Thank You, Dr. Sarno

Dave H’s Thank You

This note was one I had been meaning to write for years and I am sorry I did not write it to Dr. Sarno before he passed but hope that he is looking down and reading this and what I am sure will be many other letters.

I am forever grateful to Dr. Sarno for his work, which for me touched me when I accidentally stumbled upon his name and a very brief description of his theory while paging through a Back Remedies for Dummies book. That was 13 years ago when my wife had taken me to a Relax Your Back store to see if we could find a comfortable chair for me to sit in at my law office. The chairs of course were not helpful and because I am a reader I gravitated to a small book shelf and started leading through the Back Remedies for Dummies book. By some strange cosmic force I found the one page that said something along the lines of: there’s a Dr. at NYU who believes that back pain is caused by unconscious emotions and that people who are high achievers and always striving to do good for others have pain caused by their unconscious mind. I instantly recognized that person and was intrigued and purchased Healing Back Pain.

I had a hard time at first accepting that I had an unconscious mind that could cause pain but I was struggling and gave the theory a try and it worked. But not for long. About six months later I woke up with excruciating pain. My instant reaction was that Dr. Sarno’s theory was no good. But after a week of trying physical therapy that was not helping I went back to the book and went all in. It took about three months but I have been pain free ever since. It is truly amazing.

Years later I started having arm pain and found Dr. Stracks in Chicago. I told him I thought maybe this was unconscious rage and he agreed and this pain went away in a week. Since meeting Dr. Stracks I have at his request sometimes talked with some of his patients and have given presentations to his patients. I also talk to anyone who will listen about Dr. Sarno and his treatment. I am aware of at least eight people I have introduced to Dr. Sarno’s theory that have rid themselves of pain after reading the book. They thank me but they need to thank Dr. Sarno.

I am forever grateful to Dr. Sarno for showing me how to heal myself, a remarkable gift.

My deepest sympathy to his wife, family and friends.

Dave Holmes
Oak Park, Illinois

Al’s Thank You

Thank you so much! You saved my sanity and life. I run 10 k 6 times a week and 2 half marathons so far.. For 3 months I couldn’t walk to my front door.

I could write 10 pages. THANK YOU is not enough, but it’s ALL I can say.
You are an angel.

GOD bless you!

Daniel’s Thank You

I wish I would have sent this before, knowing that maybe someday you could have read it. Thank you for saving my life Dr. Sarno. I specifically say saving because were it not for your work I’m not quite sure I could have continued living with the amount of debilitation and pain I was in everyday. I spent a good portion of my 20’s bedridden, using walkers and canes, seeing doctors/specialists and in agony from my widespread pain. At the time doctors suspected I may have had Lou Gehrig’s disease or Guillain Barre Syndrome, but after all that suffering I now know it was just TMS.

Nowadays I’m back to working, hiking, weightlifting, backpacking, running, going to school etc. I have my life back and I have you to thank for that. I’ve also met my wonderful loving girlfriend through the “world of TMS,” and am so happy we have found each other. I’ve included a picture of me with my two buddies (two of whom had supported me during some of my struggles) on the top of Mt. Langley, 14,000+ ft. up!

Dr. Sarno, your knowledge and information will reach the masses in time and you will be known as one of the greatest in history, I have no doubt about that. My loved ones are so happy to have their son/brother/grandson/nephew/cousin back and I’ll remember you for the rest of my life for having brought me back to life.

Hoping you’ll read this message from above 🙂

May you rest in peace, Dr. Sarno.

Prem’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno.

You have given my life back. One day I thought I would meet you in person to give a hug. You are really a genius. And you changed the world of treating pain. I am really blessed to know about and read your book. I believe you are a god. RIP Dr. Sarno.

You will be ever living in our hearts….!

Elizabeth’s Thank You

I first read Dr. Sarno’s book about twenty years ago. Some of it rang true but other parts didn’t, so I put it away.

Fast forward ten years later. My medical issues continue to plague me and my physician is concerned that I might have MS. After significant angst followed by an all clear on the diagnosis I knew I had to find a better way to live.

I pulled out Dr. Sarno’s book again and lo and behold I saw myself reflected back in the pages. This led me to Dr. John Stracks at the Center for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern University and my healing journey began.

I cannot thank Dr. Sarno enough for his life changing work. I will do all I can to continue to spread his message of true healing.

Elisabeth W

Carol’s Thank You

… literally, from my heart, my head, my stomach, my legs… I felt sure that my body was shutting down and I was dying when my son sent me HEALING BACK PAIN. Thank you for taking away my fear and giving me hope for the first time in many years.

God bless you and keep you. May you Rest In Peace with the knowledge that you will continue to be

A great healer and teacher
forever.

My regrets and condolences to his family and loved ones.
Carol W

Marcus’ Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

For 13 years I was known to friends and family as the guy with back pain. Not a single day without pain. In 2009 my life changed when I finally gave in and read your book. That was the beginning of the end of my long and painful journey of back pain.

With your help and because of your understanding of the human condition I found the courage to turn my back on traditional medicine (when it comes to pain) and the establishment that is ignorant and does not want to see reality.

Thank you Dr. Sarno for helping tens of thousands of people like myself.

Marcus P.

David Schechter MD’s Thank You

I first met Dr. John Sarno when he lectured to our class in medical school. I first spoke with him directly when I asked him about my knee pain. The response he gave me and the subsequent seminars I attended helped to solve my knee pain problem.

As significant as the pain relief was, this exposure offered me something even more significant–a direction for my medical career–which has been a significant daily component of my medical career until today, more than three decades later.

As a medical student, I had a wonderful opportunity to work with him an entire summer as a medical student seeing patients with him and doing telephone research, data analysis, and writing on his first follow up study.

He honored me by allowing me to make editorial comments on a draft or two of his first book Mind Over Back Pain and acknowledged me in the book.

Our conversations, several visits to his home on the upper East side, and a single visit to his home in upstate New York are memorable experiences in my life.

At these visits it was quite evident that he was also a devoted husband to his wife Martha Taylor Sarno, herself a pioneer in the field of speech therapy. It was evident at these dinners that he loved and admired her and she reciprocated fully.

After my medical training shifted west I saw him less often, but we reconnected in the mid 90s. His referrals were instrumental in helping to build my MindBody practice at that time. Those patients inspired me to write my first book, the MindBody Workbook, and to create the first website and audio program in this field.

I had an opportunity to visit him with my wife and children when they were young children at his office. That day was memorable to me and some photos that I will cherish.

Going forward to writing my book Think Away Your Pain in 2014, his willingness to be flexible on his policy of not writing professionally after his retirement and offering me a quote for its back cover was a very meaningful gesture to me, to our relationship, and to the significance that he had in my medical career. I really appreciated that offer.

Dr. Sarno’s work lives on and as many innovators have struggled with alterations and modifications of their ideas, he had some struggles with this as well. But so many of us carry a debt of gratitude to Dr. John Sarno and an appreciation of the importance of his fundamental thinking.

To move forward one most often stand on the shoulders of giants and Dr John Sarno truly was a giant in the area of pain, emotion-based medicine, mind-body medicine, and TMS.

Thank you Dr. Sarno. Thank you John. Rest In Peace

Truly,
David Schechter MD

Katherine’s Thank You

Dr. Sarno’s first book “Mind Over Back Pain” called out to me as it sat unassumingly on a book shelf at the Coliseum Book Store in New York City many years ago. It was hiding amidst some thick intimidating books on “health” that one would have to spend a year reading. So I purchased that book and I still remember the first night I read it when it opened up a whole world that felt like it had been hiding in my brain always. And I began my journey with this wonderful doctor//teacher/sage and all his other writings.

Dealing with TMS is not by any means easy for me but I know it is true and real and usually I just have to remind myself that’s what is wrong. We are only scratching the surface of the mind/body connection and we are so lucky to have had a courageous warrior like Dr. Sarno to come forward way ahead of his time. In the future when they understand it more than we do now, he will be revered. Thank you Dr. Sarno and I will be grateful to you all my life.

I am also grateful to the TMS Wiki site (and Alan Gordon and Howard Schubiner) which has been a huge saving grace to me in just this past year and is an inspired refuge for so many on the internet.

Katherine

Ken’s Thank You

To the Memory of a Great Physician,

I suffered from intermittent, debilitating back pain all my life until an acquaintance recommended your Mind/Body book. I knew you were right as soon as I read it, and my pain went away within weeks. Every time after that, I’d read your book, confront my worries, and the pain would fade. Just last year, I couldn’t exercise because of what I thought was a hamstring pull that just wouldn’t go away. And then I saw an advertisement for a calf-brace to relieve sciatica pain. Of course, I said: it’s not a hamstring, but rather I have referred back pain, and now I can cure it. It went away within days.

I always keep an extra copy of your book, to “pay it forward” to a friend with back pain. You made a real mark on this world, and I join so many others in expressing my deepest gratitude to you and your loving memory.

Ken

Howard Schubiner, MD’s Thank You

Dr. Sarno was a giant.
He was insightful enough to see what so many others couldn’t see, even though it was right there for all to see.
He was tough enough, so that he could put up with criticism and even ridicule.
He was kind enough to show compassion to his patients who revered him.
He was dedicated and persistent enough to write the books that helped so many.
He was realistic enough to know that even he couldn’t change the way medicine was practiced.
He was smart enough to know that he was right and that he would have to wait for the world to catch up.
It’s just that he couldn’t wait forever.

It’s up to us to carry the torch and live up to his insight, toughness, kindness, realism, and smarts.
It’s a worthy endeavor.

My best to his family and to those who will mourn him and miss him. He is responsible for the health and recovery of thousands. I owe my career to him and pledge to work on his behalf to realize his vision of the acceptance of his theories by mainstream medicine.

Howard Schubiner, MD

Ana’s Thank You: “My Hero”

I will always consider Dr. Sarno my hero. After suffering with a debilitating case of TMS for three years, I discovered Dr. Sarno’s books. It took a few days to feel significant relief and after almost a year, I was completely healed. The 26 doctors I had seen previously over the course of my journey couldn’t do anything to help me…in fact, they made things worse!! Today, I have been pain free for almost four years and I have my life back. I am active and loving life!!!

Thank you Dr. Sarno!! I have mad love for you! May you be in God’s glorious kingdom!!

Ana

Shelley’s Thank You: “The words ‘thank you’ are not enough….”

Dr Sarno, I have been meaning to write a letter to you for a year now. I am crushed that it will never find its way to you.

I cannot even put into words how your brilliant ground breaking work has impacted my life and the lives of my family and loved ones. Just 1 year ago I had just about given up and was dealing with the “reality” that I would be in horrific chronic pain for the rest of my life, unable to function without assistance. I was medicating myself to get through the long days & nights. I would wake up and by 11am look at the clock and shudder….oh my god….still 10 more hours before I can go to sleep again!! It was that bad. I could not bare the long painful day. I couldnt even lean forward an inch to brush my teeth as my back would go into spasms that brought me to my knees. I could not sit for 10 months without shooting burning pain going down my leg making my foot go numb. (funny how this started right after my physiotherapist told me this was the worst thing for me)

I mourned the life that I once had and grieved the thought of ever enjoying anything again with my children or family. I could not even watch TV seeing people outside playing sports, enjoying life etc. It would bring me to tears and sink me deeper into the dark meaningless void of my new state of being. I was basically bed ridden.

I had an MRI to prove my back was a mess. Herniated & bulging discs, stenosis, scoliosis, bone spurs, osteophytes, sciatic nerve root involvement and osteoarthritis. Several GP’s, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, Chinese Dr’s, acupuncturists & massage therapists all confirmed my worst fears. There was nothing that could be done.

I read Healing Back Pain. Honestly thought you were a quack and returned the book to the library. Things got worse. Thought I’d give it another try as I had nothing to lose and got The Mind Body Prescription. As thousands of others have said….I thought the book was written about me. Saw myself on every page. I started slowly with tmswiki website….did some journaling and battled with my brain. After several attempts of sitting and telling myself “your back is fine, strong & healthy. There is no reason for your pain. All of those findings on the MRI mean nothing. They are part of the normal aging process of your spine. There is NO reason for your pain it is created by your mind and nothing more” when all of a sudden I sat and the pins & needles and burning pain left my leg like magic. I gasped in shock. That is when I quickly created my evidence list and challenged each and every thing I did during the day. My list grew & grew over the next couple of weeks….with baby steps I conquered new movements. Within a few weeks my pain was 100% gone. A thing of the past. Like being reborn, cannot even put into words how it felt.

Everyone I know was in awe. I called my friends & neighbours and showed them I could do jumping jacks! I ran to my Dr and she threw her arms around me jumping up and down (she always wanted to help me but didn’t know how….I cant fault her for that) Thanks to you Dr Sarno, my kids have their Mom back and my husband has a wife again. I no longer take life for granted and celebrate each and every day that God has given me. I have no restrictions physically and embrace new and challenging things on a regular basis. When my TMS tries to creep back, and it does, I use the same challenging methods and poof! like magic…the pain disappears. I have defeated carpal tunnel, knee pain, achillies tendonitis and frozen shoulder within days.

My hope is that many many more people (including medical professionals) will soon open up their minds to your teachings. It is truly nothing short of miraculous. Dr Sarno, you are my hero. From the bottom of my heart…..I owe my life to you…..Rest in Peace…your legacy will live on changing lives for hundreds and hundreds of years to come.

With love & immense gratitude,

Shelley S.

Michael’s Thank You

About twenty years ago, I was poor as a church mouse working survival jobs and trying to pursue an unsuccessful acting career. I had a herniated disk, and unbearable back pain. Prior to the injury, I ran about 4-6 miles daily. With the onset of back pain, I was sidelined for over a year, desperate for relief from chiropractors and doctors that I could not afford. Unsuccessful actors can’t really afford health insurance. I was in a LOT of pain and very depressed about my lack of physical mobility.

One day after work I went to the large library in midtown Manhattan in search of books that could offer me exercises to relieve my back pain. Instead I came across Doctor Sarno’s book,”Mind Over Back Pain, the Mind-Body Connection.” I remember checking the book out from the library and reading the entire book, cover to cover, one afternoon in the middle of Central Park. Everything about TMS resonated so strongly within me.

Three days after finishing the book, I was back on the treadmill running my daily miles. I’ve been running and swimming four or five days a week since.

I have a Pay It Forward policy regarding Doctor Sarno’s books. Whenever a friend complains of back pain, I purchase the book as a gift with the insistence that the friend passes it on to someone else who may complain of back pain in the future.

My copies of Sarno’s books retain a prominent place on a shelf in my home library.

Thank you, Doctor Sarno. Our world is a sadder place without you today.

Much love and gratitude,
Michael C

Greg’s Thank You

Thank you Dr. Sarno.

As a poor college student, paying to go to a chiropractor every week to manage my headaches left me with just enough money to break even. I felt stuck and google searched for alternatives. I found your book, got it, read it and applied it. Haven’t been back to a chiro since. It’s been over 3 years.

God Bless!

Lynn’s Thank You

Thank you Dr Sarno

Tomorrow I will run my monthly 10 K in honour of you. I did not run for 16 years due to back pain. I thought it would affect my back. Thanks to hearing about your work through Georgie Oldfield who came to the USA to work with you, I am completely cured.

May you rest in peace

Jack’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

I can never thank you enough for saving me from not only crippling pain but also from seeking relief with back surgery.

I stumbled onto a back pain forum 5 months ago looking to see what others were thinking about after being told that surgery was the only answer, and someone mentioned your name and books.

They have been my saving grace.

This morning I went to look at the TMSwiki.org forum and saw that you passed away. I am only sorry that you did not receive the Nobel Prize for saving so many from a lifetime of pain and suffering. I will do my best to honor your legacy by sharing my own experience to all who will listen, and even to those who won’t!

Rest In Peace.

Thank you, Doctor!!
Jack

Rick’s Thank You

In the late 90s I suffered from neck and upper back pain. I was truly suicidal as I was living in pain 24/7 and was told I would never be able to do physical activity again. Back then back and neck surgery meant being in a body cast for months.

I tried everything, from acupuncture to mediation, to needles in the neck. Nothing worked. Until one day I was walking in a book store and decided to buy his book. Everything made sense. I was cured within 2 weeks. I have shared my story to anyone who would listen and I know dozens who have also been cured. I haven’t had any issues since then and I also read his book “The Divided Mind” which has also helped me overcome other pains that I would have otherwise been alarmed at. Thank you Dr. Sarno for being my hero, my God. There will never be another like you.

Nelia’s Thank You

Dear Dr. John E. Sarno,

Thank You! You saved me!

I will not go into details of my pain and time spent in bed without being able to move.

I will always be grateful for finally finding you online and first listening and reading to what was available. I ordered 2 of your books. I resonated with your words in the first paragraphs. I put into practice what you advised and slowly my pain went away. The best part of it, is that it never came back. I was dealing with back pain for over 4 years since the birth of my son. The tests confirmed I have a herniated disk but I believe, as you say, this is simply another grey hair or another wrinkle.

I did your work. I treated what was really in need of treatment and today no pain! I apply this treatment to other ailments that seem to come my way and too, it works:)

I share what I have learned. You are a Legacy! I will never forget you and I will continue speaking of you whenever it is needed.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Nélia Marmelo
(Portugal)

Susan’s Thank You

Dear Dr Sarno,

You are my hero. You saved me. I had lost my life to chronic pain and disability. Your dedication and selfless pursuit for the wellbeing of others restored faith in me. From the moment I accepted your work I knew I could deeply trust and believe that I would be cured. You did not let me down. Your expert work will not be in vain. The truth you uncovered all those years ago will become mainstream treatment for those in chronic pain. I hope there are other true doctors out there like you. We have lost the best one.

Rest in Peace

Susan (birdsetfree)

Jennifer B’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

I knew about your book for years before reading it (including hearing Howard Stern’s testimonials) but from what I had heard about it I thought I had to “face my demons” in order to get rid of my back pain. Ultimately the pain was too much and I decided to seek out your book. During the first hour of reading my pain started to disappear and I was encouraged to keep reading. By the end of the book I noticed a tremendous improvement in my condition. Within a month I was 90% pain free and within three months was 100% pain free. I’ve since read the book two more times and have given a copy to friends who complain about back pain – I can tell it’s TMS from their description of their symptoms.

One of the best parts of being free of back pain is the ability to exercise as much as I like. Here’s a photo of me finishing my second 5K – at age 50! Thank you Doctor Sarno, you’ve given me my life back.

Christina’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH for all the knowledge and support system you have created for TMS. I am deeply grateful and also inspired by your work.

This is briefly my story: My name is Christina Samara and I’m a body psychotherapist. Three months ago I had the first episode of TMS. It was low back pain and I couldn’t walk at the beginning for 2 days. Then , the pain hit my right leg and yes as you say it was excruciating! For three months I was desperate, I thought I would be on a wheelchair or I could even loose my leg from diabetes. Many imaginations…, I ‘m in very good condition as I swim daily and do yoga.During the summer time I learn to windsurf and I do Stand-up-paddle SUP. At he beginning I did not pay attention to it, I couldn’t handle it. After two motnhs that were very difficult for me and my family as I was incapacitated I decided to follow your method. My sister had been cured from your books that she discovered, 10 years ago. I am grateful to her, she has been my coach and my support group along with my psychotherapist. I went to the doctor, I took anti-inflammatory drugs, alternative medicine drugs, bitamin B, which was very helpful to calm down my nervous system and fears, did, shiatsu, accupunture but all of it was placebos and just a support. TMS books, your books were the main help, I read and re-read your books over and over again, I did my daily TMS affirmations as a prayer. It took me 30 days and today I can say I am cured!!!! Since I took my health in my hands as my responsibility I started to journal every day and reflect and then I added some imagery and possitive affirmations work inspired by L.Hay and W.Dyer. It was more than a full time job. I quited everything to be by myself all day long and read, write, meditate and believe that i will be cured.

Psychologically speaking, when it all started I had just begun to work as a therapist, very challenging and my first client touched a lot on my personal issues. Along with being such a perfectionist and a people’s pleaser I had the best profile for TMS. Through TMS therapy and my personal psychotherapy I changed completely, to be what I am today, to give myself priority, to give not only to others but to myself first, to please me, to respect my needs and desires. Today I am very eclectic in what I do and want and I am very clear and very disciplined on this. Being a good therapist and a good mother is not easy and I have to take care of myself with respect! I learnt sooo much about me and I’m grateful cause I could not have grown and become better as a person and as professional if I had not been through this proccess!

My goal now is to spread my knowledge and help other people. I would love to be trained as a TMS therapist and offer my services here in Athens ,Greece. I hear so many cases every day but there is noone to support TMS. This is sad! So I would love to specialize in TMS and offer my services to people who are in pain and I know very well what it means to be in pain and how to get out of it!!!!!

Thank you Dr. Sarno for all you have offered to us, this is soo valuable!!!. In any event your work is a treasure!

With my Best Regards,

Christina

Brandon’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno:

I am writing you to let you know that your book Healing Back Pain: The Mind Body connection has greatly changed the course of my life.

You see I had become a slave, my mind and the medical system worked together to make me believe my back was not well. I was as sure of this fact as the night is black. For years, I spent thousands of dollars on medical treatment and rehabilitation which provided temporary relief at best.

Your beautiful book rid me of my shackles. I am happy to report to you that I am now a free man. I have transformed from a boy who dreaded picking his clothes off the ground, to a powerful 31 year old man who is capable of deadlifting 200 pounds off the ground with ease. This became a reality thanks to your work.

I hope this letter finds you well and I hope you know what a powerful and positive impact your work has had on this planet. The world is a better place because of you.

Moatasem’s Thank You

Thank you Dr. Sarno.

Unlike many of the contributors to this project, I have had lower back pain for less than ten days. Your book, Healing Back Pain, has transformed those ten days into a blessing, because it helped explain to me not just my back pain but so many other problems I have been having all my life. It has also revealed to me a very strange side of my mind.

I have heard about your book before I had any back pain. So I never read it. I was told about it by my spiritual guide and teacher, in a casual discussion. He said anybody who has back pain should read that book, explained a little about your argument, and told me one should be cured by the time one finishes reading the book.

Then, two months later, I was suddenly suffering a terrible pain in my lower back. I was sure: A Disk. Because of so many hours driving my car. I don’t want to go to a doctor.

Then, I remembered the book and found it on Kindle. And downloaded it in ten minutes. Now I know my story may not be typical because of two things: First it was my teacher who told me about it, so I was already convinced with the argument before I have started. Second, I have already read Feeling Good by Dr. David Burns, also recommended to me by my teacher, and was aware of how cognitive therapy works and convinced of it.

Then I started reading. Half way through the detailed description, I stopped. I told myself, I don’t need convincing, or understanding, I got the point and I am totally game, and skipped to the chapter about treatment. As I started reading that chapter, my pain was already going away. But it is what happened after and is still happening that is amazing, and in a sense creepy.

First, I started talking to my brain and exploring my feelings. Luckily I am very close to a lot of negative feelings and resentments. As I did, the pain in my back started going away. Next day, I decided to start driving again. The pain would come, I would think about by negative emotions, and talk to myself, and it goes.

Then, the following day I was driving. Back pain. Talked to myself. Pain went away. But then, I started having a headache, and stiffness in the shoulder muscles, the usual symptoms I get when driving. At that moment it dawned on me that this is also TMS. I immediately started talking to my brain again, and both went away.

During the last three days, this has happened so often. The pain and stiffness rotates very rapidly and with immediate response to my train of thoughts. Last night, I was feeling pain in my back, talked to myself, pain went away, but then, I was kneeling and my knee cracked and I felt a soaring pain. For a second I was taken aback. Something has snapped in my knee. Then, I realized what was going on. The crack has nothing to do with the pain. I focused on some negative feelings, and talked to my brain, and I got up walking pain free. Same, with heartburn. I don’t usually have heartburns. But since I started the exercise, the brain seems to be trying to find an outlet for the deception.

This is not the end of my story. I don’t know how it is going to end. But certainly it is a startling start for a self-discovery journey, and hopefully for a pain free life. Thanks to you, Dr. Sarno.

Moatasem al-G, Cairo, Egypt, 2/5/2017

Alison’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

Last March I read Healing Back Pain, and it has been responsible for completely solving my 9 and a half year problem with pain. It didn’t happen overnight, but took about 6 months for me to internalize and embrace. I recently went on a 4 day backcountry skiing trip, where you work for every turn. I climbed longer and pushed it harder than I ever have in my life. I truly have my old life back, and am even stronger than I was 10 years ago.

I tried chiropractors, physical therapists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, psychologists, orthopedic doctors, a cranial sacral specialist, a kinesiologist, an Osteopath, a Fibromyalgia MD, a Hypnotherapist, hormone specialist, and half a dozen others. Nothing provided any substantial relief. But now I know that the physical defects that show up on the MRIs are not responsible for all that pain.

I’m also writing to say thank you for a friend who has also identified with TMS and is thrilled to have read your book. She also is getting her old life back. I’m currently in the process of sending your book with a note to past doctors and therapists that might benefit from my story. I hope others find relief from your book. Thank you for your years of hard work!

Best,
Alison

Jay’s Thank You

I am a 63 year old physician. Short story–

-I was an ENT surgeon- In 1982 (age 29) began my own practice.
-By 1994 I had so much neck, back and shoulder pain that I had to stop operating.
-I went into business (non-medical)-opened 40 franchises in 2 years and hated every day of it. (Made a lot of money)
-In 1996 I began a 3 year dermatology residency program. It was broken up by 3 surgeries, addiction to prescription pain
medication, PT, acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathic therapies. It took me 6 years to complete the dermatology
residency and I began to practice as a dermatologist in 2002. The neck, shoulder and back pain continued at a 4-5 level
daily with flares at times.

I was introduced to your books and philosophy by an MD colleague in 1994. My head was not in the right place to even consider anything new.
Howard Stern mentioned your name on radio about 3 weeks ago. I pulled out your books. I have stopped my Celebrex 200mg BID that I started when Vioxx when off the market. I have tried unsuccessfully to titrate to lower levels.
I stopped my 45 minute 4 times a week back and neck exercises and began riding an upright bike again (I’ve only been able to ride a recumbent since 1994). Today I bowled 2 games. I tried that 10 years ago and suffered for weeks.

My pain is about 70-80% better at the 3 weeks mark! Having been trained in osteopathic medicine, I have never been able to prove what we did actually helped patients, but it did.

Thank you for your continued observations and beautiful documentation and writings.

Richie’s Thank You

I am a 41 year old male who has played baseball almost all of my life. I’m also an artist and a marathon finisher. At 39 I was hit with the worst pain I have ever known and was taken to the ER and was subsequently diagnosed with a herniated disc at L5-S1. The doctor actually winced when he viewed my MRI. So I was put on strong painkillers, prescribed PT twice a week and was injected with spinal steroid injections multiple times. When none of these things worked for any length of time, my next step was spinal surgery. Before I scheduled my surgery a friend of mine recommended a book called “Healing Back Pain” by Dr John E Sarno. I was willing to try anything. So, without a thought I downloaded the audiobook and started listening to it. My first thought was almost hatred toward my friend because the book immediately states that while the pain is real, it doesn’t come from a physical source. Which to me meant “it was all in my head.” What??!! So…I could not move at all without screaming out in agony (in front of my wife and three young daughters) and this book was going to tell me it’s all in my head? Well the book doesn’t even come close to saying that. But that is what I wanted to hear it say. So I calmed down, swallowed my pride and continued to read the book. Page after page describes me exactly. Everything Dr Sarno was saying, my whole spirit was wholeheartedly agreeing with. It was all making so much sense. So after reading the book, journaling, resuming all normal physical activity and trying to convince my unconscious mind that the source of my pain was not a “bad back,” my pain started to subside. In all it took about 6 months but the pain disappeared. No more painkillers, no ibuprofen, no physical therapy, no being careful with my back, full return to all physical activity without a care or thought about my back or sciatic nerve pain. I’ve thrown away all of my back braces, wedge pillows, heating pads, supports and crutches. Snowboarding, baseball, golf, running, backflips on my trampoline and diving board and best of all…lifting my little girls in the air again. I’m a man of faith and I believe God miraculously answered my prayers by pointing me to Dr Sarno’s books. I’m back to the best shape of my life and I try to remember every day how far I’ve come with no surgery. I once was so careful with every move I made and now I don’t even think about my back, at all. I believe in miracles. The pain is absolutely non-existent and I am beyond thankful for Dr Sarno’s courage and knowledge.

Penelope’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

I love you! I got your book a long time ago. It’s copyright is 1991, and it is the only book I never loan to anybody, though I do recommend it. My book is currently “decorated” with 17 post-it markers for salient points.

You helped me with back pain all those years ago, and for that I am grateful. I made up a bracelet – kind of like a rosary – to review the Daily Reminders, which I use periodically.

After a year of mega stress, my heart, which had been checked out (atrial ectopic beats) and was deemed to be okay, started acting up. I again delved into your wonderful book and the reminders. This morning my heart started kicking up a fuss, so I sat still, located the anger I was not dealing with, and happily my heart went back to normal, and I went on to do the work planned for the day.

“Think psychological not physical”, is my mantra! Yay!

I am an American living in New Zealand (since 1980) so even though I am not geographically near to NYC anymore, I am near to you in my heart. You have done such wonderful work, and I am so very very grateful to you.

Much love from “a free range oldie” living in a “Foreign Land”

Penelope

Wayne’s Thank You

My Special Thanks to Dr John E Sarno, MD!

I’ve wanted to write you for several years just to express my gratitude for you healing my back pain but I’d always set it aside for one reason or another, then when I googled your name to help out someone else recently with your info, I found that you had retired and that there was a letter writing campaign for you. Well, this is my opportunity to thank you personally…

Just some background first, I work in the building industry selling new homes and in 1993 I stubbed my toe when I hit the plastic mat under my office chair while assisting some clients. It hurt so bad that I wanted to scream but I had to wait until they left and then when they did, I started experiencing back pain in my lower right hip, a severe stabbing-like pain! A co-worker suggested that I go and see a chiropractor that she knew, he was able to get me pain-free temporarily but little did I know at the time that I would be visiting him off and on for the next 10 years!

Next, I went to my family physician who prescribed over time anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-depressants, painkillers, physical therapy, various exercises for the back and possible future surgery and/or steroidal shots to the spine which I objected to since the pain moved around and would change in intensity on a daily/weekly basis. In the meantime, I’m trying acupuncture, traction, chiropractic adjustments, electro-stimulation, heat and cold therapies etc., from alternative medical providers.

Around 1999, I decided to change professions and rent office space and begin work as a business broker. It just so happens that the office manager named Juli, tells me about your books after a discussion of our various back ailments and how she was bed-ridden on some days and that the book had cured her!

Well, after much skepticism I eventually went out and bought the book, Healing Back Pain and went straight to the chapter regarding the cure and wondered how this book would cure me without any medical procedures. So, when nothing happened I put the book down and proceeded to have back pain over the next 4 years.

It was 2003 and I had gone back to selling new homes again, but one day came down with a severe back and sciatica attack down my right leg it was so bad that I had to crawl up the stairs to my loft at home and have my wife bring food to me! I told my boss that I could no longer drive the hour plus trip one way to my job each day and that I would wait the 3 months for something closer to home to open up. At this point, I ended up buying Dr Sarno’s two other books, Mind Over Back Pain and The Mindbody Prescription and read them all. It was like the information was jumping off the pages because everything that I was experiencing was there. Yes, I had an MRI earlier which showed a bulging disc in the L4/L5 area but as Dr Sarno explains it was just aging of the spine.

His discussions of personalities, especially perfectionism and goodism hit me right between the eyes they were so right on! Also, some of the equivalents like eczema, stomach discomfort, frequent urination and respiratory infections among others were common with me. So, to get cured I started writing out all of the things that could be causing my internal unconscious rage and ended up with several legal-sized pages starting from childhood to now….

Most of it work-related since I’m in an imperfect business selling new homes where I have no control over interest rates, construction times and quality, loan approvals, buyer qualifications, monthly sales totals, etc.,

Needless to say, I was cured in just two or three weeks! I could now do the elliptical and stairmaster at the gym which I had stopped doing for years due to the back pain. I can say now that I’m entirely pain-free except on occasion when I’ll get that nerve pain again but I can usually figure out what brought it on right away.

So Dr Sarno, I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your dedication and determination to find THE CURE for BACK PAIN thru your TMS diagnosis and going against the established Medical Profession and risking your very livelihood in order to help us! You were a God-send to me and others and I know that you have been blessed immeasurably by all of your patients who’ve gotten their lives back!

Eternally Grateful,

Wayne

Mark’s Thank You

A little over 20 years, in my early 30s, I was a very active, visiting the gym daily, playing a lot of tennis. Seemingly out of the blue, I began to have back pain. It became debilitating. There were days I could not go to work. There were times when walking down the street, my back would freeze and I would have to lay down on the sidewalk, in pain. I tried every technique: rest. breathing. stretching. It only go worse and worse. When not prostate, I walked hunched over. It was frightening.

Someone told me about Sarno’s book. I bought a copy and walked across the street to a park where I sat and read it all the way through. As I read, the pain lifted. Completely. It has never returned, except for very brief and minor occasions. When it does return, I either thumb through the book, or try to recall its message. It always works instantly.

I realize this sounds unbelievable. But it happened exactly as described. His theory is very persuasive and the evidence in my case is absolutely conclusive. My back pain was connected to financial stress and upon realization of this, the pain disappeared.

Lisa’s Thank You

Hello Dr. Sarno,

In 2008 I contacted an energy healer. I had never done anything like this before but I had been suicidal for nearly two long years at that point. My issues were completely emotional up to then until the day of my session with this energy healer. That morning I found I couldn’t lift my head off of the pillow and I had severe body pain like never before. I couldn’t believe how much pain I was in and I called my twin sister to tell her that something was seriously wrong with me physically.

During my session this energy healer asked me what was worse my physical or mental issues? I couldn’t believe it but I actually had to say “physical”. Weeks prior to this first session through email contact, I had learned about “goodists” and he gave me a question sheet to answer and talked with me about hidden anger. But it was during my first session with him that I learned about you. He had seen you and been treated by you and was able to tell me about his own back pain and how he was a “energy healer that could help everyone else but he couldn’t even help himself.”… and then he told me about the affirmations and how important it was to see that my body pain had an emotional root or component and that the pain was a distraction. He asked me if I wanted to know why after 6 weeks he had found that made his back pain vanish. I said, yes, of course. And he said “nothing”. It just left.

Dr. Sarno, I never took medicine for and never allowed a doctor to document the diagnosis of “Fibromyalgia” in my file and I never felt hopeless about the body pain. I’ve always from the start been saying the affirmations and I didn’t have any trouble coming to terms with the emotional root of the body pain. TMS gave me hope enough to begin to build within myself the solution to the whole of my life’s situation.

It was for me to see, for me to work through, to build, to change, and succeed with and your insights and contributions through TMS gave me the tools so I could experience true inner power. Thank you for your sight and your vision. If I had learned about Fibromyalgia through any other means, I know I wouldn’t be here writing this right now. TMS empowered me. No words can thank you enough, Dr. Sarno and I’m thankful for the opportunity to write you. I won’t stop talking about TMS and sharing your books.

Hugs and Love,

Lisa

Alexander’s Thank You

I am a reader from Shanghai, China, of Dr. Sarno’s brilliant books – Healing Back Pain, The Mindbody Prescription and The Divided Mind.

I feel so lucky that I could come finally across the ones providing enlightenment and shedding light on the problems that have puzzled me for about a decade. I began to have a persistent upper back pain ten years ago, and meanwhile have intermittent (in fits and starts) pains in joins of arms or legs and unspecific loci across the back trunk. When in bed at night, having to once sit up before I needed to roll over laterally. Visiting a lot of physicians over many years ended up in fruitlessness.

Earlier in this year, I tried to find out some medical book on the symptoms overseas at amazon.com and located ‘Healing Back Pain, The Mind-Body Connection’ by Dr. Sarno. The striking phrase at the bottom of front cover, ‘Without drugs, without surgery, without exercise, back pain can be stopped forever’ appealed to me largely. How incredible the remark is! But as I got through down the book, the skepticism gradually faded away.

The principle behind the TMS theory perfectly fits in with an obscure idea of mine (or a hunch?) that mind must have something to do with body. The obscure idea has been around in my mind for several years due to the disappointment and frustration after the inefficiency and inefficacy in the diagnosis and treatment of my symptom. Saying ‘an obscure idea’ is because it has been purely my subjective conjecture based on no ground and unsystematic. I have no medical background. Thanks to the potential or underpinning of my own idea, I was able to assimilate the idea of TMS very quickly, and on the point when finishing the reading, I feel getting relieved. Inspirited miraculously, I continued reading ‘The Mindbody Prescription’, and got further insight into the unconscious. I am currently reading ‘The Divided Mind’ and very much impressed with Dr. Sarno’s remarkable findings of what disorders are mediated through the autonomic-peptide system.

In China, the mainstream modern medicine which is ultimately physical-chemical has been ubiquitously and inveterately deep-seated in the minds of the Chinese people to an extent that, as I observed, is more overwhelming than that in the United States as Dr. Sarno commented. For example, when I talked about the psychosomatic mechanism to the people around me, including my family members, I was considered ‘being absurd or simply nonsense’. Citing Dr. Sarno’s mention in ‘The Divided Mind’, on page 31, ‘Experience suggests that in the United States only 10 to 20 percent of people with a psychosomatic disorder are able to accept the fact that their symptoms are emotional in origin. Many are downright hostile to the idea. Though there are large numbers who seek psychotherapy or psychoanalysis, they represent only a small portion of the entire population.’ Comparably, however, the percentage of the acceptance of the idea by people in China is much less. My father-in-law, 82, has recent years been experiencing heavy attacks, about 7-8 times in a month, from headache, abrupt blood pressure elevation (around 200 mmHg./150 mmHg.) usually accompanied with dizziness, vomiting, tinnitus at uncertain times, possibly whenever in a day, whether in daytime or at night and whether the postures when standing, sitting or being prostrate. What seems to be odd is that he restores gradually to the normal with high blood pressure subsided after three or four hours silently lying in the bed. Seeking to get the cause of the disorders clarified, we took him to the examinations by specialists for several corresponding sections of the medicine using CT, MRI, electrocardiogram, blood-testing and some other measures, and also hospitalized. Unfortunately, however, no exact or accurate cause has been determined until now. I realized in light of TMS manifestations that his symptoms are inclusively characteristic of and pointed to TMS in origin featuring symptom imperative. It is regrettable that the lack of the practitioners specializing in psychosomatics in China gets us into trouble finding an appropriate way of treating him.

I make an effort to try to enlighten my wife about the psychosomatic idea by acquiring a Chinese-translated version of The Mindbody Prescription for her in hope of a further influence on other family members.

I really found myself enjoying every sentence of excellence in all the three books by Dr. Sarno. Dr. Sarno challenges the contemporary mainstream medicine not only in the U.S., but in the globe including China by bringing to light the truth of the ultimate (root) cause of seemingly structural abnormities in terms of the psychosomatic connections and interactions. In my view, the creation of the TMS theory ought to be qualified and eligible for Dr. Sarno to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. In spite of the colossal impedance and hurdle by the prevailing mainstream medicine facing the psychosomatic medicine, the laureateship of Dr. Sarno is prospective, and it is not until in a historical stage in the future that in which the psychosomatic medicine transcends physical structural medicine and supersedes its status as a dominant medicine.

I admire your groundbreaking works and your wonderful wisdom, and heartily thank you, Dr. Sarno.

Callie’s Thank You

Dear Doctor Sarno,

Thank you! Your work has changed my life.

For ten years I suffered from what I believed was worsening carpel tunnel, and sciatica, as well as excruciating lower back pain. It was common knowledge amongst my friends and family that no one could possibly be doing all of the strenuous and detailed carving work that I was doing on a regular basis as an artist, and not suffer the consequences.

I got on a treadmill of physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, and anything else that held some promise to help relieve the pain. It was expensive, and time consuming, and while some of it worked, the relief was only temporary.

It got to the point where I couldn’t turn my head without my hands falling asleep. I couldn’t use my hands as well as I needed to, I stopped being able to ride my bike (my primary means of transportation), and at it’s worst I could barely sleep without waking up with aching and numbness in both my arms. It was a daily misery that was spiraling downward and I thought that at the age of 35 I had ruined my body. I felt old and done.

Then a friend recommended that I look into your books. She said a friend of hers who had been scheduled for back surgery had healed herself with your books, and was now a runner, who never had to get that surgery after all.

As soon as I picked up your books I understood that I had TMS. It took reading them all for me to believe that even my particular pains, the ones that felt so deep seated and undoubtedly nerve related, could also possibly be the ones you were talking about. I read all three books multiple times, listened to them all on audio, and did “The Mind-Body Workbook” by David Schecter.

It took a little while for my pain to completely abate, because, as I came to understand from reading related books by one of your therapists Francis Sommer Anderson, when you are suffering from deep seated childhood trauma, as I was, having grown up with severely drug addicted parents, sometimes the cessation of pain is a process that takes weeks, months, or even longer.

I made an appointment with Dr Rauschbaum at the Rusk Institute — the only availability they had was 3 months out, and by the time I got there, the pain had subsided. However, the day before my appointment, I was tying my shoe, and a new stabbing pain appeared in my heal and ankle. When I got to my appointment, Rauschbaum guessed the exact location of the pain, and let me know that sometimes the mind makes a last ditch attempt, on occasions like, before a TMS appointment, to convince the you that dire pain is your fate. As soon as I walked out of the office the pain vanished.

Now, if things get especially rough, like with a recent death in the family, I get a return of pain or other psychosomatic symptoms like hives or psoriasis, but, now I know what it is, and I just have patience with it, and if it doesn’t go away, I return to reread one of your books, make sure I’m keeping up with my journalling, or watch some testimonials on youtube of people who have recovered, and that’s generally enough to help it go away.

Now, not only am I largely pain free, but I am also am an emotionally healthier and more empowered person as a result of the process. It has deeply affected my understanding of physical health and emotional well being, and I’m grateful for this increased wisdom.

Also, I started learning to surf again this year (another thing I had had to give up because of the pain), and I feel like I’ve gotten my body back. I”m alive, and it’s incredible!

Thank you!!

Callie

Enda’s Thank You

In July 2014 I desperately went to what I thought was “yet another physiotherapist” to find a solution to my chronic tennis elbow symptoms. I could barely lift a mug of tea despite having had 4 steroid injections over the course of 18 months, innumerable sessions of physio, physical therapy, magnets, kinesiology, kinesio taping, you name it, I tried it!

I went to see a therapist in Galway thinking that he would finally physically strip the muscles back in my forearm and free up the pain in my elbow. No. Instead he told me that there is no such thing as tennis elbow or tendonitis and recommended I read The Mind Body prescription.

I’ve since gone on to read A Divided Mind. I distinctly remember a morning when I got severe elbow pain and I immediately stopped and analysed the emotions that I had just gone through (and buried) just prior to the pain. I was astounded to witness the pain appearing as a distraction from the emotional pain. I stood still and allowed the emotional pain to flow through me. It took about 40 seconds. Then the “debilitating” pain disappeared.

One year on and I rarely even think about elbow pain. When it comes up I can quickly source the anger or emotional pain at its root and it disappears. Most importantly I fully understand that the pain is a manifestation of my mind.

I am a person with severe TMS and I’ve had many equivalencies since. But I’ve also managed to deconstruct and fully recover from lower back pain and piriformis syndrome. I’ve reduced my tinnitus significantly. I’ve vastly reduced the incidence or tension headaches and neck pain. And I have had months long respite from prostatitis and pelvic pain. I’m open now to looking at my food allergies.

Even just listing all the pain disorders here is an eye opener yet again to the effect TMS has had on my life and the wonderful cure and opportunity that Dr Sarno has offered to me. Thank you!

Laura’s Thank You

Laura canoeing with her family

Dear Dr. Sarno,

I am so glad to have this opportunity to thank you for all that you have done for me. In 1997 I began having neck pain which soon spread to my arms and hands. I was working long hours on a computer at the time and so was diagnosed with RSI. I spent over a year on many traditional and alternative treatments. These included physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, Rolfing, Alexander Technique, and prolotherapy injections. None of these had any significant or lasting effect. Tests revealed tendinitis, inflammation, and muscle spasm. I was unable to work, drive, or do everyday activities like tying my shoes. I was told by doctors that no one ever recovers from a condition like mine and I should accept the fact that I would have a life of disability. I very much wanted to have children, and it was a constant sadness to me that I might never be able to because of the pain.

I had heard of your books, but my reaction was very resistant at first. However, over time, I became desperate enough to give them a try. Your description of the “goodist” described me exactly.

I began to use the do-it-yourself program you outline in The Mind Body Prescription. I stopped all physical treatments, and concentrated on your book. I was also lucky enough to get an appointment with you at NYU Medical Center. I had a lot of improvement in the time between starting the at home program and the appointment. Within 6 weeks of seeing you and attending your lecture I was completely cured.

I had so much confidence in the cure that my husband and I immediately decided to start a family. I now have two beautiful teenage boys. I have remained pain free since December of 1999. I have absolutely no restrictions on my activity.

I know this is a long story, but I hope the details might be helpful to other people with RSI. Your work is brilliant. I am so lucky to have found your ideas. You have permanently restored my life.

Thank You,
Laura

Ann’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

For over 20 years, chronic back pain has dogged me, sitting has been a nightmare, and exercise has been severely limited. But, thanks to you and your books, all that has changed.

Recently, I retired from teaching and moved with my husband to a foreign country. Shortly after our arrival, my pain escalated to the point that I could barely walk. I tried cortisone shots and chiropractic, even though they had never helped much in the past. They did not help this time either. Fear set in: Would I be an invalid in my mid-fifties—in a foreign country? In desperation, I searched the internet and found your books. I downloaded The Mindbody Prescription and The Divided Mind onto my Kindle and began to read, re-read, and devoted myself to therapeutic journaling—sometimes up to two or three hours a day. Because I had no access to English-speaking psychotherapists, I was on my own with only your books, the success stories written by your patients, the TMS wiki site, and my husband’s support. Finally, after two months of persistent study and journaling, the pain was 95% gone.

As a young woman, I had been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. At that time (1978), I found life-saving help in a new book by psychoanalyst Hilda Bruch who explained how perfectionism and goodism were integral aspects of the illness. I accepted the psychosomatic diagnosis and got better with the help of psychotherapy. When I regained my weight, I left therapy feeling quite proud of my ability to overcome this serious illness. But soon I began to develop a string of other symptoms: interstitial cystitis, skin problems, IBS, odd aches and pains, and finally— out of nowhere—crippling low-back pain. My doctors and I were utterly blind to the connection between these symptoms and the earlier eating disorder. Now I see this series of unexplained illnesses as nothing more than the “symptom imperative” at work. Your books helped me see this pattern and finally uncover the long-repressed anger that was fueling the need for all these crippling symptoms.

Today, I walk rigorously up and down hills, swim, and sit as long as I like. I feel stronger, healthier, and more alive than ever before in my adult life. It is liberating, to say the least. I owe this freedom to you. Thank you, Dr. Sarno!

Ann

Dolores’s Thank You

Thank you, Dr. Sarno!

For years I have wanted to thank you for changing my life for better. This is a minimal way I feel I can communicate with you and share my appreciation.

I am probably the most fervent advocate of your teachings in the Dominican Republic. I have purchased and continue to purchase several of your books and frequently lend them to friends here.

My story… For two years I suffered from acute pain and had ups and downs… carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, bursitis, etc. I visited a wide range of traditional and non-traditional practitioners (Chinese and Japanese acupuncture, osteopathy, Feldenkreis method, cortisone shots, pain killers, Ceragem Korean massage beds, Inverter table, etc.). I had been seen by rheumatologist, orthopedist, geriatrician, endocrinologist, etc.

None could give me a clear diagnose of what was causing this terrible pain. Most provided temporary relief. But the pain would recur. The pain got so severe I had to work standing up. I could barely sit.

I was in severe pain when a friend noticed my acute discomfort when having dinner at a restaurant and said he would help. The next day he lent me two of your earliest books. He explained the books had been lent to him by a friend who had consulted with you in New York and had been cured. My friend had also been cured by reading the books and today is a triathlete.

As many others have written, I saw myself (unforgiving perfectionist personality) reflected in the explanations in the books and recall curing myself by reading and re-reading the chapters in less than a week.

I have had several recurrences and have just gone back to reading your books. The latest was when I noticed a close friend suffering from TMS. I had to retake the reading to get cured again.

The books are like bibles to me. When cured I have felt like the biblical Lazarus: I got up and walked. I now understand miracles. And I understand one has to believe to be cured.

I cannot thank you enough for your brilliance and sharing your knowledge. You should have already won the Noble Prize for helping so many people.

I will do all possible to continue to spread this knowledge.

Dolores

Candace’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

About a year ago I was in the worst state physically and mentally. I was in the process of interviewing surgeons to have surgery on the discs in my neck, which were believed to be causing the excruciating pain that radiated down my shoulder and arm. I was unable to sit, walk, and drive, which basically meant I spent a lot of time on my back, medicated. This was no easy task with two small boys. I was no stranger to chronic pain and had suffered for most of my adult life. My diagnoses ranging from irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, herniated discs, migraines and high blood pressure just to name a few.

As I lay on my basement floor, unable to move and realizing I couldn’t live my life like this any longer I was reluctantly going to pursue surgery. Then, enter my brother-in-law who had been suggesting your book to me for several years after his success with your TMS theory. This time I had finally agreed to read it. As I read the pages I began to wonder could this book be written about me. Of course it wasn’t, but I represent so many others who are struggling with chronic pain and desperate to find relief.

Your words resonated with me and I began to open up to the possibility that my pain could be emotionally charged. I especially found comfort in your words explaining that the pain I felt was very real, but originating from a psychological concern rather than a mechanical one. I had done every conventional and alternative treatment recommended that should have cured my pain and none of them worked. Now I know why, the pain was not being caused by a physical problem. Within six weeks of reading your book and subscribing to your theory of TMS, I was able to walk my kids to school, do hot yoga and drive a car without pain. Fast forward to today, it has been just over a year and I have been pain free and feeling better than ever! When life begins to stress me out, I reach for your daily reminders and I’m able to manage my mind and body as a whole and keep chronic pain away for good. I am eternally grateful for your dedication to TMS and hope to continue to see your work and legacy provide the shift our culture needs in the treatment of chronic pain.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Candace

Sean’s Thank You

Dear Dr Sarno,

I was trying to find a contact for you, when I came across this site. I wanted to say a HUGE thank you for changing my life. A few years ago I was going in to hospital for back surgery when I came across your book “Healing Back Pain” in a local bookstore. I live in Ireland. I had never heard of you. I had tried everything else.

After reading your book I cured my back completely. It was astonishing. I understood exactly what you were saying and it worked 100%.

Over the years since then I have had chronic neck pain, an ulcer and chronic knee pain. I suffered these for a while until I remembered your book, and was able to heal every one of them, instantly, once I realized it was TMS.

I recently fixed my severe ankle pain, again instantly, when I remembered what I had learned from your book.

I have bought all your books and with the input in them from all the other specialists, I have been able to address many of the underlying issues that brought on my TMS.

You are an amazing man. Thank you so much. The world needs you. You are so far ahead of your time, that we will all have passed on, before your books are compulsory on all medical courses, which they will be.

Thank You

Sean Mac Oisin
Galway, Ireland

Teresa’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

You had diagnosed me with TMS in 1995. Thank you. You gave me the knowledge I needed to recover from a variety of physical ailments namely severe back spasms and a very embarrassing condition that I refer to as my “personal pain problem” for which I’d sought help from gastroenterologists and gynecologists, underwent a battery of “tests” and then “exploratory surgery”: all of which revealed nothing, leaving my doctors and surgeon completely frustrated and baffled. I am a very conservative person and revealing this “personal pain” to anyone (even the doctors) was very embarrassing for me. They knew I was not making this bizarre pain up!

It wasn’t until I met you that I discovered the problem behind my “personal pain problem”! You informed me that as I worked through the process of healing from my back issue, that I would also heal from my personal pain problem! I am thrilled to inform you that I have!

I think what really solidified my belief in your TMS theory was the fact that my pain would intensify drastically each time I had an appointment with Dr. Fran Anderson! I’d be sitting in the back of a cab, on my way to her office and, like clockwork, the pain would escalate so quickly! Suddenly I would experience pain where I never even had any before! It was amazing! Like my subconscious knew what I was about to do and was screaming “NO! STOP!” The escalation of pain did not surprise me though because I had read in your book to expect this to occur when we first begin the process of healing. For me, the intensifying pain was simply an affirmation of your theory being absolutely confirmed!

Dr. Sarno, before I met you and attended your lectures my life was really falling apart. I was on the verge of losing my job of 25 years, I had ceased all of my sporting activities for fear that I was going to hurt myself even more. I was so depressed.

You gave me my life back! You gave me the gift of knowledge about what was going on in my mind and to my body. You have educated me and given me all I need to know to live out the rest of my life free from the many manifestations of TMS. I will be forever grateful to you Dr. Sarno!

I thank you for having been a very significant part of my life experience!

May God bless you as you have been such a blessing to me!

With long lasting gratitude,

Teresa

Jim’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

I have never met you, and I am sure you have lost count of the number of times you have heard this, but I would like to sincerely thank you for showing me the way to heal my 30-year chronic low-back pain! I’ll try and keep my story short, but my back pain started when I was an active 17 year old, after which began a 30 year long saga of pain and suffering.

I was initially diagnosed with a bulging disc on the sciatic nerve which began “my life with a bad back”. After decades of seeing numerous medical specialists and receiving numerous treatments which included surgery, acupuncture, physio sessions, epidurals, and facet joint injections my pain persisted and increased. All of these only gave me temporary relief, if that. Gradually, I slowly but surely lost the ability to lead a normal life. The last 10 years in particular were quite bad as I was living with an average level of 8/10 pain, not being able to sit for more than a minute or two without extreme pain, and avoiding many of the activities one takes part in as part of a normal life. Somehow though I soldiered on by continuously adjusting my life, but the effect of the pain was really starting to take its toll mentally, no different really than being in a torture chamber. Eventually I reached the stage where I had given up any sort of hope of reducing my back pain and became resigned to the fact that I would just have to somehow live a life of taking prescription pain killers, and avoiding anything that caused my back pain to increase above the already ‘normal’ but high pain levels. In the end, no other treatment seemed to give me even a slight reprieve from pain, not even as a placebo. Even the pain killers slowly started to become ineffective requiring higher dosages. Looking back it is clear all of these treatments were aimed at the symptoms rather than the cause. I, as well as my family, had become a prisoner to my back pain.

That was December of 2013. Then one day I came across your book Healing Back Pain on the internet, and after reading a few reviews, I thought, “sounds too good to be true”, but I ordered the book, as well as The MindBody Prescription and received them a week later. I read the books in a few days and as a goodist, I could see myself all over them. I started to put some of the ideas and TMS exercises into practice, and about 2 weeks later I started to notice some reduction in my pain levels. My progress however stagnated a bit for a while, and then I mustered the courage to seek a psychotherapist. In Australia, TMS-aware psychotherapists (or medical professionals) are as rare as hen’s teeth, but funnily enough one of probably the only two TMS practising psychotherapists in this country had a clinic a few blocks away from where I lived! It took another 4 months or so of work with somatic psychotherapy but I finally started to get in touch with a huge reservoir of repressed anger that I had no idea even existed. It is July 2014 now and even though I am not totally pain free, I have reduced my pain levels significantly (by 70 % or more) and I am starting to do things I never even dreamed of doing before. I can now sit down and watch a movie, go to a theatre show or work in front of the computer, instead of lying down all the time. I have stopped worrying about my back, and have not had a flare up now for 4 months, something that used to happen every few weeks or so. For most of the day now I don’t even feel any pain. I have even jumped back on my bike which was collecting dust for the last 10 years in the shed. I recently even went to an 8-hour training course which involved sitting for most of that time. Focussing on feelings and emotions instead of the physical has definitely worked. It’s like my life has started again.

While I still feel some back pain now and then and have some more work ahead of me, I feel I have the knowledge and tools to completely conquer it and I am confident I will eliminate it in the near future. So once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your pioneering work and your strength of conviction in unravelling the truth about TMS.

Now when people ask me, “How is your back?” I answer, “Really good thanks!”. They look at me a bit puzzled and ask “What did you do to make it better? Special exercises? Swimming?” I smile at them and cheekily say, “I got better by ignoring everything that I was ever told about my back!” It gets their attention, and then I show them a copy of your book. To this day I always try to spread your good work.

Regards,
Jim

Gabriele’s Thank You

The following letter was translated from Spanish to English.

Hello Doctor Sarno,

Although I never met him because I live far away in Peru, I had the opportunity to read his book “The Divided Mind.” I found myself on each page and thanks to the understanding that occurred in my mind I overcame pelvic pain I had with me for 3 years.

I remember having a desperate phone call with my limited English. I asked for help. He told me to read my book over and over and so I did. I felt pain whenever I read it until one day the pain that was 24 hours a day began to dissipate, and started to be 12 hours, then 6 hours a day. And then out of the blue one day I stopped hurting. I remember that day like it was the first and I thank God for coming to you.

I wish him well :D regards

Gabriele
From Lima – Peru.

Dustin’s Thank You

An image of Dustin

Dear Dr. Sarno,

In my late teens I began a 10 year journey of one physical ailment after another and it continued until I studied your work. It started with knee pain, mild carpel tunnel syndrome, then lower back pain, severe allergies, asthma, pancreatitis and finished off with severe ulcerative colitis, all with no known cause and most with no known cure other than surgery for a couple of them. I tried cortisone shots in my knee, braces and therapy for my knee and wrist, inhalers and nasal spray for allergies and asthma, stretches and chiropractors for my back, a wheelbarrow of pills, juicing, fasting and diet changes for colitis. I even had a visit at one of the top four hospitals in the United States in search of help for pancreatitis and colitis only to come home with no answers. I was at a loss. In my mind, being in my mid 20’s, I should have been at the peak of health.

As a long time listener of Howard Stern, I heard him mention you several times over the years but always about back pain. I dismissed it because I only had a brief encounter with it but one day he went a little deeper and touched on the mindbody connection. It triggered something and I bought all of your books. I’m now almost 31, take no medication and I’m in the best health of my life. My breathing tests since studying your work have been “perfect” the pulmonologist says and he has taken me off all inhalers. The allergies remain but have been reduced by 90 percent.

During the time period I was studying your work I had an accident and suffered a Type 4 AC shoulder Separation. After I healed up through physical therapy and was feeling great, I put your theory of pain returning to the site of an old injury to the test. I randomly started feeling a severe pain in my shoulder as if someone was trying to drive a nail into it, it did not follow suit to what I had been doing physically and I “talked my self out of it”. The pain tried a couple more times to come back, I immediately shut it down and it hasn’t returned. I can’t thank you enough and as everyone else says, I am forever in debt to you Dr. Sarno.

THANK YOU!!

Dustin

Tricia’s Thank You

Tricia's Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno

Five years ago, I was a 24 year old woman that had given up on life after battling immense pain for over a decade. I had vowed to take my own life at the end of that year until I was given a gift that would change my life forever. Someone had known of my pain and gave me your book. Within a month I was pain free and by the end of that year I was able to celebrate my life and the hope that I had gained instead of giving up. I had never even met you but yet, you were the only one that helped me through the hardest part of my life. I can still remember how many tears of joy I cried while reading your book and I still to this day smile every time I hear your name or hear of a story of someone else that healed their pain because of you. I only hope that one day everyone living with pain will hear of you and give your books a chance because so many are in need of healing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything that you have done, I will forever be in your debt because I am alive now. I still battle TMS every so often but as soon as it emerges, I recognize it for what it is and realize that I am in control of my pain and my body and not the other way around. This is has changed my life in so many other ways other than just a healing of the body. My mind is at peace and that is something I never thought would happen. Thank you for giving me my life back.

You are my hero Dr. Sarno.

Sincerely,
Tricia

Chris’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

You are my hero. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. You literally saved my life. Your incredible dedication & caring is quite simply amazing. I have tried to “spread the word of Sarno” for the last 25 years & I hope that I’ve helped some people help themselves. I genuinely love you. You are an amazing man. I hope you are well. You deserve nothing but the absolute best in this world & beyond!

Thank you so much,
Chris

Barbara’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

I can’t thank you enough – you have changed my life. I put my back “out” about six years ago and was laid up for about 9 months until a friend recommended your book “Healing Back Pain” and I read a short write-up about your work in “Time” magazine. It made perfect sense to me, so I ordered the “Mindbody Prescription” and did what your patient recommended – I started writing everything down that I could possibly be angry or upset about. Well, at the time I thought that I was pretty in touch with my feelings because I had been in Primal Therapy since 1980. But I just started writing anyway and ended up with 2 full pages – LOL!! What came out was that I had been trying to be the good wife to my husband and was completely unaware of what I wanted. So, within two days I was out of bed (scared out of my mind, of course, thinking I’d end up in a wheelchair) and haven’t looked back!! I have been pain free since then!! And I had it bad – sciatica pain down my right leg and one of my little toes was completely numb. All gone!!! But the really cool thing aside from the back pain is that I have been using your method for everything now – if I feel like I’m getting sick, I either write down or just think about what it is that I’m not looking at. And then I don’t have to get sick. It’s incredible!!

So, you have changed my life – like I said, I can’t thank you enough!!!!

All the best to you- enjoy your retirement!!

Best regards,
Barbara

River’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

From the time I was eighteen to the age of twenty-one I suffered with debilitating back pain. I couldn’t get out of bed some days. I had to stop doing all the physical things I loved like training in the martial arts. The “doctors” (and I had many) told me I had slipped discs, herniated discs, degenerative disc disorder, twisted spine, pinched nerves and sciatica. I went to every different kind of doctor, surgeon, chiropractor, acupuncturist, and faith healer you can imagine. By the time I was twenty-one I was clinically depressed because of my pain and contemplating suicide, which I felt at the time would be my only relief.

Then I found your second book Healing Back Pain. Two weeks later I was completely pain free and twenty years later I am still pain free. I am also a much healthier person in general than I have ever been thanks to what I learned from your book. As far as I’m concerned you are a genius and you saved my life. Those that have never suffered the pain I suffered and realized the miracle of your treatment will not understand what a treasure you are for humanity, but I know. When you said, “Don’t listen to your doctor, do the things you love and don’t be afraid of pain” it was as if a divine light went off in my head. I felt that finally there was a doctor that knew what he was talking about and wasn’t just trying to sell me drugs and surgery. Your concepts of TMS saved my life and as a result I was able to save another person’s life.

A friend of mine was randomly complaining about her constant back pain that had been plaguing her for some time. Her doctor told her the same hogwash they told me; slipped discs and jargon. I told her my story and explained to her your theories of TMS. She accepted them and a week later she was pain free. That’s all it took to help someone else! The truths you discovered are radiating out into the world and saving people from unnecessary suffering. Whether you are ever acknowledged by the half wits in the medical community or not, you are a saint in the hearts of thousands, and someday millions, of people throughout the world. You will go down in history as a true healer and that legacy is well deserved.

Thank you Dr. Sarno. Thank you for being brave and putting the health of your patients above the money you might have made selling drugs and surgery.

Thank you. I am forever in debt to you.

– River

Woojin’s Thank You

The following is Woojin’s original letter to Dr. Sarno written in Korean, his native language. An English translation of his letter is below it.

안녕하세요
존 사노 박사님!

저는 한국에서 두 아이를 둔, 한의사입니다.

2012년 겨울 무렵부터 아프기 시작한 허리가, 2013년 5월경부터 심하게 아파지기 시작했습니다. 병원에 가서 진단을 하니, 허리 디스크라고 하였습니다. 직업이 한의사라, 친구,선배들 한의원 다니며 침과 한약으로 치료도 해보고, 양방병원 치료도 여러 방면으로 해 봤으나 그리 큰 효과를 보지 못했습니다.

여름에는 가벼운 윗몸일으키기를 하다가 흉추부위(등허리)에서 “뻑”하는 소리와 함께 숨쉬기 힘들정도로 고통스러웠습니다. 이때부터 고통의 시작이었던거 같습니다. 이후 경추부(목) 통증도 새로 생기도, 팔꿈치, 손목, 무릎, 발목 등, 몸의 큰관절들은 다 고장이 난 듯 통증이 심했습니다. 2013년 11월 경부터는 통증이 더 심해져 집에서 꼼짝없이 누워있기도 했습니다. 서 있기도 힘들었는데, 당시에는 하루에 서너차례 집앞 공원 산책정도만 했습니다. 그 무렵 둘째 딸도 태어났지만, 아이 안기도 힘들어서 너무 괴로웠습니다. 병원 검사도 몇 번 더 했습니다. 증상의 양상이 강직성척추염(ankylosing spondylitis, bamboo spine)이 의심스러워 두번이나 검사를 해봤으나, 아니라고 진단받았습니다. 통증은 심한데, 진단상 그리 심각해 보이지 않는다는 얘기만 들었습니다. 그렇게 겨울을 지내면서 단지 재활이라고는 공원 산책만 했습니다.

크게 차도를 보이지 않아, 굉장한 실망감과 우울감, 가족들에게 미안함으로 힘들었습니다. 게다가 더 심해질 것 같은 공포감도 컸죠.

어느 날, 친구가 읽어보라고 선물해준 사노 박사님의 책, “The divided mind” 를 읽게 되었습니다.
TMS라는 자가진단을 내리고, 책을 읽고 걷기 시작하는데, 정말 놀랄만큼 통증이 줄어들었습니다. 걷기도 수월해졌습니다. 너무 놀라워서 책을 꼼꼼이 정독했습니다. 그 이후, 걷는 시간과 강도를 늘리고 있습니다.

“reservoir of rage”의 개념을 받아들이는 것만으로도 통증이 많이 줄어 너무 놀랍습니다.

2014년 4월 2일이 제 인생의 터닝포인트 날입니다. 이젠 희망이 생기고 즐겁습니다.
비록 멀리 한국에서 편지를 쓰지만, 사노 박사님께 무한한 감사와 존경을 드립니다.

누나네 가족이 볼티모어 살고 있어서, 지금 할아버지, 할머니, 제 아들 셋이 여행을 갔습니다. 그 곳에서 제 부모님과 아들, 누나네 가족도 사노 박사님께 감사해 하고 있습니다.

미국에 가게 된다면, 꼭 박사님을 뵙고 인사드리고 싶습니다. 행복하고 건강하게 사시길 기도합니다.

2014년 4월
한국에서 최우진 드림 (woojin choi)

The following is the English translation of Woojin’s letter to Dr. Sarno.

Dear Dr. John Sarno,

I am a herbalist/oriental physician in Korea and the father of two small children.

I started having back pain since Winter 2012, and it grew severely from May 2013. My doctor said it’s a disc herniation. Since I’m a physician of oriental medicine, I went to numerous famous acupuncturist and herbalist but did not see much improvement.

In Summer 2013, I heard a breaking sound in my upper back (thoracic area) while doing sit-ups, and a literally “breathtaking” pain started. I think this was the beginning. The pain appeared in neck, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles as if all the important joints are all broken. I could not even move but just stayed home because of the pain since November 2013. The pain was so severe that it was hard to even stand still. I could barely walk around my house for short 3-4 times a day. My daughter—the second child—was born around that time, but I could not even hold her in my arms because of the pain. I had several more medical inspections. The symptoms were similar to ankylosing spondylitis, and I went through a complete medical examination for it twice. The results were, however, negative. I was only heard that the results do not show anything significant although the pain is severe. I could only do some promenade around my house for a rehabilitation that winter.

As there was no improvement, I was very disappointed, depressed, and sorry for my family. And the fear—what should I do if the pain grew more and more?—was enormous.

One day, my friend bought me your book “The Divided Mind.” I diagnosed myself as having TMS. I started walking right after finishing your book. Gosh, the pain was significantly less. I could walk easily. It was really surprising, so I read your book with care again and again. I am increasing the walking time and distance little by little.

I was very surprised that the pain decreased much just by accepting the concept of “reservoir of rage.”

April 2, 2014 is the turning point of my life. I now have hope and am ready to enjoy my life.

I can only send you this letter at the other side of the globe, but I give you sincere thanks and respect.

My parents and my son are visiting my sister’s family in Baltimore now, and they thank you very much for your work and how it helped me.

If I have a chance to go to the States later, I really want to meet you in person. I pray you stay happy and healthy.

Best regards,
Woojin Choi

Ashish’s Thank You

I had a knee problem and had tried everything. Doctors named it chondromalacia patella. Surgery was the only option. Then I came across the name of Dr. Sarno and read his book. I applied his techniques and it’s amazing, I am completely free of knee pain. When I got my knees MRI scanned there was no evidence of it, but the pain was there. After applying Dr. Sarno’s techniques it was completely gone.

I am writing this so that other sufferers out there can use his technique and become pain free. It’s truly sad that pain is inevitable but the suffering is optional.

Thanks with all my heart
Ashish

Danielle’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno:

There are not enough words to thank you for saving me from the chronic pain that ruled my life for 10 years. I suffered from chronic back, shoulder and knee pain. It was baffling because it all started in my mid-twenties when I was basically at the peak of good health. I was an extremely active person all my life up to that point. In fact, I was training for a half-marathon when it all began.

After seeing countless doctors and physical therapists, and receiving countless (wrong) diagnoses over the years, I was at my wit’s end. My active lifestyle was relegated to walking on the treadmill and riding the stationary bike. My chair at work felt like a torture chamber for my back every day. And, I was also no longer allowed to wear my coveted high heels. My doctor finally prescribed knee surgery, but never actually saw anything on the MRIs or X-rays for my knee (or my back or shoulder) that would indicate I needed surgery. I am now convinced it was completely unnecessary.

A very smart person introduced me to your book, and I will forever be grateful. I devoured it and saw myself on every page and I took steps to get to the bottom of what was causing my pain. That was nearly two years ago. Since then, I have returned to my active lifestyle. Yoga, Pilates, jogging, Spin, Zumba. You name it. I am no longer afraid of physical activity. The doctors can no longer tell me that I’ll “hurt myself” if I do any of these activities or that I am “not built” to do them. I also have amassed a closet full of high heels that I proudly wear on a daily basis. And I no longer consider my chair at work to be a torture chamber. I have nearly forgotten what it felt like to be in constant pain all day, every day. It’s almost hard for me to believe that it’s truly gone.

I played on a softball team last summer for the first time in almost a decade. I can’t explain how invigorating it was to be on the field once again after so many years on the sidelines. I was scared to sprint around the bases at first. But with one crack of the bat, adrenaline kicked in and I took off like a shot – like the old Danielle. And I haven’t looked back since.

Whenever the pain acts up, I am able to turn my attention to the emotional factors that are contributing to it. Your book has taught me a lot about myself and made me recognize the stressful factors in my life that were contributing to the pain. Now I will be in tune with what my body is trying to tell me for the rest of my life. I can’t thank you enough for your books and all that I have learned from them. Thank you for giving me my active lifestyle – and my life – back!