Rating: 
Summary: 6 months later, pain-free
Review: I first read this book when suffering from terrible back pain in February 2003. (I reviewed the book shortly after that time.) It hasn't been an overnight cure, but six months later I am pain free. I am profoundly grateful for this book and recommend it to anyone who complains to me about undiagnosable chronic pain.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing Else Worked But This Did
Review: This book has been the most influential health book I have ever read. I sought out a book on back pain being psychological, as I noticed that when I used to go on holidays, my backache would almost disappear and re-appear when I came home. I had spent many years prior to that thinking it was physical and doing various, useless back and stomach exercises and visited physiotherapists, osteopaths, tried yoga, swimming and pilates. Most people would say that their backache improved with exercise. I'm afraid mine got much worse. So much so, that I would have to stop that form of exercise after a few weeks. Only swimming and yoga didn't have an adverse effect, but I could tell they never got to the root of the problem. I'm just disappointed that no-one ever mentioned the emotional factor. I definitely think anyone with back pain, once having checked that it's not a structural problem (although apparently there's no correlation between structural problems of the spine and backache) should give it a go. I found 4 fundamental issues to deal with when confronting the pain in this way: 1. To focus on the pain being due to repressed anger and not a physical reason.
2. Not to have too high expectations of myself.
3. To re-condition my thoughts that bending, lifting, twisting, etc...was NOT harmful for my back. I found the bending one particularly hard to dispel. It took several weeks.
4. Not to pre-occupy myself with the pain (I had to stop thinking, "does it hurt?" every time I leant forward, picked something up, etc...) as this did perpetuate it. Once I addressed these ideas, I made progress. The whole concept does seem corny - I had to keep taking "thinking time" out for about 15 minutes a day / twice a day that it became a joke in the family. I noticed that within a day or so, after this concentration, the edge of the pain would go. This was the amazing thing. Now, I'm going to the gym (I haven't been in years), swimming, picking up my child whilst bending my back, lifting heavy shopping with no pain at all. Wow - anyone with backache will know that that's a treat and I'm not obsessed by my back anymore. I remember questioning the physiotherapist a couple of years ago why you shouldn't bend your back when you need to pick something up, as it's the most natural thing to do. So, I'm glad common sense was part of the solution. I noticed that a some of the readers that gave fewer than 5 stars for this book haven't even tried out the method. There's no point in giving an opinion if you don't KNOW. Another point is that I wondered that if this sort of thing works and is so easy, why isn't it common knowledge. Well, having mentioned it to a few people, I did get some negative responses, as people were insistent that their's was physical (even though not eliminated). Only a small number of people would try this out, probably after exhausting other options.
Rating: 
Summary: What's Next?!
Review: Sarno's book helped me understand the cause of my back pain, but I was left with no clear steps to take to get rid of the pain. Rapid Recovery from Back and Neck Pain gave me the information and steps I needed to get rid of the pain for good. It would be nice if somehow the two books could be integrated to make it easier for the readers to get all the information they need in one book!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting premise that might work for some
Review: A friend recently told me he solved his back problems by listening
to the taped version of HEALING BACK PAIN: THE MIND-BODY
CONNECTION, written and read by Dr. John E. Sarno . . . so
after he lent it to me, I decided to give it a try. The premise is interesting; i.e., that you can overcome back
problems without drugs or dangerous therapy . . . however, I'm
not sure that I bought into all that Sarno has to say
on the subject . . . his contention is that many people
who are kept from living a full life suffer from something known
as TMS (Tension Myostis Syndrome) . . . and that this condition
is primarily brought about by emotional conditions, including
anxiety and repressed anger. According to Sarno, the mind tricks you into not facing repressed
emotion by making you focus on pain in the body. When this
realization sinks in ("and it must sink in, for mere intellectual
appreciation of the process is not enough"), the trick doesn't work
any more, and there's no need for the pain. My major disappointment in the book was that it lacked
specifics . . . I would have wanted to hear more details . . . however,
if you buy into this theory and if it helps you, that's super . . . I know
of at least one other person who actually met with Sarno and swears
that the results are nothing short of amazing.
Rating:
Summary: Substantially Pain Free for Four Years
Review: I have been substantially free of back pain for over four years because of Dr. Sarno's amazing discovery! Like others, I ordered Healing Back Pain after seeing Dr. Sarno's interview with John Stossel in March of 1999. It's now May, 2003 and Dr. Sarno's book has done what it claims. Yes, it sounds stupid, but that's only because science is so profoundly ignorant of the inner workings of the human mind. Skeptics attribute the many positive testimonies about this book to the placebo effect, but if they believe the mind can overcome real physical pain, why do they have such a problem believing the mind can also cause real physical pain?
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable!
Review: List me as one of those who began feeling better while reading the book. I've been battling lower back pain as well as sciatic pain in my right leg for a year and a half. I've tried chiropractors, massage therapy, orthopedic m.d.'s and physical therapy. Admittedly, I am a LOT more flexible now with all of the stretching excercises. But, not until I read this book did the pain subside. That is simply astonishing. And, it's only getting better. Dr. Sarno accurately described my history of symptoms. And, his methods for recovery have worked. If you have chronic pain, back or otherwise, this book may offer you an unbelievable answer.
Rating:
Summary: It works!
Review: I was a bit skeptical when my counselor suggested this book, but after trying Dr. Sarno's treatment, I found it really works. I used to feel like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders, because I had such pain. It is now virtually gone!
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: This book saved my life! For five and half years I suffered from back and leg pain. I tried everything under the Sun and the Moon! Nothing worked, until a friend told me about Healing Back Pain. It worked like magic. It's been six months and I am doing great. Don't wait another day. Get it today. If you have read it and need additional help get Rapid Recovery from Back and Neck Pain and Back Sense. These two books also can give you valuable information. Don't wait for the doctors to cure you. Take charge of your health.
Rating:
Summary: Mind-Body Healing
Review: I would highly recommend this book to any back pain sufferer (or other pain, too). As a practicing doctor of chiropractic for the past 20+ years, I have seen every cause of back pain there is. I have also used a mind-body healing technique for the past 12+ years in my practice, and I can say without any doubt that everybody has at least SOME mind (stress, emotion, memory) connection to their condition. Once this is removed (or reduced), healing can occur much more rapidly. I have used very similiar techniques as Doctor Sarno, with greaat results! I give his book to many of my patients for another approach to healing and also get very good results from them just reading and applying the concepts.
Rating:
Summary: For back pain sufferers...The best [$] you'll ever spend
Review: Dispels the myths about your "fragile" back and exposes the mental reasons for the physical pain you're suffering. Stop doing silly exercises and worrying about babying your back. Get to the root of the problem and get real relief FOR LIFE. Sound too good to be true? It is if you lack insight. But if you know yourself and can be honest with yourself you're halfway there already.
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