Reddit mentions of Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection

99% of back pain is psychosomatic. Imperfections in your vertebrae do not cause crippling pain, your subconscious does.

EDIT: 90%.

EDIT: For the open-minded who are interested: when I was desperate, this US$7 book and its concepts brought enlightenment and relief. The comments on Amazon may help convince you.

http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371145907&sr=8-1&keywords=sarno

"Oh my gawd I would just curl up in a ball and DIE if I hurt all the time like you!! Anyway, let me tell you about this hike I went on..."

"You can't drink with your medication? Oh it's ok, just have a few, I'd totally be an alcoholic by now HAHH"

"Oh my goodness you poor thing, have you tried [insert naturopathic/homeopathic/other BS here]?"

"You can't really be hurting all the time, have you read this book to get rid of back pain?" (I do not have back pain..)

"Aw you're so boring, you never hang out with us and I miss youuuu"

"It's ok, you'll get better soon, I'm praying for you every day!"

...and many more reasons on why I dread in-person social interaction.

Stay busy and productive as much as possible within the constraints of your primary goal being "heal my back as quickly and efficiently as possible". You cant fight her unconscious perception so if you are a temporary invalid rest assured she is silently judging you in your weakest most painful moments. Protip: that is okay.

So four things: 1. Be attractive and don't be unattractive. 2. Prioritize healing. 3. Try to internalize that physical ability is a single puzzle piece on a very large puzzle and that you can still make a woman attracted to you and lead her while disabled/invalid. 4. Delegate.

Also, a question: How would you behave if this was your life from now on? Are you fucked? Or can you make it work? Do that.

Also I have heard people with chronic back pain say this is the shit and it cures you permanently:
https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

In my experience, back pain is usually caused by tight muscles, injury, or your brain.

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Because you don't appear to have gotten injured, I would suggest stretching your hamstrings, QL, and hips before and after you go to bed.

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While stretching helped me, my biggest breakthrough was reading This book. I think our minds have a much bigger impact on muscle pain than we think.

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Just my two cents! Good luck – you will figure this out.

This book does wonders for back pain, it actually cures it - I know it sounds unbelievable, but I tried it on myself, my relatives and coworkers, and everybody got relief:

https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by John E. Sarno

I had chronic lower back pain for several years even as a relatively young guy. I tried chiro, physical therapy, yoga, etc. and nothing really made a difference. The biggest factor that finally helped me to get rid of it was this book: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521724371&sr=8-1&keywords=healing+low+back+pain

Maybe it was placebo effect or maybe it actually works, but either way my back has been waaaaay better since reading it a couple years ago.

Healing Back Pain: The Mind Body Connection by John Sarno is an awesome book on this subject. Really you can apply this information to so many things in your life

First off, that sucks.

I have not read this, but a friend of my swears by this book. (no shortage of hurt backs on us veterans) He said his back pain is gone, no surgery and no more pain meds. So I figured I figured I would link it here.

https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

Opiates are a bitch. Worst scourge ever to hit this country, but that's another topic altogether. Doesn't matter. A drug is a drug is a drug, and if it's effing with your normal life, get the eff off of it as soon as it's medically feasibly/possible. Some doctors are in it for the money writing scripts, most are trying their best to ease your pain. Pain is (hopefully) temporary. depends on the injury, be it physical or mental.

There are ways to deal with physical pain, there is a mind/body connection sometimes. If that's your case, I'd recommend reading Dr. John Sarnoff's books ( https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684 ).

I once worked with an ex-heroin addict, clean and sober when I knew him. While doing the morning drive to a job I struck a match to light my cigarette, and that gave him thoughts of cooking heroin in a spoon. I asked him what was so great about that shit, he got a faraway look in his eyes as he drove and thought about it, like someone thinks about a lost love. He said to me, "It's like everything's okay! No matter what life's really like, it made it all not matter." And that's not dealing with life on life's terms, it's an illusion that traps and kills many of us. All opiates are heroin in pill form. You've gotten off them, my advice, stay the eff off them, it's too great a risk. Learn different ways to deal with any pain, whether it be a real physical or a psychological one. The price of going back to drugs may not be one you would make it back from. No shit.

Again, pat yourself on the back for getting off the drugs. Live your life without them. Yeah, I know, it sucks sometimes, you'll survive. And that's the point of it all really. You will survive. They say God's got a master plan for us all, as long as we don't get in the way of it.

;^)

I have a herniated disc at L4/L5. I've been severely limited and in constant pain for over 3 years.

I've recently read a book that I am confident will change my life.

Most people have severely degenerated discs at the L5/S1 level by the age of 20, but many of them never experience pain from this.

Many people have disc bulges/herniations/protrusions that are discovered accidentally in CT scans or MRIs done for other reasons, and which never cause pain.

Nerve compression - the supposed mechanism of back pain in disc herniations - normally causes numbness and paralysis, not pain.

Studies have been done showing that there is no correlation between disc herniations and back pain - that is, people who have no history of back pain are just as likely, on examination, to have a herniated disc as people who do have a history of back pain.

The book is called Healing Back Pain. Do yourself a favor and read it. It will change your life.

Its called Brachial hanging.
It was on one of the steve maxwell episodes (probably the latest one.) He tells Joe about a book he read on the subject of shoulder pain.

John M. kirsch book:

https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Solution-Prevention-Revised-Expanded/dp/1589096428

its good shit. also check out John E. Sarnos book for chronic pain issues:

https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

Got you.

Dealt with severe low back pain (herniated L4) and sciatica for about 6 months too. Got an inversion table and every other device on Amazon. After everything, with no improvement, this book cured me within a month.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0446557684/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1368409365&sr=1-1&pi=SL75
I've since helped 2 others completely resolve their low back issues.

I ran a lot when I was in high school. I switched to weightlifting after I graduated and recently started running again. I noticed the back pain too. I thought it was odd since I never had it when I ran before. (I'm only 26)

I noticed that I stiffen my back when I run and started making a point to move my back more when I am running and that helped a lot. Another thing I did was read this book it completely changed my mindset on my pain and I have absolutely no pain when running or lifting now :)

Good luck!!

As for the cold running... I really can't help because I live in the south and it's basically never cold lol

Thanks

I found a slightly different listing for it

Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection https://www.amazon.com/dp/0446557684/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_gzGtybYRZGSG9

Are you open to the concept of psychogenic pain? I was in constant pain for 10 years until I read this book (Actually listened to the audio book). It cured me in about 6 months. (For me it was bodywide fibromyalgia & tendonitis, not back pain, but it was psychosomatic in origin)

https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503681372&sr=8-1&keywords=healing+back+pain+by+dr.+john+sarno

The hardest part is getting yourself truly open to the idea


Someone made a Documentary about the doctor, he helped cure Larry David and Howard Stern of their chronic pain problems:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ3OL7dIbmg

Try this book: http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684 My wife has chronic back pain and was recommended this book by a friend. Just got it in the mail and am hoping it helps, it has great reviews on Amazon and for $10 I figured it was worth a shot.

Before you have any more invasive procedures, I would recommend that you read a short powerful book by Dr. John Sarno, "Healing Back Pain". It may change your life. http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

You should look into somatoform disorders. I highly recommended you read Healing Back Pain by Dr. John E. Sarno.

http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

Do yourself a giant favor & read THIS BOOK before suffering any further or going under the knife. Best $7 you'll ever spend...

Dr Sarno's book has fixed nearly all his readers "chronic" back problems. For me it took just over a week (after 4yrs of nearly crying just to tie my shoes).

***note: nearly 5 stars from 1500 reviews

Absolutely agree, I remember having back pain for a long time, that has all gone away since I've started lifting. Back pain is a result of a weak back a lot of the time. There's even a book that says all your back pain is made up bullshit.

I'm going to give you a different recommendation than what you're seeking...

I also dealt with (and am still dealing slightly with) sciatica. Do yourself a favor and read up a bit on Dr. John Sarno. Here is one of his books that was recommended to me by a friend, which I highly recommend looking into. Some celebs (i.e. Howard Stern) have endorsed him.

Best of luck

None of the above, you don't need any of it. The pain is all
in your head. You just need two books:

Healing Back Pain

and

Rapid Recovery from Back and Neck Pain: A Nine-Step Recovery Plan

Those two books solved my back pain.

https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

Cool is that this book?

https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

I'll add it to my reading list.

Another possibility: some people carry stress/tension in their low back.

I thought for the longest time I was injured. Started on improving how I handle work stress/emotions and my issues went away.

This book is helpful if you think that might be a cause: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

This worked for me, IMO most back pain can be solved by yourself

http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

It probably has more to do with stress or tight hamstrings. Well that's why my lower back hurts anyway.

I hear people rave about this doctor and the book.

Also here's a 20/20 segment on him.
https://youtu.be/vsR4wydiIBI

https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8. I highly recommend reading this.

Happen to me also, I am wondering if this could be related to : https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684


TLDR: Your mind is hurting you to protect you from being scared, stressed or angered by your though.

Jesus Christ, people are already talking about surgery. Read one of John Sarno's books and see if it resonates with you.

OP, my heart swells for you. I am so sorry you are experiencing so much pain. It is such a silent and solo walk through, well, hell.

On the support side: there is an awesome org called 7 Cups of Tea that is "free, anonymous, and confidential conversations with trained active listeners. All conversations are deleted." It could be a great resource when you need someone to listen.

On the back pain side, one suggestion to look into with an open mind is John Sarno's method for solving chronic pain and RSI injuries called "The Mind-Body Prescription". I'm sure you can google the info you need, but just in case here is his book.


I have two friends who are incredibly intelligent, healthy, athletic men who, in their 20's, were healed by his method. One experienced such bad pain from typing that he couldn't hold his wife's hand, hold groceries, anything. He tried everything he could think of and nothing worked for long. The other would be woken from his sleep because of his pain and was planning to leave the company he started for a period of time because the pain was too terrible. They are rational, wonderful, amazing people and this ACTUALLY cured them, within a few days. They wrote about their story on Quora here

Dr. Sarno describes the type of people who most often benefit from his treatment/tend to have these chronic pain issues:
"They tend to be perfectionistic, compulsive, highly conscientious and ambitious; they are driven, self-critical and generally successful. Parallel with these traits, and sometimes more prominent, is the compulsion to please, to be a good person, to be helpful and nonconfrontational. In short, people with TMS have a strong need to seek approval, whether it is love, admiration or respect."
Does this sound like you?

If yes, keep an open mind and explore his work. I do hope with all my heart you are on the road to recovery soon.

A certain Dr Sarno had a similar take on this. Putting the detail of his theorising of his aside (he has an idea about muscle response and stuff), he basically said:

Back pain is rarely due to actual back problems. Plenty of people with knackered discs walk around pain-free. The pain is due to referral of sorts - your brain representing emotional pain or stress or anxiety in body locations.

Sometimes the location is 'inspired' by a previous accident which makes you wonder if it has recurred, but that's more to do with it being a previous emotional spot than actual physical injury (he says).

His answer: Stop trying to work out what's wrong. Just trust that it is your brain playing up, and carry on as normal. Sometimes even that simple acknowledgement of the pain is enough to clear it up!

Let me double up on the OP's anxiety-depression treatment encouragement. Not even treatment, so much as: recognise that your system is declaring to you that all is not well in your life, in how you are handling things, and see if you are pushing yourself along in a way, or in a direction, you secretly know you shouldn't be.

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/0446557684

Read the reviews.

Don't know if this will be of any help but about ten years ago I experienced chronic carpal tunnel syndrome and pain in my wrist, along my arm and in my shoulder. It was absolutely debilitating and went on for months. I tried so many different things including trigger point therapy, had physiotherapy through my local NHS, saw an osteopath but nothing worked and I was in agony. I then read this book; http://www.amazon.com/Mindbody-Prescription-Healing-Body-Pain/dp/0446675156/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419634173&sr=8-1&keywords=mind+body+sarno.

It sounds crazy but the pain I had had for over 6 months dissipated after reading the book, taking in the information and since then if it ever starts to come back I think about the information in the book and the pain goes. I got the book very cheaply from ebay. He has written another book more specifically about back pain; http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1419634173&sr=8-3&keywords=mind+body+sarno

Totally recommend his theory/treatment.

try this book, if mindfulness helps this might help even more.

https://www.amazon.ca/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

I didn't like the approach, but many, many people have been helped by this guy's book. It sounds like you might be open to it.

https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

I came down with extreme muscle tension in my neck and upper back in grad school and it got progressively worse and worse until I finally started therapy this year (5 years later). Even that didn't really help until I read this book: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

It's a little out of date but the theory is that unconscious emotions and anxiety are causing the muscle tension.
I, like you it sounds like, was not very in touch with my internal self and often self-medicated to avoid thinking about it and go about my life. It wasn't until I tried to pay more attention to my feelings that my pain got better...and trust me, I tried everything (massages, injections, acupuncture, chiropractic, etc etc etc)

Sounds kinda woo but if you're running out of options...
This was my introduction to the concept, commonly referred to as "Mind-Body Syndrome" or TMS":
http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/

Feel better.

he has two books. which one do you mean?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Connection/dp/0446557684/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mind-Body-Prescription-John-Sarno/dp/0446675156/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MWWGAD4BD918X0CCDB61

https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

Might be worth a read. It's helped some people I'm close with.

Thank you for the good wishes. As for your situation - I suggest you try reading this book https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684 . It has helped me only somewhat since I have quite some degree of degeneration in certain areas of the spine, so not sure any amount of psychotherapy would help there, but he does have really good points and I have managed to resolve some of my flare ups with this approach.

Basically he is suggesting something such as - that a lot of body pain comes from ignoring emotions and pushing yourself way over the limit and tends to create these types of issues. Usually tends to happen to highly perfectionist type A people who tend to have tons of internal pressure. There are some stories of people he has helped with this approach.


From what you are saying it seems you are really under a lot of pressure, you should find a way to chill out more. Also weed is good for this.

Even if "it's all in your head" it's not your fault. If it is that's actually good news, because it's potentially within your control. But first I would see a rheumatologist and see if he/she actually diagnoses fibro.

Normally gentle exercise helps fibro so I am surprised that a doc would tell you to stop if he thinks it's fibro.

If you want to pursue the psychosomatic route looks for books by Dr. John Sarno. Read the book and see if it makes sense to you. But don't neglect to see a rheum as well and make sure it is (or isn't) fibro.

I remember when I came down with CFS and the docs were telling me, well, you're depressed, you need to adjust your antidepressant medication. At that point I'd been dealing with depression and AD medication for decades, had been under psychiatric care for 10 years, it definitely wasn't depression or lack of appropriate medication. Took me a few years to find out that my medication was actually making me worse! I stopped taking ADs and found another way to manage my depression.

http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333148484&sr=8-1

I don't have this problem and I haven't read this book, but it's supposedly a godsend for people with back pain. Good luck!

Have you ever read Dr. John Sarno's book Healing Back Pain? Check it out. The reviews are crazy. Howard Stern is a massive fan, this book healed his back pain. http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409669644&sr=8-1&keywords=healing+back+pain

I had back/upper neck pain from 18 to 26. I went to multiple physical therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, and massage therapists. I was just like you - had X-rays and MRI's and doctors told me there was nothing physically wrong with me. This book was the best thing that helped me.

Give it a try, it's only $6 on Amazon.

A controversial method, but one that helped me get rid of my sciatica, was reading Dr. John Sarno's book "Healing Back Pain."

I'm sorry to hear that my friend. That's honestly really unacceptable of your doctor!? Might want to consider finding a new one. My doctor has not hesitated with my pain. Not that he has helped too much but if I ask for something he supports me. Definitely hope you find some help! The books I keep getting recommended seem promising! - book

I can't help with a doctor but I highly recommend this book before she commits to surgery. It's only $8 on Amazon.

The Science of How Our Minds and Our Bodies Converge in the Healing of Trauma (article) https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/06/20/the-body-keeps-the-score-van-der-kolk/

Healing Back Pain, John Sarno. Look for the most recent, updated version. It isn't only about back pain. It's about somatic pain. I just finished reading it this week. I've been following the recommendations and feel better than I have in years. I feel loose and comfortable in my body. https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

Back in Control: A Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain (He has a personal history of childhood trauma and chronic pain) https://www.amazon.com/Back-Control-Surgeons-Roadmap-Chronic/dp/0988272997/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517499746&sr=8-1&keywords=back+in+control Website here: http://www.backincontrol.com/ And here: https://www.drbredesen.com/

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma (He also has a history of childhood trauma; he is involved in the struggle for official recognition of C-PTSD) https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748

The Body Never Lies - The Lingering Effects of Cruel Parenting (Alice Miller, so not new, but good) https://www.amazon.com/Body-Never-Lies-Lingering-Parenting/dp/0393328635

Good luck!

Therapy with a trauma-informed therapist helped a lot. The more I talked, and the less I see or interact with my mother--at my therapist's recommendation--the less pain I have had.

After a few months I started EMDR. My body feel different. I can't explain it to you actually. But I do have less pain.

I have been through a lot of conventional treatments and am not inclined to believe in "alternative" approaches to disease. I was very, very angry early in my pain journey when a few doctors suggested that I see a psychotherapist. I thought they were shuffling me off because they couldn't' help me, and that pyschotherapy was to learn to live in constant pain. I didn't know it could END the pain.

I don't know how to write this without sounding like a weirdo, so I'll just write it:

I started having back pain as a young adult. Doctors couldn't find anything and no medical or alternative treatment helped. I'd spend weeks in excruciating pain and no one could help me.

Then someone gave me this book. And I swear: by the time I finished reading it, I was healed. This is the book. It works like magic. I still get back pains, but not as frequently and definitely not as bad. Stretching, strengthening the core muscles and taking OTC pain medications are all I need now.

Olha sem querer ser meio direto..

Essa desculpa pra Cannabis não vai colar. Eu tenho ADHD e Cannabis é a PIOR coisa pra isso. Só funciona nos primeiros 30 minutos, quando a onda começa a cair você fica 30x menos focado.

Agora em relação a fibro eu fui diagnosticado com isso também, também tenho degeneração dos discos da coluna e tive 2 anos e meio de dor crônica no ciático. Força. O que eu posso dizer que da pra vencer tudo isso com a força da mente (estou falando sério). Leia um livro do John E. Sarno, MD do Hospital de Nova York sobre o assunto: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

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Ele também cita fibromialgia no livro como uma das teorias deles que isso tudo são doenças mais psicossomáticas do que físicas, do tipo que muitas pessoas têm hérnia e fibro e não sentenem sintomas, até mais do que os sintomáticos.


Te desejo muita sorte e força. É capaz de vencer tudo isso sem remédios, no começo não mas conforme você vai melhorando você condiciona sua mente.

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Um abraço.

Even the worst injuries (broken femur) heal in 2 months or less, unless you're very old.
Chronic pain is psychosomatic. It's also universal. Everyone past age 30 has some kind of psychosomatic symptom, usually more than 1.

BUt there is a certain part I would like you to consider. There are people walking around with your exact same spine abnormality that have no pain. THey dont know they have the abnormality becase they never go to the doctor to get a back xray. Just as there are people that have pain and take an xray and see no abnormality. I wish I could put it in car terms so you could see the logic. If you are looking for something and see something you in your mind make a causal connection even though one may not exist. And that is what the science has proved, there is not link between abnormalities of the spine and pain. WHat if that was true?

I am not going to try and convince you I just wanted to let you know what worked for me. In my thirties I imagine I was a lot like you. I used to go to a local park to drape myself over the curved park benches to get relief from my back pain. I am in my 40's now and never even think about my back. And I was cured by a book. All I will ask you is please please please before they try and cut into your back read a 60 page book By Dr. Sarno and try his techniques for a month. All you got to loose is $14.95

I wish you luck. Hope you can continue doing what you love for a living. What ever that is.

EDIT: A link to the book in case you or anyone else is interested: http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684