6 ms·

Not one mention of The Mindbody Prescription (if only to dismiss it)? If you're suffering from back pain, or carpal tunnel syndrome, or such ailments, read this

by bambax 9y ago

Not one mention of The Mindbody Prescription (if only to dismiss it)? If you're suffering from back pain, or carpal tunnel syndrome, or such ailments, read this book, it might change your life! (and if it doesn't it can't harm) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0446675156/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0446675156/

chrismealy 9y ago
I read about three chapters of this and it cured my wrist pain. Never would have believed it possible if it hadn't happened to me.
- KGIII 9y ago
  I am skeptical. What about those three chapters resolved your physiological ailment?
  - chrismealy 9y ago
    It sounds impossible but it actually happened - just acknowledging the stress I was under made the pain go away (it's not like you have to solve anything). I think it only took about four days. The crazy thing is it was actually visible. The throbbing swollen veins in my forearms receded. I was receptive to the idea because the pain was the worst the summer my dad was dying in a hospice and I wasn't working at all. The bummer is there's no way to know if it's stress or not, but it doesn't hurt to give it a try.
    - phlillip 9y ago
      This; when my Father was diagnosed with cancer I was under a lot of stress but acting like everything was fine. Pretty soon I got alopecia, in my beard not my head. The body communicates with you in very different ways and it can be overlooked. Finding the root cause of pain in your life is the key. Not always, but often.
      - kxs 9y ago
        Did it resolve your Alopecia?
    - KGIII 9y ago
      I don't have any specific reason to try it personally but I do know that the mind is a very powerful thing. In hindsight, I don't think I presented my question as accurately as I could. I wasn't skeptical of you, and your story, so much as I am skeptical of the results being broad, repeatable, and not due to something unknown. In other words, I am still a bit skeptical of this being viable for most folks,or even many folks. You mention that you were receptive to the idea, and that makes some more sense. If I understand correctly, you did this by identifying and reducing your stress? I don't want to ask medical questions, as I have no right to the answers nor do I wish to pressure you into disclosing things you may wish to keep private. The brain is a very powerful thing (though I remind myself of which specific organ it is that tells me that) and it is great that you found a solution. I guess, I'm curious if there was more to it than being receptive at a specific time and having access to the book. I'm reminded of similar claims about religion and religious texts? That's not meant as a slight, it's just that I wonder if the mechanism is the same, if it's using the same parts of the brain, and things of that nature. Alas, I am entirely unqualified to speculate, it's just curiosity on my part. It also makes me curious about myself. I'm in remarkably good health, more so if one considers my age and history. I sometimes attribute that to living a life that is virtually free of stress. So, I wonder if there is more to it. I know low-stress is linked to certain health benefits, though I'm not sure of the rapidity or physiological mechanisms. I believe I read a study that correlated the placebo effect with a reduction in stress. I'm unable to find it, at the moment. Either way, thank you for your answer and sorry for the novella reply. If you're curious, my low-stress life is due, in part, to being mindful. It works for me. Again, thank you. I have some free time later today, I am going to do some reading to satisfy my curiosity. I am a doctor, but not that kind of doctor. It's just intellectual curiosity, though it may answer some of my questions for myself. Do you have any online resources that you might recommend? I'm going to hit up Google Scholar.
  - tomohawk 9y ago
    Think about pain as a feedback loop between your brain and the pain site. The feedback loop itself is a thing, and can cause additional pain if not interrupted. It can cause your muscles to tense up, etc. If left untreated too long, it can continue on despite the initial cause no longer being a factor.
- eric_b 9y ago
  Yep, exactly the same for me as well. I finally tried his "treatment" after everything else I tried failed, and was shocked to find it worked.
justanotheratom 9y ago
I had excruciating upper back pain as well as wrist pain. I had tried an insane number of things. Read the book. Cured.
HillaryBriss 9y ago
IIRC one of Sarno's central ideas is that, sometimes, when a person is undergoing an intensely painful psychological experience, the brain creates some physical pain in order to distract the person from that, original, intense psychological pain. i.e. the chronic physical pain is manufactured by the brain as a means to cope with (avoid awareness of) another type of pain. so, if the person (somehow) becomes consciously aware of that original psychological pain, the brain stops creating the physical pain. the physical pain no longer serves a purpose at that point.
- bambax 9y ago
  Yes. The other insight is that the physical pain is located somewhere likely, somewhere where things already aren't optimal and where you're ready to accept there's a problem. I found that part really fascinating.

by bambax 9y ago

chrismealy 9y ago

I read about three chapters of this and it cured my wrist pain. Never would have believed it possible if it hadn't happened to me.

KGIII 9y ago
I am skeptical. What about those three chapters resolved your physiological ailment?
- chrismealy 9y ago
  It sounds impossible but it actually happened - just acknowledging the stress I was under made the pain go away (it's not like you have to solve anything). I think it only took about four days. The crazy thing is it was actually visible. The throbbing swollen veins in my forearms receded. I was receptive to the idea because the pain was the worst the summer my dad was dying in a hospice and I wasn't working at all. The bummer is there's no way to know if it's stress or not, but it doesn't hurt to give it a try.
  - phlillip 9y ago
    This; when my Father was diagnosed with cancer I was under a lot of stress but acting like everything was fine. Pretty soon I got alopecia, in my beard not my head. The body communicates with you in very different ways and it can be overlooked. Finding the root cause of pain in your life is the key. Not always, but often.
    - kxs 9y ago
      Did it resolve your Alopecia?
  - KGIII 9y ago
    I don't have any specific reason to try it personally but I do know that the mind is a very powerful thing. In hindsight, I don't think I presented my question as accurately as I could. I wasn't skeptical of you, and your story, so much as I am skeptical of the results being broad, repeatable, and not due to something unknown. In other words, I am still a bit skeptical of this being viable for most folks,or even many folks. You mention that you were receptive to the idea, and that makes some more sense. If I understand correctly, you did this by identifying and reducing your stress? I don't want to ask medical questions, as I have no right to the answers nor do I wish to pressure you into disclosing things you may wish to keep private. The brain is a very powerful thing (though I remind myself of which specific organ it is that tells me that) and it is great that you found a solution. I guess, I'm curious if there was more to it than being receptive at a specific time and having access to the book. I'm reminded of similar claims about religion and religious texts? That's not meant as a slight, it's just that I wonder if the mechanism is the same, if it's using the same parts of the brain, and things of that nature. Alas, I am entirely unqualified to speculate, it's just curiosity on my part. It also makes me curious about myself. I'm in remarkably good health, more so if one considers my age and history. I sometimes attribute that to living a life that is virtually free of stress. So, I wonder if there is more to it. I know low-stress is linked to certain health benefits, though I'm not sure of the rapidity or physiological mechanisms. I believe I read a study that correlated the placebo effect with a reduction in stress. I'm unable to find it, at the moment. Either way, thank you for your answer and sorry for the novella reply. If you're curious, my low-stress life is due, in part, to being mindful. It works for me. Again, thank you. I have some free time later today, I am going to do some reading to satisfy my curiosity. I am a doctor, but not that kind of doctor. It's just intellectual curiosity, though it may answer some of my questions for myself. Do you have any online resources that you might recommend? I'm going to hit up Google Scholar.
- tomohawk 9y ago
  Think about pain as a feedback loop between your brain and the pain site. The feedback loop itself is a thing, and can cause additional pain if not interrupted. It can cause your muscles to tense up, etc. If left untreated too long, it can continue on despite the initial cause no longer being a factor.
eric_b 9y ago
Yep, exactly the same for me as well. I finally tried his "treatment" after everything else I tried failed, and was shocked to find it worked.

justanotheratom 9y ago

I had excruciating upper back pain as well as wrist pain. I had tried an insane number of things. Read the book. Cured.

HillaryBriss 9y ago

IIRC one of Sarno's central ideas is that, sometimes, when a person is undergoing an intensely painful psychological experience, the brain creates some physical pain in order to distract the person from that, original, intense psychological pain. i.e. the chronic physical pain is manufactured by the brain as a means to cope with (avoid awareness of) another type of pain. so, if the person (somehow) becomes consciously aware of that original psychological pain, the brain stops creating the physical pain. the physical pain no longer serves a purpose at that point.

bambax 9y ago
Yes. The other insight is that the physical pain is located somewhere likely, somewhere where things already aren't optimal and where you're ready to accept there's a problem. I found that part really fascinating.