Dr. John Sarno (M.D.), in Healing Back Pain, was confounded by the prevalence of back pain in American society, and set out to think outside the box.
By considering back pain a result of the work of our subconscious mind, he created a relationship and thus successful treatment between mind and body previously undetected.
He writes:
The patient was a middle-aged man who had been having recurrent attacks of pain in the neck and shoulders and pain, numbness and tingling in his hands for about three years prior to the time I saw him. The episode that brought him to me had begun about eight months previously with pain in the left arm. He saw two neurologists, had a variety of sophisticated tests and was told that the pain was the result of a "disc problem" in the neck. There was debate whether he should have immediate surgery; he was warned that he might become paralyzed if he didn't. Not surprisingly, the pain spread from his arm to his neck and back; he was unable to ski or play tennis, two of his favorite sports. He was very frightened.
My diagnosis disclosed that he had TMS (Tension Myositis Syndrome) and that there were no neurological abnormalities. Fortunately, a third neurologist concluded that there was no structural basis for his pain so he was able to accept the diagnosis of TMS with an easy mind. He went through the program and in a few weeks was free of pain and able to resume his usual athletic activities. He has not had a recurrence.Stunning, right?
Oh, if that could only be our story.
It can. The treatment Dr. Sarno uncovers begins with his discovery that our subconscious mind plays a dubious role. If we have anger and anxiety embedded deeply, our subconscious wraps it up to "protect" it and thus the angst of it gets played out in back, neck and shoulder pain, among other symptoms.
When the subconscious mind is examined for the the stress, anger, anxiety and other holdouts, it can release them and the need for the structural dysfunction and pain disappears entirely.
I am discovering that the world is full of great ways to think outside the box to feed our strength. This is a biggie.
Share with yourself or another as needed.
I like to imagine this is one of God's favorite prescriptions.
