33 Responses

1. I was skeptical

   April 27th, 2009

   I’m skeptical by nature but this book was a miracle for me. Several years ago I had an MRI and was diagnosed with a herniated disc which caused varying degrees of pain. During one of my pain free moments I foolishly went water skiing and had a bad fall. In excruciating pain, I spent the next 3 months getting acupuncture, and physical therapy. Finally my PT asked me what was going on in my life (she noticed I was stressed when I’d arrive). I told her I’d resigned from my job and was starting a business on my own, had just finished graduate school and my sister had cancer. She looked at me and said, “Read this, I’ve given it to several patients and then I never see them again” Two weeks later I had to call her to cancel my next appointment, my pain was gone. I take some issue with Dr. Sarno’s claim that much of the pain is related to “rage”, as I really can’t find a source of rage in my life, but I do have stress, and when it gets bad, I now notice my back tightening up, and getting out of my car wrong can create a sudden relapse. A week of telling myself that my stress is under control and there’s nothing wrong with my back, sets me straight. I’ve been using this technique for about 3 years (through probably 3-5 episodes of back pain) and it always works. Our minds are incredibly powerful.

2. Please, please read this book

   April 27th, 2009

   I am a 57 year old that has suffered from numerous conditions and much pain since I was a teen. Just to name a few since most of us need to see ourselves in someone else’s experience, -chronic prostatitis (started when I was 15 and still flares up occasionally) -dizziness -tinnitis (ringing in the ears) -numbness in arms hands and legs -paralyzing fear of MS for at least 10 years -irritable bowel syndrome -debilitating back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain (my wife went ALONE on our 30th anniv. trip because I was on the floor in pain) -TMJ and ear pain -chronic fear that I have “one of the big ones” (they just haven’t found it yet) -severe depression I could go on but this gives you an idea. Invariably when one issue faded, another began. My wife tells me I was essentialy absent in the raising of our children because of my preoccupation with my health issues. It makes me want to cry when I think that my wife was a “married single” for all those years. About 2 years ago I was looking up back pain books on Amazon and came across “Healing Back Pain” by Dr. Sarno. The reviews were unbelievable and being that the book was not new there were a lot of them. I ordered the book and devoured it, finding myself in every page (as you often hear). And like so many others on this forum I began to seriously consider the information presented. I ordered “The Mindbody Prescription” and read it as well. I ordered Dr. Sarno’s CD and listened to it while travelling. I finally came to understand what was causing my pain and how to relieve it. I would say that over the last 2 years I have been 85% successful in moving past the pain/fear issues that would have previously crippled me. I remember shortly after I was beginning this process, my wife and I were on a one month trip to the UK. We were going to go for a walk and I bent over to tie my shoe when I had a stabbing pain in my lower back…the beginning of a usual episode. At first I panicked as we were only in the second week of our trip. “Oh no! I’ll have to spend the next two weeks on my back. What am I going to do?” Instead I immediately remembered what my brain was trying to do and thought “No. I’m not going to let this ruin our trip. This will pass.” We went out walking and during the afternoon everything returned to normal. This has happened many times since then. Also has happened with all the other issues mentioned above. I might reread a section of one of Sarno’s books. I might just give myself a talking to. I might just press on. In any event, the issue passes. I have not had pschycotherapy because I cannot afford it but it doesn’t seem to matter that I don’t know the exact root. Also I have not seen a TMS doctor because there are none that I know of in the area. I am not 100%. I suffer from some depression but I’m so thankful that I’m not where I was. This information (wrong word because it’s much more powerful than that) has been life changing for me. BTW, I am finishing “The Divided Mind”. It’s great because it presents other physicians experiences on TMS and it’s equivalents. Sorry to be so long. There is hope. For those who find this forum and haven’t read the books…just do it. Meditate on the principles. If you can accept them you’ll be on your way to a much better life.

3. This book changed my life.

   April 27th, 2009

   I’m not a big fan of ridiculous superlatives, but in this case it is true. I suffered from debilitating back pain that would come in attacks about 2 or 3 times a year and last for 3 to 4 days at a time. I was walking around in a state of fear of the next attack of pain. I had seen multiple doctors and spent thousands on physiotherapy. MRIs and X-rays had revealed some minor issues, but the therapy just wasn’t working. I met someone who told me about Sarno and this book. I read it in about 3 days, and after about 2 weeks, there was no trace of back pain. That was about a year ago, and I am a new person. If you have suffered from back pain, this book is worth the $11 even if you decide that it’s not for you. I have given this book to at least a dozen people. I could not recommend it more strongly.

4. Worth Every Penny!!

   April 27th, 2009

   This book has done more for me than any doctor or pill. I have been pain free for over 5 years, thanks to a coworker who recomended this book. Thank you Dr. Sarno!! I only wish modern medicine would start listening.

5. self realization

   April 28th, 2009

   It’s good to read a strong opinion on something, it opens your eyes and makes you realise certain things…or at least it makes you think,…and think again!!

6. read this book!

   May 2nd, 2009

   before knowing about this book I had low back pain, tennis elbow, knee pain and other joint/muscle aches for years. after reading it I had a permanent remission of back, knee, and elbow pain, within 4-6 weeks after studying the book. this is the first book read to get acquainted with sarno’s concepts, all his books are great but this one explains the back pain treatment in great detail, and is the one to get first to heal your pain.

7. Summary: It hurts because your ticked off about something

   May 31st, 2009

   Your back pain is a psychologically manifested from your problems in life…at least that is what John E. Sarno is trying to convince you to believe. Actually, he has probably gotten a lot of publicity because it give’s psychiatrists the ability put people on psychotropic drugs for life. Yes the fact that you are probably over worked and underpaid is probably why you are ticked off and you have back pain. This book completely disregards the fact that people weren’t made to sit in front of a computer 8 hours a day. Face it John Sarno- Our back’s are messed up from an injury- too much work and not enough time to re-create and exercise.

8. Extremely Helpful Book

   July 2nd, 2009

   Dr. John Sarno’s book on Healing Back Pain is extremely helpful to anyone trying to solve back pain problems. Years ago I ordered his book for my use, and found it very helpful and easy to understand. When my brother told me his problems caused by breaking his back years before, I sent him my copy. My daughter recently develped so much pain in her shoulders they were painful to touch–a typical symptom of TMS, as explained in Dr. Sarno’s book. So I ordered his book for her use. She told me this morning that she is finding it fascinating reading and that it is help her enormously. Yes, she was seeing a therapist about her shoulder pain. I heartily reccommend this book to anyone with neck to buttocks pain. E. Johnston

9. Amazing, It Really Works!

   July 2nd, 2009

   I first heard about Dr. John Sarno and this book on The Howard Stern Show. Howard Stern had talked about really bad and consistent back pain and said that this book saved his life. Several callers called in and made similar statements. I had been suffering from back spasms (debilitating) and general lower back pain for almost 2 years and decided to read this book. I’m usually very skeptical about “heal yourself” type books, but I figured I’d give it a read since it seemed to have worked for so many. While starting the book I was admittedly very skeptical, but sure enough, all the symptoms he described were exactly what I was having. I continued to read about the cause and some potential treatments. Dr. Sarno mentioned that once patients understood the cause of the pain, most began to realize their back pain was subsiding and going away. Sure enough, it was true. As freaky and goofy as it sounds, my back pain was diminishing. Dr. Sarno explains all the various skepticisms and did a great job at addressing everything I was thinking (being the incurable cynic that I am). Everything his research shows is sound and seems to be complete. This wasn’t just some half-baked self-help guru trying to sell magic beans, it all made sense and seemed well researched and thought out. It’s been about two weeks after starting the book and I no longer have back pain. One may call it a placebo affect, but I don’t think that’s the case (Dr. Sarno talks about this too). If you have back pain that doesn’t seem to go away (no matter what your age), give this book a read. At the very least you’ll have more information to talk to your doctor about. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself free of back pain without even a visit to the doctor.

10. Great book!

    July 2nd, 2009

    This is a very informative book for those that want to relieve their back pain. I highly recommend this book!

11. HOPE IT WORKS BACK OUT

    July 16th, 2009

    I Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection I knew someone who went to Dr Sarnof with success. he gave me some hints what he did. I worked his tips but my backed my went out so I just bought this CD hoping I can find releif. the C D came quickly and good conditon. Jeff K

12. Life changing book

    July 31st, 2009

    My heart felt thanks go to Dr Sarno for fixing my three year old back pain. He simply changed my life as I was getting more and more desperate. My physically active life was about the end and this book miraculously fixed it within a week. To those who say “My back pain is real. I have herniated discs showing in MRI scan after my this or that”, I have 3 herniated discs showing in my MRI. Dr Sarno does not deny the reality of the pain in his book, he talks about from where it stems and what to do about it. He has been treating people for over 30 years with a success rate of %85+. You cannot argue with results, compare it with the success ratio of any other treatment be it medical or alternative. Good news is, you don’t have to invest more than the price of the book if you cannot find it in your library. If you have back pain or any chronic pain, you owe it to yourself to check this book out. But then again, some of us are not ready to heal and let go of the fringe benefits of pain and what it serves. It does not have to be that way.

13. Works for some, but not all.

    August 2nd, 2009

    I give this book 4 stars because it has obviously worked for so many people, as evidenced by these reviews and the TMSHelp forum online. I also personally know 2 people who have used this book to overcome chronic back/knee pain. However, it must be noted that on occasion, this book will not do the job of ridding you of pain. Elsewhere a reviewer states that she felt like a failure because she subscribed to the book so thoroughly but it didn’t work. What did work was back surgery, and this is the case with me as well. I gave the book 4 hard months of psychological work, including psychotherapy and several self help books on anger and anxiety. By the end of those 4 months I felt like a crazy woman. Every member of my family and every good friend was quietly hoping I would come to my senses and get surgery, though they all were very good about not interfering with my psychological “treatment”. Finally, a point was reached that required some new course of action, so I called the surgeon a friend had recommended. The surgeon was a jerk. He saw me for about 3 minutes and said “let’s fix this”. I was so upset, but a combination of factors allowed me to go ahead and schedule the surgery. For the three weeks leading up the surgery my gut said NO, but my logical brain persisted. Three 3 days after surgery, I was not on pain meds for the first time in a year. Now, three weeks later, it is still apparent that the surgery worked. I also know 5 other people for whom surgery worked (and I had been thinking they were having a placebo effect). Sometimes instincts are not reliable. I am so grateful to the person who posted her review (maybe it was a he) stating that surgery worked. I would have probably delayed even longer if not for that. What the difference is between the people for whom this book is successful or not, I cannot even begin to guess. One thing to note, however, is that during my entire 13 months of persistent, sometimes almost unendurable pain, I didn’t give up most activities. I picked up my two small children, I kayaked, mountain biked, snowshoed, hiked, sat for long periods, etc. I didn’t do yoga, jump on a trampoline, or, after initial attempts, cross-country or skate ski. So, if you have given up all activity, maybe the first thing to do would be to resume all activity within reason (not jumping on a trampoline seems reasonable, however, skiing should be tried, at least). If you persist with that and the pain continues, try surgery. Even if it is a placebo, I’ll take it.

14. Good, but becareful!

    September 10th, 2009

    This did the trick for me… I did have real physical pain with tingling and numbness down my leg… what this book did is help me heal my mind after the body healed itself. I think alot of people mis-understand what he’s trying to say… this is for chronic back pain… I had intermittent painf for 5 years… then it healed and went away and I was scared to resume activities… but this book gave me the confidence I needed to continue on with my life. I now do 2 hour mountain bike rides once or twice a week… I did this with the supervision of a doctor of course…

15. Book is fine;Supplier slow

    September 10th, 2009

    It took 22 days to receive this book from Seashellbooks_inc. The book was in acceptable condition and has been very helpful. I recommend it but please choose a different supplier if you wish to receive it in a prompt manner. To their defense Seashell gave a 2 week window for delivery and we received it on the very last day. Considering that Amazon delivers in 3 – 5 days one would think these folks can speed up their deliveries. I mean its just plopping a book in a package and sending it.

16. Most useful information

    September 18th, 2009

    My sports medicine doctor told me to read this book and it was the best advice I have gotten from any doctor. About 75% of my chronic pain in the neck, shoulder and lower right hip went away within days of reading this book. The remaining pain and discomfort in my back also are going away with physical therapy and chiropractic treatment. Thank you Dr. Sarno for writing this book and others to help patients like me.

17. Got rid of my sciatica and back spasms!

    October 5th, 2009

    I remember my first true back spasm in college: I bent down to get something out of a drawer and for no apparent reason, my back “snapped.” I was walking crooked for days. I tried laying still, struggling through some sit ups (I recalled a friend in high school who had been given such “back strengthening” exercises for his back pain) and just hoping it would go away. From time to time, my back would “go out” again and I’d suffer for a few weeks as it slowly healed and I tried to take it easy. One time, my back hurt so bad, I had to take several minutes just to get out of bed! In 2005 I was vacationing at my parents’. I spent many hours on the floor playing games with my brothers and my kids. I noticed a slight numbness in my leg.At first I thought it was constantly falling asleep from being cross-legged on the floor for hours. It gradually grew and traveled down my leg until I had full blown sciatica (with lower back pain too)! One day, browsing at Barnes & Noble, I was looking for some sort of book about back pain and how to get rid of it. I found this book. I read through it quickly and a day or two after I finished it, the sciatica was completely gone. It has never come back and the worst I ever get is a “stiff” back which is easily dealt with through the principles of the book. The essential thesis is this: Back pain (as well as several other ailments) is caused by an unconscious denial of blood to a certain part of your body. Your brain does this subconsciously to take you away from dealing with the things that are actually causing stress, anger and anxiety. This is NOT saying that the pain is “all in your head.” It’s an acknowledgment of real pain. But that pain has a cause. The essential steps for dealing with the pain are: (1) Living, working, acting normally as if your back is not injured, that is, not favoring it, “going easy” on it, etc. and (2) identifying what is causing you anger or stress and dealing consciously as necessary with the issue. After I read that, I actually could trace the beginning of my pre-sciatica numbness to an email I had gotten regarding work which had really made me angry. Once I realized what I was really upset about, the pain was gone. In the days since I’ve read this book, my back has only once or twice really “snapped” and I immediately began going through the events and frustrations of my mind. The pain is usually gone within a day. Even that is quite rare now and whenever I have a stiff back, I simply do the same thing: run a mental catalog of stressful or anger-inducing items while doing nothing to favor or “baby” the back and the pain fades. The author, Dr. Sarno, describes this important mind-body connection in a way that poles some fun at current medical practice (so many ways to treat a bad back? Why? Because who knows what will work? The problem isn’t the back! It’s the things causing your brain to mess with your back!). Dr. Sarno can get a little Freudian sometimes and even recommends deep Freudian therapy to bring out the worst of the issues that your brain might be trying to block. But other than that, I think his thesis is a solid one. It’s certainly attested to by others but I have the best evidence of its truth: It worked. Plain and simple. I no longer get nasty back spasms that leave me walking crookedly for weeks on end. And when my back does get stiff, then that is now a signal that I need to run a mental check and deal with the things that are bothering me that my mind is avoiding. I’ve read and used the book. It’s worked for my wife. The principles have been useful with the kids (”growing” pains) and I’ve ordered and given copies to friends. Call it bunk if you like but the thesis sounds good to me and it works!

18. The Best Treatment Formula

    October 24th, 2009

    I am a professor at a medical school. I have suffered from chronic lower back pain since my 20’s. This book was the best “treatment” I have ever tried. But, it helps to read it more than once. Remember that most of us do not grasp all of the important ideas with just one reading. Also, I highly recommend Dr. Sarno’s other books.

19. This book is the answer i've been looking for!

    November 5th, 2009

    2 weeks I’ve waited for this book. 1 week it took me to read it. 7 yaers of agony and pain ended last week after reading this book. I can’t believe it! Pain that has been my evel companion and dictated every aspect of my life – gone!!! Sometimes I feel the pain trying to come back, sneak on me, but now I know why it’s there and I can make it disappear again after 5 minutes or so. This is unreal. Its almost ridiculous. I am 33 years old, and for the first time in 7 years – I fill young, and free. This book is worth more then 7000$ – the amount I payed on painkillers and alternative medicine so far, and no doubt – would have kept on paying for many years to come. If you ever had back or neck pain that crippled you, while doctors telling you that you have a herniated disc but can’t explain why it hurts so much, or why you are in pain most of the time, even while sitting down – Well, this is the book for you. You don’t need to be in pain. You don’t need to be depressed anymore. Just read this book and be open to what it has to say to you, think about it, really think. I did and it changed my life, and I recommand this book to anyone who suffers from back & neck pain, and forever greatfull to John E. Sarno for giving me my life back

20. The Bible For Back Pain Sufferers

    November 11th, 2009

    I first read this book in 1996 and continue to believe that it is the most important tool anyone with back pain can use. Rather than directly reviewing the book, here is an email I just sent to Dr. Sarno to thank him for his work. I know you must get thousands of emails thanking you Dr. Sarno but I had to join the chorus.I`ll keep this brief. I am a 53 year old male who grew up in a family of chronic back pain sufferers. I watched my father be tortured over 35 years of having to go to work in a physical job while losing sleep fearing his back might “go out” on the job the next day. As that was all I knew I fell into the same issues by the time I was in my 20s. I went through all the traditional treatments with no success until back in 1995 or 96` I read your book “Healing Back Pain.” I read it once, I read it twice I read it a third time and I kept it by my bed almost as my bible. I have had absolutely no recurrence of any major back issues right up until 4 days ago (not surprisingly right after I lost my cat, was going for a medical procedure this week and was worrying about financial matters.) I quickly got out the book, kept up my exercise schedule and within a few days I am back to normal and not fearing any back issues at all ! All I can say is thank you thank you thank you. I only wish I could convince my friends (who I hear complaining that their back went out) to read your book and let it sink in. PS, my brother is a physician and as of this year he finally got on board with your program. He too was a chronic back pain sufferer and so far is now a believer in your theories about the mind-body connection which is not an easy thing for some in the medical profession. Thank you Dr. Sarno

21. The Mind-Body Connection

    December 16th, 2009

    I first heard of Dr. John Sarno in Dr. Andrew Weil’s book “Spontaneous Healing : How to Discover and Embrace Your Body’s Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself. I believed I had “slipped a disk” while back-packing in Australia. While I was scuba-diving the Great Barrier Reef (and doing my best to pretend I was not in crippling pain) the pain deepened into sciatica. I could barely walk. Wherever I was, at the airport, on the boardwalk, I had to lay on the ground and curl up into a ball in order to walk another few minutes. In New Zealand, as I was hitchhiking from Christchurch to Auckland on big-rig trucks, a physical therapist gave me some exercises he said I’d have to do for the rest of my life. After a year or so of helping, the exercises stopped working. I was so afraid I’d have to have back surgery and/or be crippled for the rest of my life. When I read about Dr. Sarno’s deconstructing the emotional and stress-related mind-body connection in the majority of back pain syndromes, I started to mentally investigate my own back spasms. What was I thinking about when the back pain started? I started to see my own pattern of worry – that I had been attributing to my sitting position in the car, or my shoes for instance to my stresses and deepest fears. As I read more of Dr. Sarno’s carefully detailed investigation into Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), my back pain gradually subsided as I learned the mechanisms of TMS, and deconstructed my own experience of back pain. A year later, I rarely experience back pain, and when I do it’s very minor and just a sign that I need to relax and take care of myself. I can even wear high-heeled shoes and go back-packing again (not at the same time), and all manner of bending over and sitting positions are no problem. I’ve even taken up hula-hooping! One should certainly investigate TMS before considering back surgery. TMS may not be a diagnosis accepted by the entire medical community, nonetheless, Dr Sarno’s approach *WORKS* and it could work for you. It’s as easy as reading a book, critically deconstructing your own experience, and changing the way you deal with stress. I’ll add that reading a book is inexpensive and harmless. Spinal surgery is not. This is even my 2nd copy of this book, because I purchased a copy for someone I cared about who had back pain. I recommend this book to *everyone!!!* Best wishes… MT

22. Worthless book that could have been summarized in 3 pages

    December 18th, 2009

    Dr. Sarno should have giving his ideas to a writer or someone that could easily translate his methods to plain English. He used superior English words to describe truly simple concepts. My only conclusion is that he wants to sound smart being an MD. This book is seriously useless and a waste of time. One can get the jist of the concept (which is that muscular pain might be associated and triggered by deep emotional stress, so look at what is causing that), in a 3 page flyer. This book is a total money waster.

23. This book saved my life

    December 18th, 2009

    I tried everything, pills, shots, physical therapy, accupunture, … nothing worked until I read this book. I had back pain for 2 years and was very frustrated and Dr Sarno gave me my life back. It is real, I did what the Dr says: stop medication and start excercising !! I quit the meds and went to the gym, and so far I have been 12 years pain free !!!

24. Healing Back Pain

    December 19th, 2009

    John Sarno, in this book and his previous book “Mind Over Back Pain” talks about Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) where repressed emotions are the sole cause of back pain. It’s a controversial idea but for some people, the treatment he prescribes, works – that treatment being only that you understand and believe the causes of your pain to be emotional. He states that a few people have emotional problems that need psychotherapy before the pain subsides and I am in that group. The book has not solved my back pain, and I am not sure that my back pain is solely repressed emotions, but what Sarno is doing here is revolutionary. He is giving proven examples where the mind-body connection has been at the center of the cause and solution of a medical condition that cannot always be solved(or explained) by conventional medical treatment. I recommend the book because its important for anybody who suffers from chronic pain to understand the mind-body connection. Just knowing that there is research being done on this is a bit conforting in a world of medical madness that offers no comfort at all.

25. So suergery needed

    January 2nd, 2010

    This book was recommended to me years ago when I had a herniated disc in my neck. My husband immediately grabbed it and read it for the same problem in his back. We had both been told we needed immediate surgery by every doctor we saw. After reading this book and practicing what it recommends we became pain free and are still that way almost 10 years later. We have rocommended it and/or bought it for all our friends with similar complaints. It worked for all but one and the other for whom it did not work sadi before she read it that a book would not help her so she was predisposed not to believe in the remedies in the book. Everyone we know who approached it with an open and believing mind has been freed from the pain without surgery. I was a first a bit skeptical but we are living proof and big fans.

26. NOT a miracle cure. There's no such thing. But worth reading.

    January 15th, 2010

    I found the contents of this book to be quite riveting. I had been proactively troubleshooting a chronic lower back pain for two + years when I purchased this book upon a friend’s recommendation. There are some astute (although not very scientific) ideas and observations here regarding the possibility that pain can remain in the nervous system long after the original cause of that pain has subsided-like a mere impression that simply won’t stop remembering the original injury in extreme detail. Sarno suggests that if you’ve tried everything, and been diligent, as I had, that it is probably time to stop trying and pretend the pain isn’t there. He suggests it is most likely all in your head at this point, and the best way to exorcize it is to deny its very existence by going on about your life as if it isn’t there. Don’t give it the satisfaction, so to speak. I was excited by this idea as it sounded a lot easier and more pleasant than practicing a strict daily regimen of physical therapy and avoiding doing strenuous things like shoveling snow and doing yoga. So I stopped doing my prescribed PT exercises (which had been very slowly but noticeably improving my condition over the past 2 years). I reminded myself of Sarno’s suggested daily affirmations, designed to convince your mind that you have no back problem, and are simply allowing stress and anger to manifest themselves in your once-injured muscles. I resumed my long-abandoned yoga practice (starting very cautiously mind you). Prior to this time I had actually been doing quite well, with only occasional mild back pain for brief spells of a few hours at a time, max. Within 5-6 weeks of having done precisely as Sarno suggests in Healing Back Pain: pretending there was no pain & ceasing ALL doctor-prescribed activities, I had my first major pain flare-up in five months, and was set back what seemed to be nearly a year in what I had gained with diligent PT, massage work and general caution. After that, happened at a time when I had very little stress as I was on a three month vacation and getting along very well with everyone in my life. needless to say, I decided to take John Sarno’s suggestions with a grain of salt. My strong recommendation is to read this book, absorb the idea that your pain may be intensified by emotions, as it very likely IS, and pursue a BALANCED, multifaceted plan to treat your pain. This includes EXERCISE as prescribed by you physician and physical therapist to help counter the effects of your work, your age and your physical history; countering the emotional element by pursuing a daily mindfulness practice, such as is beautifully explained in Thich Nhat Hanh’s short book The Miracle of Mindfulness; and eating a healthy, natural diet low in processed foods and refined sugars.

27. BEST BOOK FOR BACK PAIN

    January 15th, 2010

    I went to the doctor and got x-rays after suffering from back pain for almost 2 years. My doctor found nothing physically wrong with me and recommended I read this book. 2 weeks after reading this book my back pain started to dissipate. I have given a copy of this book to 6 other people and there back pain all disappeared as well. Works for back pain, migraines, head aches, and any other chronic problems you might have.

28. The best book on back pain!

    January 16th, 2010

    Read this book twice as it’s very rich and very interesting. That’s what I did and I got immediate results. Don’t bother with chiropractors, this book is all you need.

29. good followup to Dr. Sarno's first book

    January 18th, 2010

    Great learning book to help me understand my daughter’s back pain and how to help her. A good supplement to Dr. Sarno’s first book.

30. Long story short...

    January 24th, 2010

    I had over a year of severe mid-back spasming–couldn’t sleep more than a few hours at night before it would act up, couldn’t exercise, play golf, run, etc. without issues from this back spasming and back pain. I tried complete rest, chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, and physical therapy before knowing about this book. Everything maybe helped a little bit, like it would get 5% better, but I still couldn’t sleep more than 3-4 hours before severe spasms almost every single night! It was a nightmare, as you can imagine. Ran across this book from a Google search, bought it, read it in a few days, and from the time I read the book, the pain and spasming dropped about 95%. No exaggeration, no kidding, it was as simple as reading this book. I started jogging immediately thereafter and within a few weeks, worked back up to my 12-miles a week or so that I usually jog, with no back pain (or to be entirely accurate, about 5% of the back pain I was having before–I still have very, very minor achiness in my midback, but I wouldn’t call it “pain”, more like a sensation). Started golfing, lifting weights, everything…no issue. Whereas I used to have back spasms literally every night after 4 or so hours of sleep, I almost instantly improved to where I could sleep the whole night through. About once every 3 months now I wake up with a mild back spasm that goes away after a few minutes. Compared to the other expensive things I was trying and that were only helping slightly, I wish I had tried reading this book first. It may not help everyone as well as it helped me, who knows, but I would HIGHLY recommend spending the $15 bucks and a weekend to read it. P.S. I read the book almost 10 months before writing this review, so this “healing” of my back pain has stood the test of time. The back pain issue I described had been in full effect the 15 months prior. So I had 15 months of back pain, nothing helped, read this book in 2 days, and from that point on for the next 10 months up until today, I’ve been fine. I’m even running a half-marathon this weekend. The odds of this book helping being a mere coincidence are extremely low given the timing of the pain and spasming going away. Good luck to you!

31. Please Read. DO NOT HAVE SURGERY UNTIL YOU TRY EVERYTING POSSIBLE

    January 26th, 2010

    I had a cervical spinal fusion in 1997 (major neck surgery) and I have a spinal disease. My lower back is “shot” per my pain management doctor and brain/spine surgeon. This book has helped me in understanding things that my doctors never even mentioned to me in all these years. I will never be cured, but I will not have another surgery. I am only 51 and I hope to be able to take my life back.

32. Yahoooowoohoo!!!!

    February 1st, 2010

    I approached this book already a believer and seeker of the mind/body connection. Having failed to find answers in other books–even great books that opened my eyes in so many other ways still did not help make this connection (lacking the scientific or medical explanation). Just reading the reviews was like someone telling the story of my symptoms, my condition, my MRI and feeling hopeless and frustrated. I felt a relief and was on the verge of real crying the more I read. Because inside I was not fine believing I could control this, not knowing how, whatever rage, anger or tension was not being dealt with, having a job injury and not wanting to go back to a job I hate–there-I said it–Hate. Hah. I started to feel better the second day I read reviews. I just finished the book and am 99.9% pain free. I am happy and amazed. And with this new-found understanding so much anger has melted away that even sex has improved. And the beauty is that I don’t have to exercise and I don’t have to see a therapist for the rage and anger–I just have to be aware of it–which I already did anyway for PMS. For those interested: I work in construction and had a lower back injury. My second injury was a week to the date of the first one. I am in my 40’s and the right size for my height. Since I started seeing doctors for my back (18 years old)I’ve been told: scoliosis, long spine, too much sitting, not enough exercise, bulging disk, herniated, sacroiliac joint disorder, degenerative…. The first time I ever pulled my back I was 15. By that age I had already dealt with a lot of dysfunction and instability at home. All this tension I am sure started when I was still in the womb since my parents fought all the time. But, I have had a good adult life. My personality type was described well in the book.

33. Body Pains Cured in 2 Weeks

    February 22nd, 2010

    I heard about this book from a friend after 18 months of constant back, shoulder, neck and arm pains. After holding on to the book for 2 months, I had to return it so I was forced to start reading it. Half way through the book ALL…YESS ALL of my my pains were gone…GONE! The mind plays tricks on you my friend and until you can control the vibes your brain is giving you, pain will continue to dominate your life. The key to being successful after reading this book (or book on tape) is simply to keep an open mind and believe. It’s literally all between your ears. This book has helped me and several of my friends. It’s a must have if you’re living in pain. As the book states, be sure to be checked out medically prior to committing to this book.

34. The Cure for Pain

    March 9th, 2010

    Dr. Sarno is a courageous man who has risked his career and the anger of the money-driven side of the medical establishment to state the truth about many chronic pain symptoms: they are the result of a mind-body connection that holds onto the emotion and that creates the pain. Anyone dealing with pain or any physical ailment – even if they’re sure it was caused by some event- should give this book a thorough read. My elderly mother had been dealing with debilitating back pain that kept her mostly homebound for many years, medicated, depressed and losing her strength. She is now working in her garden for hours at the time and enjoying life again, after applying the principles of mind-body healing. If you’re reading this review I hope you’ll give yourself the gift of reading this miraculous little book.