Book review: healing back pain the mind body connection
My biases as a reader
Who I am—my experiences, my background—inevitably shape the how I see or read the world. As a first generation Korean-American, a Christian, and a millennial, I believe in the power of the unseen even while valuing logic, science and common sense. For me, Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by Dr. Sarno provides a scientific backbone for what might be traditionally be dismissed as pseudoscience: emotions are the underlying cause of many forms of illnesses, including back pain, in the form of Tension Myoneural Syndrome (TMS).
This is a topic near and dear to my heart, because I remember when Traditional Chinese Medicine—a healing strategy I’ve personally seen work with my loved ones—was dismissed as quack science in the U.S. Although, this book was first published in 1991, Dr. Sarno’s perspective and realization was before his time . He shares that his greatest pushback came not from his patients, but from the medical establishment.
Now, over 30 years later, the Western medical perspective has advanced in it’s understanding of the mind and how it can affect our bodies physically—particularly, through PTSD research. PTSD is another condition of how suppressed psychological emotions can manifest into physical symptoms. If we as a society can accept that concept for PTSD, why is it so difficult to believe that suppressed emotions in the average person can lead to physical symptoms? Obviously, the psychological pain is not as severe as PTSD, however, the underlying mechanism—the mind attempting to distract us from unresolved emotions—is the same. This is the framework and argument that Dr. Sarno reveals through over two decades of clinical experience and research that he graciously shares in Healing Back Pain.
Is pain “all in my head?”
What I appreciate about Dr. Sarno and his method of treatment is the way he iterates the importance of how to introduce TMS to patients and even to us as readers. He makes it clear that pain isn’t just in our heads, or that it’s made up by the figment of our imagination. TMS is a real condition that BEGINS in the mind.
We don’t accuse those with PTSD of making up their condition, but recognize that psychological trauma can cause physical symptoms like panic attacks, hyperventilation, headaches and even chronic pain. Similarly, TMS begins in the mind through suppressed emotions, which are very real but society often teaches us to ignore.
Unfortunately, misinformation from trusted medical professionals can exacerbate TMS-related pain. What often begins as a nagging low back pain, can become crippling when a doctor reveals you may have a herniated disc or what’s worse is when he/she recommends surgery with an uncertain outcome. This creates anxiety around movement, crippling the mind and in turn the body from functioning in the way it was designed.
My testimony
If you’re at your last string dealing with chronic back pain, or have an inclination towards what I call natural medicine, this book is for you. Many who read it, me included, have received the blessing of not only being pain free, but maybe more importantly made me more aware of my emotional world and how certain relationships and circumstances can trigger my body to react. It has helped me to point out my fears and release me from them.
Physically, I’ve lived with scoliosis, which was asymptomatic until aa car accident. It affected my profession as a personal trainer and for years, I felt like I had to reteach my body to bent over, lift weights and even breathe differently to be pain free. Self-conscious is an understatement, my hypervigilance was at a ten. Three years after my accident, I was fortunate enough to get pain free, however I still struggled with huge amounts of tension in my body. If i didn’t sit a certain way, walk a certain way or hold my head a certain way I would feel some numbness in my right leg or arm. There were limits to the physical adjustments like bracing and mobility work.
Reading Healing Back Pain was a breakthrough. I realized that, I too, had TMS. For years, I blamed my scoliosis and the accident for the pain and it’s domino effect on my life. However, when I reflect, I was going through the most challenging transition of my life: a career shift, socially disengaged, the end of a significant relationship, I felt betrayed, I felt alone and at times hopeless. It was because of those emotional growing pains of leaving a life that no longer served me that brought all of the physical pain. Even more so, my immune system was weakened, which I couldn’t understand why because prior to the accident, I would get a minor cold once a year. That too I learned was TMS.
Particularly learning that TMS can affect one beyond pain—i.e. low back pain and sciatica—into gut issues like ulcers and our immune system was tremendously eye opening. Although, I was open to the idea of low back pain being from psychologically suppressed emotions, I was skeptical of other illnesses being affected by TMS. However, the way Dr. Sarno breaks down the TMS framework and the mind-body connection, opened my eyes to believe that TMS affects a broad spectrum of general health issues.
Conclusion
It is always important to consult a trusted medical professional for any health diagnosis in order to rule out other potential causes of illness, a step which Dr. Sarno also strongly advocates. I also recommend that you don’t just take my word, but read Healing Back Pain The Mind Body Connection because of the detailed knowledge and evidence that he provides, which I believe is paramount in the success of healing your own back pain, and in the thousands of others, including me, who have read it.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MIND-BODY CONNECTION
About the Author: Coach Dee
Deborah Park, known as Coach Dee, is the owner of Drip Training LLC and an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach. With a background in architecture and kinesiology from the University of Virginia, she has extensive experience in personal training and athletic coaching in a clinical (physical therapy) setting. Coach Dee combines her scientific knowledge with years of hands-on experience to create programs that empower clients to regain control over their bodies and minds.
Her journey into personal training was deeply influenced by her personal struggles, including recovering from a life-changing car accident that led to PTSD and pain from scoliosis. This experience gave her a unique understanding of the connection between mental health and physical well-being. Coach Dee is committed to helping clients develop resilience, build strength, and rediscover their confidence—no matter the challenges they face.
