Peter O'Sullivan CB-CFT

I just finished reading an interesting article on a study I remember coming across last fall, but now has new meaning in light of my very recent awareness of TMS/Mind Body Syndrome. The author is a professor in Australia and has developed a program called Classification Based Cognitive Functional Therapy (CB-CFT). This treatment recognizes the many facets of chronic low back pain and aims to reprogram the patients mindset and movements to reflect a more natural, less guarded and tense pattern. I watched a great interview with him in where he gave a wonderful explanation of how treating low back pain from a motor control approach can backfire by making the patient hyper vigilant about protecting the back (i.e. Bracing, engaging transverse abdominals or pelvic floor). The treatment also aims to dispel the myths that our backs are weak and need protection. Upon reading this I felt that it was a wonderful compliment to the mind-body approach developed by Dr. Sarno and Dr. Schubiner. I recognize that CB-CFT does not address the psychological issues of repressed emotions or response to stress. But a missing piece of the mind-body approach seems to be the guided return to regular movement patterns and function. When someone has been immobile for so long, the body doesn't know what healthy normal movement patterns are. And, in many cases, these normal movement patterns have become triggers for our symptoms (probably due to conditioning, the Pavlov's dog argument rather than suppressed emotions). It seems like a guided, graded exposure approach may hasten recovery. Is anyone familiar with this work or have thoughts on this?

See article here:
http://www.bodyinmind.org/classification-based-cognitive-functional-therapy-for-back-pain/

See video here:


Healing thoughts to all!

I posted this on the support subgroup, but felt it was more appropriate for the general discussion forum.

 

Thanks for posting this. His approach does fit in with Sarno and is interesting. However, for women who have had children there is great value to strengthening the transverse abdominal and pelvic core. Which means I feel conflicted about his talk. Yes, he makes sense, but my reality has proven something else.
You mentioned in your post:

[But a missing piece of the mind-body approach seems to be the guided return to regular movement patterns and function. When someone has been immobile for so long, the body doesn't know what healthy normal movement patterns are.

This something I have been questioning and your post expressed my issues. Thanks to Sarno, my pain is amazingly improved. (It was most in the neck and shoulders.) But what is the approach when it comes to stiffness and loss of range of motion. Is one supposed to talk/write themselves out of this. Doesn't the body need to be re-taught? If so, what is the best approach. In the YouTube video, Prof O'Sullivan did not offer any guides. Is he assuming that once you rely on your body, it will happen on its own? Have others found this to be the case? He does mention movement, but which kind? I suspect he would not go for Pilates.

 

Hello I'm new to this forum.
I'm here to discuss using TMS for insomnia. I was wondering if anyone has tried this technique and any suggestions that may be useful to help reclaim my sleep. I don't use any prescription sleep aides but have been using melatonin and various herbal supplements to help for about 2 years. It was working but now things have gotten where I can go days on a couple hours of sleep.
I'm retired and live a non stressful life so it's not a job that keeps me awake.
I've used TMS to heal a chronic neck and headache issue a few years ago with great success! Completely sold on Dr Sarno's books and theories.
I would love to hear success stories dealing with insomnia.

 

Hi Islandsno,

Here is a link of a success story using TMS therapy to treat insomnia.

http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/My_Insomnia_Story,_by_Harold_Goodman

Many of us on the Forum struggle with insomnia. If you put 'insomnia' into the search bar at the top of the page you will find many discussion threads on this topic, with helpful strategies to use.

Welcome to the Forum. We are glad to have you join us!

 

I watched both the Peter O'Sullivan video and and thread about insomnia.
The two have one important message in common beyond being caused by TMS:
Don't fear stop you from doing what you want and need to do.
Fear just keeps symptoms going or make them worse.

For back pain, don't give in to it. Continue with daily activities.
For insomnia, don't fear you'd going to have another sleepless night.

Neither suggestion/solution is easy, but they can lead to healing and sleeping.

 

Thanks you Ellen!
I'm learning how to search this forum and am inspired by link provided above. So much so, I began my TMS last night. No more sleep aide crutches. Although I had a sleepless night I'm not as anxious about the lack of sleep. I spent my night hours reading Dr Sarno's Divided Mind and when I could no longer keep my eyes open used the counting backwards from 100 mentioned in another link and breathing to help with the anxiety. Having had success before I know that it will take some time and exploring of my emotions. Journaling will be my next step. I'm a little apprehensive with how to begin though. For me it's getting past my fears that's the biggest hurdle. I'm very hopeful!

 

That's good news, Islandsno. That counting backwards from 100 to 1 works for me, too.

Do start journaling. Don't fear it. It really helps to discover our repressed emotions and/or
our perfectionist or "goodism" personalities. Just write whatever comes to your mind,
not following any structure about past or present, but I found that most of mine and the big ones
were in my boyhood.

 

Walt yes it was your thread I read on the counting. It helped me to not focus on my anxiety, good idea, I counted ALL night long.
My "perfectionism" is trying to control how my journaling begins, my fear of doing it wrong. I'm not sure how to start. I did read the link on "how to journal". Yet, I still worry about doing it right. That's my problem, there is no "right way "to journal correct?
I suppose it's my unconscious/ego that's trying to stop me from journaling and exploring deeper, hence my fear of error.
An odd thing happened last night. I began experiencing muscle cramps as I lye awake. First I had one in the arch of my foot and later one on my upper thigh. This was a aha moment that TMS was working against me. My "unconscious" was pulling out the big guns to "protect" me.
You mention to not stop living your normal life, but being so sleep deprived makes me fear driving. My concentration and alertness are very poor. I have a fear of a car accident, so my life becomes very restricted. How do I go about not letting insomnia control me in that regard?
Thank you for your input greatly appreciated!

 

Hi, Islandsno. There is no wrong way of journaling. Just write down whatever comes to your mind
about any anxiety, stress, fear. It will lead you to maybe many repressed emotions.
Your unconscious mind may try to "protect" you from thinking of the "big guns," but you will still remember them.

I understand your fear of driving and having an accident if you don't get enough sleep, but go ahead and drive.
Maybe drive during hours when there is little traffic and in areas where there is light traffic. If you feel like it,
pull over to a side street and do some deep breathing.

Don't pressure yourself to do the journaling "right" or to get more sleep. Let both come and they will.

 

Hi Savtala, glad the post was helpful. I did contact Dr. O'Sullivan to see if he was aware of any programs like his in the US (he is in Austrailia), he was very kind and quick to respond, but at this point he said no. His team is working to get something online. I too have so much stiffness and what still feels like some muscle weakness. The pain has diminished over the last few months, but my range of motion is still poor, and my muscles are still so tight in my low back, which keeps me a bit fearful of normal movement. I am tempted to try rolfing or pilates to improve the muscle tone and flexibility, but then of course i ask myself, does this mean I am giving into the physical? I am 100% convinced of TMS, my symptoms are inconsistent and my pain moves around all day, but it is hard to just allow it to be, without trying to actively do something about it. But this I feel is my challenge, I am cultivating patience by accepting things as they are and know that healing will come in it's own time. Best of luck to you!

 

It can be frustrating and we can lose faith that TMS procedures will relieve our symptoms,
but we just have to keep at it and tell ourselves as you do, that healing will come in its own time.
It will come. It has for thousands of others who followed TMS healing techniques such as are
in the TMSWiki.com forums.

 

Thank you Walt! It's so helpful to hear that I am walking the path that so many have walked before. I love your advice on laughter and have been working on putting it to practice, laughing at the absurdities of life instead of stressing about them. Thank you!

 

Life really can be full of absurdities and it helps to laugh them off.

Today's anxieties are like today's news on tv... wait a day or two and the bad stuff goes away
or falls into a proper perspective. Most of the time, the proper perspective is just to ignore it.

 

Great advice!