Dr. John E. Sarno is convinced that you can heal severe back pain and other body aches without surgery, physical therapy, or even medication. His theory: Emotional pain causes physical pain. The cure, then, isn’t body-based remedies, but rather techniques that release anger, stress, and other negative feelings. A closer look at his mind-body approach to relieving pain.
Two years ago my knee problems escalated to the point where I required knee braces. Physiotherapy and leg-strengthening exercises seemed to help and the pain began to wane. But the respite was brief — before long my back started acting up. The pain grew so severe that I could barely walk. That’s when someone introduced me to the book Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by Dr. John E. Sarno (Grand Central Publishing).
Dr. Sarno asserts that at the root of physical pain is emotional pain. The cure then isn’t drugs surgery or other body-based remedies but rather techniques that release anger stress and other negative feelings.
Within a few weeks of practicing the strategies in the book my back and knee pain were gone and I ditched the knee braces. Within six months my ankle braces orthotics compression socks and orthopedic pillow followed. I no longer have to sit “just so ” and I play basketball three or four times a week. Best of all I no longer live in fear of the pain.
The Mind-Body Connection
Would you rather deal with a broken arm or a broken heart? A blow to your shoulder or to your self-esteem? What’s worse — physical or emotional pain? Most people agree that emotional tribulations are harder to deal with. It should come as no surprise, then, that our highly intelligent brains are skilled at deflecting emotional pain with physical pain.
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