeared just by reading the book or at worse having a conversation with dr. John sarno, the author.

I'm happy to report that the last 4 days have been unbelievable for me. I have just started the book but my pain level and duration is about 90% less.

I notice it starting and I remind myself of the theory and then create the courage to test the theory instead of seeking the nearest bed or couch or firing up my yoga videos.

I'm carrying my giant 7 month old baby more, am more pleasant to be around, and with new found freedom probably travel more... but first let me go finish the book.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

After daring to allow my son to drive me in a bumper car ride at an amusement park and feeling no pain I must declare that I've healed my back pain 100%.

The fear of a sudden attack of back pain, more than the pain itself, severely limited my life... afraid to do a lot of things that might trigger it and limiting most activities to about 6 hours/day... it practically disables you.. and to not have that fear nor the pain is life transforming.

I must thank Dr. John E Sarno for sticking by his findings of Tension myositis syndrome and standing by and publishing his research and against conventional wisdom and the disapproval of his medical peers to help so many people conquer decades of chronic debilitating back pain. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Feb 09, 2012 Brad Cramer rated it really liked it

Interesting book recommended by my chiropractor. At first I thought it was kind of hokey, but the more I read the more I started to buy into the concept that most back pain is caused by suppressed anger and fear. The back pain is the mind's way of giving you something to deal with besides confronting the emotions. I've been having back pain for years and paid my chiropractor way more money that I would like. But since reading the book and using the techniques, when I have had flare ups they are ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 29, 2013 Vix Southgate rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This book seems to be fleshed out with repetition and case studies. It reads like a sales pitch. I agree that pain and emotion are linked and therefore this book has some benefit, as long as you don't read it as a definitive cure. Mechanical problems are real pain that can cause emotions that can heighten the pain (catch 22). But perhaps being aware of how our emotional state impacts the areas that are already weak, is something worth considering. However this book DOES NOT HEAL BACK PAIN! ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

May 18, 2012 Deryk English rated it it was amazing

Shelves: the-best-of-what-i-ve-read

I'm going to tell you a secret. It's one of those unbelievable stories that people sometimes tell you and you walk away having barely paid attention until you're sitting alone in near tears because of some pain and it makes no sense. That's when I want you to remember me.

This was my miracle. I had been a long time sufferer of back pain and repeatedly diagnosed with Scoliosis. When I say long time suffer, I am saying from the time I was 20 until I was over 30 I had daily non stop back pain. Most I'm going to tell you a secret. It's one of those unbelievable stories that people sometimes tell you and you walk away having barely paid attention until you're sitting alone in near tears because of some pain and it makes no sense. That's when I want you to remember me.

This was my miracle. I had been a long time sufferer of back pain and repeatedly diagnosed with Scoliosis. When I say long time suffer, I am saying from the time I was 20 until I was over 30 I had daily non stop back pain. Most of the time it was just there, like walking around with a knife stuck in me in a few spots. If I didn't move too fast than it wouldn't be so bad, but if I bent to pick up a piece of paper the wrong way, I would not be able to stand up straight for days on end. A rare golf outing may or may not end me for a week. It was a crap shoot.
I was told surgery was likely the only answer that would help alleviate the pain however it would never fully go away. I had heard about this book like many other through Howard Stern. In 2004 I finally bought it and like many others, it just sat on my shelf.

Then that day came when I just wanted to sit and cry. The pain was bad but the frustration I felt was far worse. I could not do the things I wanted to do. I could not succeed in work or play because of constant pain. So I opened the book.

Here is the miracle part. The part no one believes. I was half way through the book when the constant pain I felt for most of my adult life just disappeared. That's it. It was just gone. I got up out of bed for the first time in days and could stand up straight. No soreness, no stiffness. It was just gone.

I have been many many years without constant pain. I am human so there are times when I have what I would call a "normal" back ache. After moving, or 36 holes of golf, or painting my kids room. Nothing like I used to have. When pain does come up, I just re-read this book and I am free again. I continue to get diagnosed with Scoliosis and the doctors often ask if I feel any pain. Some of them I tell about the book. None of them ever believe me.

I have bought more than 30 copies of this book. Any person I know personally that tells me of their back pain, I will buy it for them. I tell them my miracle story and as you can imagine, most do not believe it. For some it has worked, for most it does not. I do not know why.

My advice is, open your mind before you read. Give it a chance. I have no idea why it worked other than Dr. Sarno's explanation.

Good Luck. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 11, 2015 Jerry Kaczmarowski rated it it was amazing

I have to admit I was skeptical when I read the premise of this book. In essence, Sarno advises that the vast majority of back pain is psychosomatic. We choose to experience back pain rather than addressing the deeper psychological issues that plague us. These psychological issues can range from the important (e.g. physical abuse as a child) to the trivial (e.g. some jerk cut you off in traffic today). We would rather experience the physical back pain than deal with these often complicated issue I have to admit I was skeptical when I read the premise of this book. In essence, Sarno advises that the vast majority of back pain is psychosomatic. We choose to experience back pain rather than addressing the deeper psychological issues that plague us. These psychological issues can range from the important (e.g. physical abuse as a child) to the trivial (e.g. some jerk cut you off in traffic today). We would rather experience the physical back pain than deal with these often complicated issues. In addition, polite society doesn't appreciate us sharing these psychological issues in a public venue. However, our friends and family are perfectly willing to swap stories about chronic back pain. So, we swallow the pain caused by the deeper issues. Walla, back pain!

Sarno had some great support for his idea on the topic of ulcers which he also views as primarily psychological. This resonated with me, because I've often wondered, "Where did all the ulcers go." Everyone who was anyone in the professional world had one in the 1970s, then they disappeared overnight. Sarno believes this is because having an ulcer became synonymous with being worrywart which is again unacceptable in polite society.

His prescription is seemingly bizarre. You have to lay out all the things that have pissed you off in the past or are pissing you off now. If you can make an honest catalog of these issues and believe in your heart that they are the source of your back pain, your pain will magically go away. You don't even really have to address the underlying issue. You just need to acknowledge it.

I have to admit I felt like a schmuck recording every real or imagined ill that anyone had done to me, even though the exercise was done in private. It made me feel petty. I can also certainly understand why none of us are encouraged to share these issues with family or friends. It would irritate them!

Despite the fact that the exercise was uncomfortable, it worked. I rock climb, mountain bike, and ski. I do all of these aggressively for a 45 year old, and I have been free of back pain for almost 6 months now.

Despite Sarno's odd prescription, I would recommend reading the book if you have any chronic back pain. It worked for me!
...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 27, 2011 Diane rated it it was amazing

This book gave me the tools to save myself from the chronic pain that was destroying my quality of life. I'd recommend it to everyone who has chronic pain of any form. Deal with this component of the pain to find what damage or issues is left, so it can then be dealt with appropriately is what I've told my loved ones. Might be surprised just how much is related to this issue! I was willing to do ANYTHING to quit hurting... come to find out what I needed to do was read even if it wasn't with an o ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 04, 2015 Gerard rated it really liked it

An eye opener, analyzing back pain and many other illnesses in a completely different and sensible perspective!

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 24, 2013 Ayaan Pathan rated it it was amazing

I wanted to find a place to shout out loud about this book and thank god for goodreads now i can do that!

First and foremost Dr. John Sarno is a god and I owe him my life, I would happily die for him. That being said here's my story:

I was diagnosed with DDD (Degenerative Disc Disease) only when i was 19 years of age, and i shook me to my core. I was devastated. The pain, the agony of back ache is beyond what I can describe, living in constant pain and unable to perform daily activities, its hop ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 10, 2008 Lindsay rated it really liked it

I got about 3/4 through this book and then moved and never picked it back up. However, the last 1/4 of the book are examples of diagnoses with Sarno's comments on its relevance to TMS (Tension Myositis Syndrome). I gave the book 4 stars b/c I thought the last 1/4 was a bit redundant.

Sarno has many years of medical practice under his belt. And, thankfully, he has gone beyond textbooks and rote exercises and linked the conditions of the mind with back-pain. I do like how he has made this link. I ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 18, 2015 Tom Stamper rated it it was amazing

I suffered a back injury in 1998 and continued to suffer pain from it until 2005 when I read this book by Dr. Sarno. That's all it took. In fact, I don't think I read more than half the book and my pain was gone. When I say pain I mean there were days when I couldn't get out of bed or drive a car. The book stopped all of that and it took years before I felt any kind of pain again. Why? Because Sarno says that back pain is really a subconscious defense mechanism against stress. Once you conscious ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 05, 2014 Sherri Obermark rated it it was amazing

Healing Back Pain is absolutely correct in describing low-back pain, and other forms of chronic pain as being tension-based, and it is created from the subconscious mind (autonomic nervous system).

I felt that this was my problem as soon as I read it, but after reading this book, and several others of Dr. Sarno's books, I was no closer to understanding how to treat it.

It took a while, but I developed a method for breaking the cycle of pain and managing negative emotions. I was pain-free in less ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2008 Deirdre Keating rated it liked it

I don't suffer from back pain, thankfully, but the ideas here apply to several forms of cronic pain. Interesting theory that I might dismiss if I didn't know of so many people who felt it helped them. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 17, 2017 Alison rated it it was amazing

Changed my life. After 9 1/2 years of chronic pain, I no longer suffer. I feel like my old self again. I have my body back! It didn't happen overnight. Took at least half of the year to fully accept and internalize. But Now I'm just as strong as I was 10 years ago! ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Michael rated it it was amazing

I'm pretty sure this book will change my life and ultimately have a larger impact on me than anything I've ever read. When that happens, in 4-6 weeks, I'll go back and up the rating to a 5. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 02, 2020 Patrick rated it really liked it

What a great easy-to-read book. I know people who have simply read this book and their pain disappeared. Short and snappy read. Ground breaking ideas which have proven to have helped thousands, if not millions, of people. This book moves beyond the scope of just how the mind affects the back and will provide valuable information to those with auto immune dysfunction and a myriad of other conditions.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2017 Erika Boyer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: recovery

I am not going to say this book is particularly well-written or an easy read. It's written by a doctor in technical terms, and it's sometimes redundant. It presents some ideas that you need to have an open mind to contemplate, especially from an MD. It wasn't easy for me to take in, but I went slowly and let his ideas sink in before I did anything with it, then I read it again.

In 1993, I was in a stopped car, turning into my driveway off a highway when we were rear-ended by someone driving 78mp I am not going to say this book is particularly well-written or an easy read. It's written by a doctor in technical terms, and it's sometimes redundant. It presents some ideas that you need to have an open mind to contemplate, especially from an MD. It wasn't easy for me to take in, but I went slowly and let his ideas sink in before I did anything with it, then I read it again.

In 1993, I was in a stopped car, turning into my driveway off a highway when we were rear-ended by someone driving 78mph. Luckily I suffered only whiplash and hyper-extended my low back. I went to a chiropractor for years which temporarily alleviated some pain, but it never went away. I missed a lot of work because I couldn't get out of bed or walk many times over the next several years. I was prescribed a lot of pain killers that didn't have any significant effect on my pain. I couldn't ride my horses, I couldn't lift hay bales or dog food bags without paying for it for weeks afterward. In 2001, I was finally able to convince (with the written pleas of my chiropractor) a nurse practitioner of my doctor's to allow me to get an MRI, which showed that I had severe herniations (bulged discs) at L4/L5 and that 80% of my nerve function was being throttled by them, causing terrible sciatic pain and a chronic limp. My surgeon told me that it was the largest herniation she'd seen in 17 years of practicing sports medicine and had never seen someone so young with such a significant disc injury. She gave me a list of options we could try, but in her professional opinion she thought if I didn't correct the discs I would be in Depends by my 31st birthday. No thank you - I had laser laminectomy/discectomy surgery the following week.

I won't say the surgery didn't help. I did experience some relief. But after PT and checkups and some time had gone by, I started to experience the same out-of-the-blue twinges and debilitating sciatica that I had pre-surgery and was in a lot of pain again. Sometimes I could go for months without an issue, doing all the things I needed to - and sometimes picking a paperclip off the floor would put me in bed for 4 days. It made no sense. I couldn't trust my body. I felt pretty hopeless, like I was never going to function at my best again or without pain in my active lifestyle. I was depressed and anxious and so so careful about everything I did, physically.

In 2006 I found an editor's draft of this book on eBay and read it, because I was out of options. It was hard for me to take, that my mind created a place in my body to store my emotional pain and that was why I was still suffering. I didn't want to believe that, it flew in the face of what I knew. I had MRI scans to prove there was a major problem there, I had a famous doctor's opinion and her experience to back it up. But I was desperate and finished the book anyway. Then I followed his suggestions for 64 days. It wasn't easy. It was emotionally painful, I felt kind of stupid, but I could see the benefit in processing the emotions through his protocol regardless of the outcome, so I kept at it.

I have not had a single incidence of sciatica or low back pain or incapacitation in 11 years now. Have been to a chiropractor 3x in that span, only for my neck. I have been able to ride my horses, race cars, buck 200 bales of hay, exercise, run, do yoga, dance, ride my bike, lift my rototiller up onto the tailgate of the truck, sit in an airplane seat for 5 hours, work all day weeding the garden, *ENJOY SEX AGAIN* - with no issues outside of infrequent minor muscle pain, and I owe it to this man's body of work and research. For $7 and some time, a notebook and a pen, I cured myself of the pain that had been incapacitating and limiting me for 13 years. I have been recommending this book to everyone I know ever since. I can trust my body again to function like it's supposed to and I live my life without fear of hurting myself. It's completely opened up my life. It's fantastic to be out from under that fear and chronic pain. I can't recommend it enough. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 18, 2020 Jamie Van Nuys rated it it was amazing

I don't quite know how to write this.

Last week I bought this book out of sheer desperation. I barely could make the drive to the book store without crying out in pain.

I have had two back surgeries, and was seriously contemplating a 3rd (and hopefully final). I had been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, DDD, a bulging disc, and nerve damage. I am only 30. I have tried everything! I lost 45 pounds, I eat well, I exercise 6 days a week, I don't lift my children or other heavy things, I did everythi I don't quite know how to write this.

Last week I bought this book out of sheer desperation. I barely could make the drive to the book store without crying out in pain.

I have had two back surgeries, and was seriously contemplating a 3rd (and hopefully final). I had been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, DDD, a bulging disc, and nerve damage. I am only 30. I have tried everything! I lost 45 pounds, I eat well, I exercise 6 days a week, I don't lift my children or other heavy things, I did everything as I was supposed to after my surgeries and was still left with crippling pain.

18 months ago I read "This Naked Mind" by Annie Grace as I was first attempting sobriety. I had already had back surgery at that point, but I remembered that her entire premise for HER book was based on the work of Dr. Sarno. That book is the book that got and has kept me sober for 18 months now, so last week when I was in desperate search for pain relief, I suddenly remembered his name and tried to find a local copy.

I devoured the book in a matter of hours. I then devoured The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain. After finishing both, I suddenly realized that my burning nerve pain in my leg could be "turned off" with just concentration. I tested it over the next few hours, and 24 hours later I was still able to "turn off" the pain as soon as it started. I was hopeful, though it did require quite a bit of concentration. Almost like meditating.

But now three whole days after reading both books, I am entirely pain free. I am also entirely flabbergasted.
I cancelled my epidural spinal injection that I had scheduled.
I put away my ice packs, my heat packs, my muscle relaxers, my ibuprofen, and my biofreeze spray.
I have no nerve pain in either leg, I do not have burning lower back pain, the cramping in my legs has stopped, and I have regained all feeling that I had lost.

4 days ago I had a very bleak hope that I might be pain free one day, and now my life is completely changed. I know it sounds crazy, I can hardly believe it myself. But take it from me, I've HAD the back surgeries, I've had multiple injections, I've done PT, chiropractic, massage, you name it. Nothing has touched my pain like reading this book and genuinely believing in TMS. I have a classic presentation of it, just as Dr. Sarno describes. I believe that this book could work the same wonder on others who have similar pain.

No matter how crazy of a premise it sounds, I will share this book with whoever I can! ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 28, 2020 Illiterate rated it did not like it

Yes, pain can have a mental component. But Sarno offers no systematic evidence for his particular theories. Are they even falsifiable?

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 23, 2012 Nigeyb rated it liked it

An interesting book. A friend of mine told me this book cured her long-standing back pain issue. Although I don't currently suffer from back pain, I was sufficiently intrigued to want to know more. Dr John E. Sarno identifies a condition he refers to as TMS, which stands for Tension Myositis Syndrome. In a nutshell, Sarno believes that TMS is a condition whereby some physical pain (in this case back pain) is actually caused by the subconscious mind repressing emotions. To overcome the pain, the ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2008 May rated it liked it

Recommends it for: chronic pain sufferers

Recommended to May by: honey o.

Shelves: non-fiction

i'm giving this book only 3 stars because the form was so poor and very repetitive. sarno spends most of his chapters defending his theory on TMS (Tension Myositis Syndrome) and trashing other back pain remedies.
however the content of the book is interesting and might possibly be the cause of the current breakthrough i'm experiencing with my shoulder this week.
his point is basically that most back pain is caused by tension due to repressed emotions. all one has to do to relieve symptoms is to un ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 05, 2019 Rob rated it it was amazing

This book literally gave me my life back. I was in excruciating pain for 15 months. I was on disability from work for 6 months. I saw chiropractors, physiotherapists, sports doctors, osteopaths, I had dry needling done, acupuncture, pelvic floor therapy and I was willing to fly anywhere in the world to see a specialist. My quality of life was about a 10 out of 100. One day I searched “best back doctors in the world” because I was willing to go anywhere to get my life back. This book popped up. I ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 24, 2014 Kat Lahr rated it it was amazing

In this book, Sarno discusses his theory that TMS is a syndrome in which the disorder is benign, because there is nothing physical causes back pain. He goes into length theorizing that any physiological abnormality stems entirely from a person’s emotional process.

I found the book's premise of TMS definitely an interesting diagnosis, theory and concept. Sarno wrote this book hoping to reach younger, more open-minded medical students with his holistic, mind-body treatment of back pain, as well as ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Ways To Reduce Back Pain Relief	1	2	Oct 25, 2020 09:47PM
Ways To Neuropathy Pain Relief	1	1	Oct 23, 2020 10:10PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Health

114 users

Nonfiction

86 users

Self Help

45 users

Psychology

30 users

Sports > Fitness

12 users

Health > Medicine

7 users

Medical

7 users

Science

5 users

Reference

5 users

Health > Mental Health

5 users

See top shelves…

About John E. Sarno

John E. Sarno

66 followers

John E. Sarno, MD was Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine. He graduated from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and was board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Sarno served in the U.S. Army Medical Department, 67th Field Hospital-European Theater from 1943 to 1946. He practiced as a family physician for ten yea ...more

Books by John E. Sarno

The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain

The Divided Mind: The Epidemic of Mindbody Disorders

Mind Over Back Pain: A Radically New Approach to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Back Pain

Stroke: A Guide for Patients and Their Families

More…

News & Interviews

Readers' Most Anticipated Books of March

Some interesting news for book nerds: According to recent industry research, book sales spiked dramatically in 2020–otherwise a rather...

Trivia About Healing Back Pain...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Healing Back Pain...

“There's nothing like a little physical pain to keep your mind off your emotional problems.” — 10 likes

“It is perfectly acceptable to have a physical problem in our culture, but people tend to shy away from anything that has to do with the emotions.” — 9 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — Healing Back Pain by John E. Sarno

Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About John E. Sarno

Books by John E. Sarno

News & Interviews

Trivia About Healing Back Pain...

Quotes from Healing Back Pain...

See a Problem?

Preview — Healing Back Pain by John E. Sarno

Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About John E. Sarno

Books by John E. Sarno

News & Interviews

Trivia About Healing Back Pain...

Quotes from Healing Back Pain...

new topic
Discuss This Book