Healing back pain. Back pain is not tied to age. You can have back pain in your 30s or 60s. My worst back pain had me lying in bed not able to move. I thought I would be paralyzed and got very scared. I ended up calling 911 and was sent to the hospital by an ambulance. Was my back pain cured in the hospital? No. It got even worse. I lied in hospital bed, my back attached to wires which was connected to equipments that was supposed to numb my nerve. I was given pills that would serve as extra powerful pain killer. Neither worked to reduce my pain. After x-ray was taken, I experienced the worst back spasm that sent me scream helplessly.
When I couldn’t turn in bed, couldn’t get out of bed by myself and couldn’t use the toilet when I needed, I started to panic. As usual, I turned to books for answers. The first book I found online was called Crooked – Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting On the Road to Recovery by Katheryn Jakobson Ramin. In her book, Ramin went on her journey to look for solutions for back pain. She read through books, journals, visited authors, therapists, doctors. It was through Ramin’s journey I got to know this book, Healing back pain – the mind-body connect by John Sarno that caught my attention. Dr. Sarno pointed out that surgery, drugs, therapists are not real cure for back pain. It’s your mind.
Yes, your mind. Back pain is not physical. It’s psychological. It’s TMS, or Tension Myositis Syndrome, in Dr. Sarno’s medical term. It’s associated with your mind. Although painful, TMS is not harmful. It won’t paralyze you, hence, no drugs or surgery needed. What you need is to recognize that it’s something in your mind that causing it. It could be stress, or negative feelings being compressed within you. What you need is to recognize its existence, and tell yourself, it’s not harmful. You can get over it. Your won’t let it control you.
So that’s what I did. I slowly started to realize that I had days of stress as a lead parent to organize a festival at my son’s elementary school. My back pain started after the event was successfully completed. That is, my back finally found its way to give in. Once I recognize the stress, I told myself that there’s no physical injury to my back, so I shouldn’t be concerned. With that thought in mind, I slowly was able to stand up, then walk around my house. The process took a couple of days. I then walked around the park while listening to Dr. Sarno’s book. The more I listen to his patients stories of recovery that Dr Sarno has described in the book, the more I was relieved, and the faster my healing.
Within a week, I resumed jogging. Since then, I have been active. I kept running as a habit, combined with strength exercise.
It’s been more than nine months since I had the severe back pain. During the course, I had occasional back pain. Then I asked myself: Was I experience stress? Is my pain psychological? Is it TMS? If the answer is yes, then that recognition of my emotion would put me back on healing process. It’s sounds magical, but it’s real. Our body and mind are connected. I was immensely grateful for Dr. Sarno’s book. It saved me from being devastated by back pain. I introduce the book to you, my dear readers, so you or your loved ones who are suffering from TMS can be freed from the back pain.
Healing Back Pain
