3 ms·

Summary linked in the comments: https://web.archive.org/web/20101210060431/http://podolsky.everybody.org/rsi/ https://web.archive.org/web/20101210060431/http:/

Summary linked in the comments: https://web.archive.org/web/20101210060431/http://podolsky.everybody.org/rsi/ https://web.archive.org/web/20101210060431/http://podolsky.e... > Here is my summary of what I think is most important in Dr. Sarno's theory: > 1. The mind and the body are linked. Classic example: the placebo effect -- your mind thinks it's gotten a pill that's gonna fix your body, and what do you know, believing that leads to your body fixing itself. > 2. Not only can the mind-body connection lead to your body healing itself (as with placebos), it can also lead to the body harming itself, or creating pain. > 3. Now why would your body do this? In my experience, people with chronic RSIs are, deep down, not happy. Not terribly impressed, especially the last one, try to be happy when you have pain every minute, especially when you were happy beforehand. From wiki: > Sarno's most notable achievement is the development, diagnosis, and treatment of tension myoneural syndrome (TMS), which is currently not accepted by mainstream medicine.[...] > Patients typically see their doctor when the pain is at its worst and pain chart scores statistically improve over time even if left untreated; most people recover from an episode of back pain within weeks without any medical intervention at all. > James Rainville, a medical doctor at New England Baptist Hospital, said that while TMS treatment works for some patients, Sarno mistakenly uses the TMS diagnosis for other patients who have real physical problems.

whitepoplar 4y ago
This is a mischaracterization of Sarno's work. One doesn't need to be "happy" to have relief of pain. Sarno's thesis is that chronic pain of this sort is caused by unconscious stress/emotions and the mere acknowledgement of the underlying issues is enough to cure chronic pain. Furthermore, Sarno stresses that patients must first undergo physical examinations by their doctor(s) to ensure that the pain isn't caused by anything structural. Only then should one proceed with his treatment. Note that Sarno (who has since passed away) was not some quack--he was a bona fide medical doctor who treated patients at NYU Medical Center's Rusk Institute. I would ask you to read his books' reviews (of which there are thousands on Amazon). Are all of these people who were cured from many years of pain lying? Are the other commenters in this very thread lying? There is mounting evidence that Sarno's theories are, in fact, of merit--e.g. https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/news/2021/09/researchers-mind-body-program-outperforms-other-chronic-back-pain-treatment https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/news/2021/09/researchers-m....
jaredklewis 4y ago
I have no opinion on the book or author in question, but I’m not clear on why you are so dismissive. The ability for psychological expectations to cause physical pain and even physical symptoms (like those of an allergic reaction) is relatively well established science.
- throw6746 4y ago
  Doctors are very dismissive of chronic pain patients and regularly make you doubt you have anything, generally with language very similar to Sarno's, in my case I had to fight a lot until they found I had a variation of Parkinson's disease, it was very distressing and a huge part of my unhappiness.
- qsdf38100 4y ago
  He stated exactly why he was dismissive. You merely reassert the author main point, but fail to address the counter arguments he gave.
  - wfme 4y ago
    Calling a single sceptical statement "counter arguments" is disingenuous at best. The linked bidmc article is a good starting point if you really are interested.
    - qsdf38100 4y ago
      He quoted 3 sentences from the Wikipedia article, in addition to his own. All of which are relevant and valid points. You didn’t address any of those. Neither did you address his own. Even if it was only one, reasserting the author thesis, pretending to ask why he is dismissive while ignoring everything he brought is not a constructive contribution. It’s manipulative at best.
- dennis_jeeves1 4y ago
  I is relatively well established but it is also used by people and physicians to dismiss of sufferers' pain by assuming that psychological aspect are the _sole_ cause of physical symptoms. Blame the sufferers' attitude etc. Quackery at it's very finest.

whitepoplar 4y ago

This is a mischaracterization of Sarno's work. One doesn't need to be "happy" to have relief of pain. Sarno's thesis is that chronic pain of this sort is caused by unconscious stress/emotions and the mere acknowledgement of the underlying issues is enough to cure chronic pain. Furthermore, Sarno stresses that patients must first undergo physical examinations by their doctor(s) to ensure that the pain isn't caused by anything structural. Only then should one proceed with his treatment. Note that Sarno (who has since passed away) was not some quack--he was a bona fide medical doctor who treated patients at NYU Medical Center's Rusk Institute. I would ask you to read his books' reviews (of which there are thousands on Amazon). Are all of these people who were cured from many years of pain lying? Are the other commenters in this very thread lying? There is mounting evidence that Sarno's theories are, in fact, of merit--e.g. https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/news/2021/09/researchers-mind-body-program-outperforms-other-chronic-back-pain-treatment https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/news/2021/09/researchers-m....

jaredklewis 4y ago

I have no opinion on the book or author in question, but I’m not clear on why you are so dismissive. The ability for psychological expectations to cause physical pain and even physical symptoms (like those of an allergic reaction) is relatively well established science.

throw6746 4y ago
Doctors are very dismissive of chronic pain patients and regularly make you doubt you have anything, generally with language very similar to Sarno's, in my case I had to fight a lot until they found I had a variation of Parkinson's disease, it was very distressing and a huge part of my unhappiness.
qsdf38100 4y ago
He stated exactly why he was dismissive. You merely reassert the author main point, but fail to address the counter arguments he gave.
- wfme 4y ago
  Calling a single sceptical statement "counter arguments" is disingenuous at best. The linked bidmc article is a good starting point if you really are interested.
  - qsdf38100 4y ago
    He quoted 3 sentences from the Wikipedia article, in addition to his own. All of which are relevant and valid points. You didn’t address any of those. Neither did you address his own. Even if it was only one, reasserting the author thesis, pretending to ask why he is dismissive while ignoring everything he brought is not a constructive contribution. It’s manipulative at best.
dennis_jeeves1 4y ago
I is relatively well established but it is also used by people and physicians to dismiss of sufferers' pain by assuming that psychological aspect are the _sole_ cause of physical symptoms. Blame the sufferers' attitude etc. Quackery at it's very finest.