[jamesknelson]

This treatment is based on the work of Dr John Sarno - who I first heard of here on HN almost 10 years ago. And of all the wonderful things I’ve discovered on HN, Dr Sarno’s work is probably the one that’s had the biggest positive impact on my life.

When I first heard about his approach to chronic pain, I was pretty skeptical. But I’d tried everything else to solve my debilitating RSI, and nothing else had worked despite only being in my early 20s, so I was willing to give it a try. 6 months later, I was back working pain-free after being out of action for 2 years.

As patmcc mentions, people can be incredibly reluctant to believe that physical pain can have psychological causes. And in many cases, there are underlying physical issues, so this should certainly not be your first approach to treatment. But if you’ve tried everything and nothing works, I encourage you to take a look at Sarno’s work. It made a world of difference for me and for many others.

[xwowsersx]

Same, though I did not hear about Dr Sarno from HN. Healing Back Pain is an incredible book. It is sad to see so many people who are close to me suffering from back pain spinning their wheels to find relief -- surgery after surgery, chiropractor after chiropractor. The connection between the experience of pain and the psychological dynamics that Dr Sarno elucidates is so critically important. I recommend his book to everyone who experiences persistent back pain.

[ramraj07]

One point to make is to not use the word psychological or "head". That still triggers people to think we're saying they're just imagining it. The best explanation I've seen wasnin Reddit where the person said its circuits in your brain that cause the pain but not your muscles. This is amazing since it clearly communicates that yes it's in your head but no it's not your fault.

[geewee]

Approximately the same story here. I'd had debilitating upper back pain for 4..5 years, gotten MRI's and a plethora of scans and nothing seemed off. Every time I got physical therapy it'd last for a few hours and then the pain would be back.

I tried accepting that it was more of a mental than a physical ailment, and although it was difficult and took multiple tries, I'm now finally pretty much pain-free for a few years after having tried everything for years on end.

[2OEH8eoCRo0]

Same. I tell everybody to read Sarno's book, back pain or no. It's a short read and even if it doesn't help with one pain it will probably help with something else.

With that said, other than my girlfriend, nobody that I have recommended it to has actually read the book. They get defensive.

[tchock23]

Same experience here. I recall hearing about him on HN a long time ago and read his book, which I attribute to helping alleviate chronic back pain.

[Mizza]

I'll also throw my hat in here, I got the book after a recommendation from HN. I'm glad it's moving in from the fringes.

[pillefitz]

same here. Heard it on HN, saved my career, and since then try to spread the word in real life or online disussions.