SteveO's New Book : "BACK PAIN PERMANENT HEALING"

I can remember when I pointed out what you are saying, Tom, to my allergist at Kaiser, when he told me about his brother's back problems, that his only reply was that he saw his brother's bulging disc on an MRI. This is where modern medical science is totally biased in favor of the structural diagnosis for the origins of pain, not just back pain, but all kinds of pain. What you have to point out is that statistical studies say otherwise. For example, there are people with excruciating lower lumbar pain who have no spinal abnormalities. And, on the other hand, there are people with no back pain at all who have many spinal abnormalities. This summer I was talking to a scientist at Lawrence Livermore Radiation Lab who said, based on those statistical studies, there is no demonstrable correlation between back pain and structural abnormalities - none whatsoever. And this guy has a Ph.D. in math, which is no easy degree to earn. IMHO not enough research is being done that studies the role traumatic emotional experiences and the emotions they create on the neurochemistry of brain functions. But that's not as simple as saying a bulging disc is behind a patient's pain and offering to relieve his suffering with an adroit surgeon's knife. Unfortunately, the whole system is designed to do just that. But how many failed back surgeries are there? Almost every single one I've ever heard about didn't work out for the better. I'm sure the neurosurgeons are not publishing those kind of self-defeating statistics though.

 

Thanks for posting this, Tom. It's a very powerful statement.

 

Thanks Mike, hope the bold font and the red aren't too offensive to the internet world, but it is a shocking stat. Maybe radiology reports should have this as a warning label on them like cigarettes do.

Just yesterday I was having lunch at a counter, and the waitress said she's going in for knee surgery. I asked what was wrong with her knee, and she replied the cartilage had just "worn out", no accidents or sports "injuries". She was maybe in her forties. I asked if the surgery was going to be arthroscopy, or a total replacement? It was for arthro, her surgeon wanted her to hold off on a replacement, but she was rearin' to go for a new one--like a new car. I was tempted to tell her to google "failed knee surgery", but held off. By the time they're scheduled for surgery, and their heart is set on the knife being the cure to all their problems, I don't try to dissuade them. It was arthroscopic, and I figure if the surgeon is competent, they can't do much further damage, just a little nip & tuck and vacuuming out--kinda' like an oil change and lube job.

 

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa013259#t=article (MMS: Error)

"This study provides strong evidence that arthroscopic lavage with or without débridement is not better than and appears to be equivalent to a placebo procedure in improving knee pain and self-reported function. Indeed, at some points during follow-up, objective function was significantly worse in the débridement group than in the placebo group."

It seems that most arthroscopic enthusiasts never got the message.

 

page 15,

"The "spinal problem believers" are forever lost in suffering. The physician with higher credentials firmly convinces them they have a defective body. At that point, that's it--their healing has been negated . But what the physician doesn't know is harming them. Even worse, few physicians care to know. ​

"99.999 percent of the medical profession does not accept this (TMS) diagnosis.

John E. Sarno, MD "

 

For anyone who has read both books, whats the big difference between this and "The great pain deception" ? I was thinking about getting Great Pain Deception as I'd heard such good reviews. Would that be better to read than this? Or better to read before this? I have of course read Dr Sarnos healing back pain.

 

What a great quote, shows how much mainstream medicine is doing more damage than good. Its not there fault they just don't know.

 

Don't get caught in the never ending rabbit hole of obtaining more tms information. Healing back pain has all you need to know but some people need more to let there anxiety get relieved. GPD is a great book, probably the best overall best for tms. Just read a couple books then put them into action.

Ryan

 

Yes, reading and reading and reading is the easy part. It's putting them into action where the real work begins!