122 of 125 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Content review instead of testimonial, October 16, 2000
Since so many have already given their personal account, I thought I would talk of the book's content.
Dr. Sarno wrote this book for normal people. It is short, readable, to the point, and avoids statistical/clinical mumbo-jumbo (as much as possible). If someone is looking for a scientific white paper, this book isn't it. His support is mostly anecdotal (case studies) and argumentative, but he also offers some reasonable clinical citings in support of his theory. For instance, if back pain is due to a degenerating spine, as most physicians would argue, why do the incidents of back pain decrease sharply after the age of 60? (Decrease much faster than death rate.) I found most of his observations about back pain and the fallacies of orthodox treatment to be insightful and credible. It made me realize how much blind faith I have in traditional medicine -- that alone was worth the read!
The book contains all the treatment information that you need. Contrary to what some of the one-star reviewers say, he states that there is rarely a need to enter into therapy with him or anyone else. You need only accept his theory to disarm your subconscious and relieve your pain -- what he calls "knowledge therapy." What is confusing about the last chapter is that he spends his time telling you everything that you do NOT need to do and sites extreme cases where therapy was needed. This can be a bit disconcerting to someone looking for an exercise regime or twelve-step program. The reason he doesn't have two-hundred pages of instructions is that you don't need them. I suspect that the disappointed reviewers either misread the last chapter or completely missed the point. It would have been nice if he made the point more clearly and supported "knowledge therapy" theory more substantially. The point he didn't wholy clarify is that reading the book -- and accepting his conclusion -- WAS the treatment. After that, it's just a matter of letting the realization sink in.
He presents a radical approach to back pain treatment. If you plan to read this book, open up your mind to the possibility that traditional treatment is based on a flawed premise. Doing so will allow you to absorb some important conclusions about back pain and to whether through his occasional soapbox rants. If you cannot imagine that traditional medicine is capable of flaw, you will get nothing out of Dr. Sarno's book.
For me, I believe him. Considering what a defeatist, skeptical, cynic I am this is a miracle in itself!
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53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's a miracle!!!, April 13, 1999
By A Customer
I don't usually find any wish to comment publically on books or films etc. But I think when something affects your life so much, you want to express it! I have had increasing back pain for three years. A year ago it spread into my arms, wrists and hands. My doctor called this 'Repetitive Stress Injury' (RSI) and possible 'Carpal Tunnel Syndrome'. As I am a computer operator, this was devistating news. I was offered a promotion then the offer was withdrawn because of my problem. In desperation I tried Physiotherapy, Reiki healing, massage, anti-infammatory drugs, constant exercises, splints on my arm, sleeping on the floor. I am 28 and it was ruining my life and making me depressed. Then I read Sarno's book. Within 2 days my back pain had virtually gone, and within a couple of weeks my arm pain was almost completely gone, and I have since had less and less pain. I still work on a computer 80% of the time with no pain. The Doctor told me to only do an hour a day. I want to thank Dr Sarno. His clear, easily accessible, easy to understand style of writing has cured me! It does seem unbelievable before you read the book that simply reading can cure so much pain, but it really does work! I almost can't believe it myself!!
If you suffer, I urge you to give this book a try.
Sam
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38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pain Free in Weeks, December 6, 2005
This review is from: Mind Over Back Pain (Paperback)
This WAS me: Back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, trapezius pain, tricep pain, pectoral pain, numbness/tingling in both hands. The pain alternated from one arm to the other and sometimes all the way down my left leg. Along with pain I had gastroinstestinal and skin problems. There was weakness in my left tricep which was noticably smaller. Bad news for a lefty. Never mind the ever-present fear of physical labor making it worse!
This IS me one month later: Active, off of Percocet, muscle relaxers (Skelaxon, Flexeril), anti-inflammatories (Steroids, Celebrex, DayPro, Ibuprofen). No more chiropractor, goofy traction device, or TENS unit. Last Saturday I helped a friend lay down a floor; 12 hours of hard "back-breaking" labor. I couldn't have been happier. I am 100% back. In fact, I'm MORE than 100% because I no longer have the fear of pain! To be perfectly honest, I have taken aspirin here and there, but that is it. I can't tell you how good it felt to wake up with muscles that were tired from overexertion.
At 39 years old, I truly thought I was going to either be in horrible pain for the rest of my life or permanently restricted due to surgery. In two years my MRI went from a bulging disk to one that was terribly herniated and another with issues. The surgeon told me I'd need to have 2 discs replaced and 3 vertibrae fused. He said I'd have problems walking soon and that he could fit me in the following week for surgery. Nothing, he said, even an epidural block, would get rid of the pain.
Coincidentally I got his book during the three-hour wait between my doctor appointment and the blindingly painful MRI. I was half-way finished when I saw the surgeon two days later. He, of course, disregarded the book. HE SURE WAS IN A HURRY TO CUT ME UP THOUGH!!! So much for the Hippcratic Oath. More like the Hypocritic Oath.
The friend who told me about Dr. Sarno was essentially bedridden for a year needing a cane to get around. Within days of reading his book she was off all medication and pain free. Had I not known her during that time, I would never have believed it.
I've read all three of his books and am currently on my fourth time listening to the audiobook of "Mind over Back Pain". This man is a genius and it is unconscionable that "doctors" have written off the mind/body connection.
In my opinion "Mind over Back Pain" is just as good as "The MindBody Prescription", although the latter goes into more detail. "Healing Back Pain" was the first I'd read which was great since it was only 100 pages long giving me time to read some of it before seeing the surgeon. The audiobook of "Mind over Back Pain" is excellent, but doesn't go into as much detail as the book. It is good if you don't have spare time to read. I fully intend to listen to it regularly for the rest of my life.
I owe Dr. Sarno my health.
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