Rating: 
Summary: It works, it really works!
Review: My lower back pain was unbearable...I could not stand in line in a supermarket for more than a few minutes. I was scared to go to sleep at night because of the pain. I went to see a specialist who said there was nothing wrong with me and sent me home. Then I read Dr. Sarno's book, and really tried to become aware of what's going on in my brain. It worked! I haven't had back pain since...it's been two years now. We carry amazing power inside of us, we just need to recognize it...and use it! Thank you, Dr. Sarno for reminding me of who I really am!!
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Summary: A conspicuous absence of scientific method
Review: There is a lot of junk science going on today. Dr. Sarno isn't what one would call a a crank by any means. In his own practice he is well reputed, otherwise he would not be teaching at the NYU School of Medicine. But he appeals to those who read junk science because they desperately need something to believe in. His stories are anecdotal. There is no serious reference to or documentation for actual studies that can be verified by the reader / researcher -- instead gushing testimonials from fans. The unconscious mind is indeed suggestible, as he says. Where he goes wrong, is his assumption that today most people with chronic pain have repressed their resentments. Not in this day and age. This is the age of the victim -- where people have been taught it's OK to be resentful! He quotes Kenneth Pelletier (my own therapist) who told me he had an 80-year client who spent every session "railing about his cruel mother." Ironically every other mental health professional cited in his book has stated, in some manner in his/her book, that a focus on negative emotions is what CAUSES pain, and that it must be let go. Sarno is recommending the opposite, that pain is associated with some "hidden resentment," and it must be called up every time the pain surfaces. If that is what you teach your "suggestible mind," then, you will train it to make that connection. I would ask Dr. Sarno, how do you explain the same kinds of chronic pain in ANIMALS? They don't even know the meaning of "resentment," let alone have hidden ones. Many people are convinced prayer works, and because they are blinded by their belief that "someone 'up there' cares," they feel they are healed. It may work, but it's pure shamanism.
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Summary: Dr. Sarno has changed my life.
Review: I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease in the third through seventh vertebrae of my neck at the age of 38. The drugs & physical therapy did nothing. My doctors had told me to stop running & swimming. I went through 4 months of excruciating pain before I finally read Dr. Sarno's book. I will never forget my shock & amazement that within a day of reading the book, my pain was 70% gone. By week 6, it had vanished and I had my life back. I would never have believed it if I didn't experiance this miraculous healing first hand 1 1/2 years ago. Dr. Sarno is a genius & an angel. Thank you Dr. Sarno!
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Summary: Believe it or not - it works!
Review: For those ready to accept that back pain, or for that matter many chronic conditions, is affected by stress - then this book will help you. It worked miracles for me. Some accept it and others don't, but it can't hurt to try.
Rating:
Summary: Better than my surgeon
Review: I was suffering from intense sciatica type pain.I could barely stand or walk for more than 10 minutes at a time.A MRI revealed I had spinal stenosis.I had surgery done by one of the top neuro-surgeons in NYC.Before the operation he indicated that there was a 90% chance of success.Unfortunately I was amongst the other 10%.I went for 2 rounds of physical therapy,took neurotin to supposedly settle down the nerves but nothing worked.My pain was still there months after the surgery.Both a MRI and a mylegram could not find a reason for the pain.My surgeon suggested a spinal fusion as the next step which should have a 90% success rate.I had heard some terrible things about spinal fusion and was not prepared to go under the knife again.I was beginning to accept my fate of being only semi-mobile until I had lunch with a friend who had been a patient of Dr Sarno and been cured by him.He basically explained Sarno's technique and strongly urged me to see him.I was highly skeptical of the whole thing yet here was someone I knew who had been cured of excruciating pain.My friend said I was a perfect candidate since I had the surgery and I was still no better.A week later I was introduced to someone who had debilitating leg pain and had read Dr Sarno's book and been cured. I then decided to order the book myself and read it VERY,VERY CAREFULLY keeping in mind what my friend had told me.I remembered how my leg pain started during an extremely stressful time at my job.I didn't notice any improvement at first but a few weeks later I was able to stand for about 40 minutes without too much discomfort.A week later I was able to walk for an hour.A few days after that I ventured onto the treadmill and went for well over an hour.Now I am not afraid to go anywhere and feel cured.I am normally very skeptical about this type of stuff but I urge everyone with back or leg pain to read Dr Sarno's philosophy before they do anything else.WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE?
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Summary: This guy is a nut
Review: among his recommendations, heroin prescribed for pain?
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Summary: A Nonbeliever submits
Review: I too was skeptical of Sarno's "WooWoo" theories until I got desperate with sciatica and decided to give it a chance. I had the book for ten years ( chronic back pain) and pulled it out after I saw a television news report that gave the method creedence. Thank God I did. I carried it around with me for weeks, and read certain portions every day hoping against hope it would be a magic solution. And it was and still is. When back/neck/foot pain comes back, and it does, I sit and contemplate and re-read the sections that have meaning for me. Within 20 minutes or so, the pain subsides. I am always amazed. It has made me a true believer in the mind-body connection and when facing a serious illness recently, I used the technique to help feel as if I could control my fate. I'll never have proof it has worked but it sure is a technique that can be transferred when stress is overwhelming and you want to feel as if you have some control. That in itself is healing. I give this book as a gift to people who tell me they are in pain. I believe I am passing along a special knowledge for those who are open to the concept that our brains and bodies are connected in ways most of us cannot fathom. It takes a little faith and an ability to dispel your own skepticism but if you do it, it's worth it.
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Summary: This
Review: Sarno doesn't preach here. He just tells you that this is what he has found to work in a lot of people.This book cured my back pain. Whenever I get a flare-up - in my lower back or neck- or wherever- I think about this book and the pain eventually goes away. Even my allergies to dust and pollen disappeared. Unbelievable. And this is coming from a huge cynic and a skeptist about everything- EVERYthing.
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Summary: Healed by a Miracle
Review: This book has changed my life. I am a young mother who was suffering from terrible back and leg pain. I was diagnosed with a herniated disc and mild scoliosis based on an MRI. My life was a misery. I was constantly in pain. I read this book 3 months ago and have now been pain free for 2 months. Like Dr. Sarno recommends, I did not do any therapy, including exercise, for my back during the process of recovery. I have completely resumed all physical activity. This book demands almost nothing of you. The only thing you must do in order to be cured is have an open mind. There are no serious emotional confrontations that you have to make with yourself. It is practical and extremely eye-opening. I have never felt as accomplished as I do now, having been actively involved with curing myself of this terrible pain. This book is a must for anyone with back pain or any kind of physical pain. I feel priviledged that G-d led me to this book. Thank you, Dr. Sarno, for being an honest and brave doctor and for writing this incredible life saving book. And for all of you doubtful ones out there, don't ruin your chances of recovery by not reading this book. You owe it to yourself!!
Rating:
Summary: Believe it!
Review: After a car accident, I endured a year and a half of terrible neck problems. Two different chiropractors diagnosed me the same -- "three compressed disks" in my neck. I was in terrible pain and desperate for relief. The moment chiro #2 prescribed adjustments, massages and funky vitamins which all added up to several hundred dollars per month that I couldn't afford, I had great motivation to read Dr. Sarno's book. It changed my life. I read the "testimonials" section first, so that I would be more receptive to the book. I kept an open mind. And within one or two weeks I was completely, absolutely pain-free. Felt like a miracle. A couple years later I had a relapse but I just went and reread the page which has the "affirmation" or whatever, where you talk to yourself about the pain, and it was gone in a day. Never to return. It's been seven years now and my neck is perfect. Thank you Dr. Sarno!!!!!!!!!
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