Laura’s Thank You

Laura canoeing with her family

Dear Dr. Sarno,

I am so glad to have this opportunity to thank you for all that you have done for me. In 1997 I began having neck pain which soon spread to my arms and hands. I was working long hours on a computer at the time and so was diagnosed with RSI. I spent over a year on many traditional and alternative treatments. These included physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, Rolfing, Alexander Technique, and prolotherapy injections. None of these had any significant or lasting effect. Tests revealed tendinitis, inflammation, and muscle spasm. I was unable to work, drive, or do everyday activities like tying my shoes. I was told by doctors that no one ever recovers from a condition like mine and I should accept the fact that I would have a life of disability. I very much wanted to have children, and it was a constant sadness to me that I might never be able to because of the pain.

I had heard of your books, but my reaction was very resistant at first. However, over time, I became desperate enough to give them a try. Your description of the “goodist” described me exactly.

I began to use the do-it-yourself program you outline in The Mind Body Prescription. I stopped all physical treatments, and concentrated on your book.  I was also lucky enough to get an appointment with you at NYU Medical Center. I had a lot of improvement in the time between starting the at home program and the appointment. Within 6 weeks of seeing you and attending your lecture I was completely cured.

I had so much confidence in the cure that my husband and I immediately decided to start a family. I now have two beautiful teenage boys. I have remained pain free since December of 1999. I have absolutely no restrictions on my activity.

I know this is a long story, but I hope the details might be helpful to other people with RSI. Your work is brilliant. I am so lucky to have found your ideas. You have permanently restored my life.

Thank You,
Laura

Elisabetta and Jon’s Thank You

An image of Elisabetta and JonDear Dr Sarno,

It was back in 2007 when my then boyfriend (now husband) and I, in a rather stressful professional moment, started having pain in our hands.

The pain increased for both of us day after day, reaching our necks and backs. Yet we didn´t dare to complain, we were young, we were in love, we had friends…How dare we say anything was wrong?

I still remember the day when we really accidentally learnt about your work. It was the first day I had to leave work early out of pain, my husband had been at home for over a month by then. We thought we had googled everything, we thought that that was it, our life as we imagined it was over, we were destined to perish with our RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury)…

And then we stumbled upon a random, rather basic website of graduate students who were “saved” by you. We thought of giving it a go, Funnily enough, we were booked to go to the annual RSI conference in London the day after, where we met some people who were volunteering presenting your work. We looked for them (they weren´t given any visibility) and had a long chat. Possibly the most important chat of our lives.

Well, after that chat something clicked in my mind and I was pain free within hours. My husband took a bit longer, but within 14 days he was back working more than full-time (he had to make up for the time lost). Since then we have started a mind-body journey. We know a lot more about ourselves, whenever we have some pain or a cold that takes a bit too long to go away we ask ourselves where we are mentally and emotionally.

I haven´t stopped reading literature related to the mind-body connection since then, and my curiosity cannot be satiated. I am young enough to think that I can change career and if I do, that would probably be my area of work.

I credit you for our health and I admire you for your intellectual honesty, courage and humanity to challenge mainstream knowledge.

I am so glad I found this website, I hope this message reaches you.
Thank you very much from both of us.

James’s Thank You

Dr Sarno,

Can’t be thankful enough for coming across this work, it changed my life.

I though I was doomed! I was suffering from RSI for about 9 months very badly and was off of work. I tried many private and public treatments (chiro, physio, massage, osteopaths etc) spent a fortune and only got more convinced that I wasn’t going to get better.

I came across a TMS questionnaire on the internet and saw myself in it. I bought Mindbody Prescription from Amazon (which at the time cost me £6. I had already spent over £700 on private treatment and only had slight relief). It made perfect sense to me and I got better in 3 weeks since then I have been climbing and working outdoors laboring with no limitations. I’ve had minor relapses but always have attributed them to emotional incidents.
What an amazing discovery you have found! So human and powerful that for many of us we have been living upside down with too much focus on the material and not on the subjective/emotional.

I hope that your message will continue to reach others in the UK and around the world, what an absolute legend!

Thank You.

 

Aran’s Thank You

Aran's Thank YouDear Dr. Sarno,

I am so happy to be writing this message to you. I suffered greatly from burning pain in my arms and hands for nearly a year. I was told that the pain was caused by “RSI” and that I should limit the amount of time I spent using a computer and playing guitar. I was very depressed and desperate about my situation. I own my own business and have to support my family and there was no way I could stop working. I also love music and was distraught that I could no longer play guitar. All of this ended when I came upon your book, The Mindbody Prescription. I read the book in 1-1/2 days and then cried for 2 days. The pain was 50% better. I knew right away that your ideas were correct and that I had my life back! Even though the pain was not entirely gone, I knew that typing and playing guitar were not causing the pain and immediately resumed these activities. It took another 4 months of writing, visualization, and positive self-talk to become pain free and have had occasional bouts of pain in other parts of my body which I now know to be the “The Symptom Imperative”. I have to re-focus on the underlying psychological reasons for the pain and eventually the pain disappears.

I am so grateful to you and your dedication to understanding TMS and helping people get better. THANK YOU!!!!

Sincerely,

Aran (Berkeley, CA)

Enrique’s Thank You

Enrique Running

 

Dr. Sarno,

I overcame severe RSI in my hands and lifelong pains including back, neck, and plantar faciitis, to name a few. As a result, I have been able to rediscover my childhood love of sport and exercise which I had abandoned so many years ago. Here’s a photo of me competing in an Ironman race in 2011, something which I would have considered impossible just a handful of years ago.

Thank you so much, Dr. Sarno. Your work made a huge difference in my life.

Best Regards,

Enrique

Pranav’s Thank You

Dear Dr. Sarno,

I am writing to you from India. I have had RSI since 2001. I used to
experience pain while typing using my right hand. My left palm is partially
formed so using that hand was not an option. The computer is like a limb to
me and is vital not only in my work but also in my personal life since I
have other disabilities.

I have read some of your books and more importantly, met a number of people
who have used your techniques successfully. I am on the road to recovery and
wanted to thank you not only for your path breaking research but also for
the ecosystem of fantastic patients and professionals that you have created.

Pranav

Brian’s Thank You

Brian
During my junior year in college I suddenly began developing what I thought was RSI. It got so bad that I had to drop out of school and leave work. During my intense 10 months of incredible pain I finally discovered your book through a forum; http://tmswiki.org. After reading “The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain” I quickly began my road to recovery.

I have now been back at work and school for two full years now. I can’t ever thank you enough. You literally saved my life.

Brian

Forest’s Thank You

Forest in Jerusalem

My TMS first started when I was a teenager. I was highly driven and passionately devoted to programming computers. The TMS began in my hands and slowly moved to my arms, neck , back and knees. Doctors diagnosed me at first with repetitive strain injuries and then with fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, and thoracic outlet syndrome. My junior year of college a doctor told me I would never be pain free, and that it was unlikely that I could ever become a programmer. Within a couple of years, my ability to type, handwrite, run, and maintain certain static positions were all severely limited. I lived this way for more than a decade, just trying to get by.

Several years ago, a friend showed me several TMS success stories and for the first time in years I had hope for the future. Through steadily pushing my boundaries, I slowly regained functionality, regaining my ability to do what I needed to do. When the pain occasionally returns, I no longer worry, and just go about my business.

This is photo of me in Jerusalem’s Old City. I spent two weeks there and was able to walk around for hours without the slightest hint of pain. Before I wouldn’t have even considered the trip.

Dr. Sarno thank you so much for all the work you have done. Learning about TMS has given me my life back.

With Deepest Gratitude,

Forest