To gifted speakers: I'm a PT who wants to spread word about TMS to other PTs. How do I word it?

What can I say to best convince PT Continuing Education Providers to offer a course on TMS? I feel this might be a feasible way to bring TMS to light to the medical community, at least as a starting place.
I need ideas from those of you out there who are gifted with words, primarily the 'spoken' word at this time since I plan to contact course providers by phone. How can I make myself heard? What words can I say to these CEU providers to motivate them to learn about TMS themselves and offer a course on it so PTs can help patients resolve their chronic pain rather than spend the rest of their lives searching for answers that most of them will never find?

I'm a caring PT who only recently learned about Dr. Sarno's work after stumbling across Steven Ozanich's life-changing book. Now I want to spread the word about TMS to other PTs and to medical professionals in general. This is a personal cause for me. However, my attempts so far have only run into brick walls. The medical community remains close-minded to Sarno's work and TMS. The mind-set is 'If there were anything to TMS then PTs and MDs would already know about it, and since TMS isn't part of mainstream medicine, it's not worth looking into.'

It's so MADDENING! Most states now require PTs to earn Continuing Education Units in order to keep their licenses to practice. The Board of Physical Therapy in my state alone has approved over 3,000 courses for PT CEU credits and NOT ONE SINGLE COURSE is about Sarno's work or TMS! NOT ONE! It shames me that my profession of PT remains blind to Sarno's work and TMS, especially since chronic low back pain has been the #1 cause of work absenteeism in the US for well over 40 years and the epidemic of chronic pain in the US continues to grow at a rate 14X the population growth.

So please, ANY IDEAS on 'How To Convince A CEU Provider to Offer a Course on TMS?' Bear in mind that CEU's have become Big Business over the last 20 years, now that states require CEUs for licensure ($500-$1,000/year/licensee). These are profit-oriented private businesses that compete with each other for student CEU dollars and they hire instructors accordingly. [I already tried speaking to one of this instructors who was teaching a course with the 'catchy' title, "Get a Grip on Chronic Pain: Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndrome." It turned out to be a course on how to differentiate 'fibromyalgia' vs. 'myofascial pain syndrome' SOLELY for CPT CODING purposes. What a waste! Talking to her was like talking to a bulldozer].

So this is as much about Politics, Marketing and Profits as it is about 'Spreading the Word about TMS.' Ie., "What's in it for the CEU Provider? What will catch their ear? What's in it for the instructor?

 

Have you seen this page with medical evidence?
http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Medical_Evidence (Medical Evidence)

Have you read any of Dr. Sarno's books? There is a lot of evidence in there as well. Mindbody Prescription was my favorite.

I'm happy to hear that you want to spread the word. I hope that people will listen to you. I try to spread the word to my family members and they just don't get it. Sometimes people look at me like I'm crazy so I'm not sure what to exactly tell you other than the evidence. Good luck.

 

Hi Ines,

Yes, I've read 3 or 4 of Sarno's books plus Steven Ozanich's two books, plus. Unfortunately, doctors and PTs for the most part are ignoring the medical evidence of TMS simply because everyone around them is also ignoring this evidence. It's a mind-set problem--TMS is 'too simple' an answer and it undermines their image of themselves as highly educated professionals. Medical professionals want an 'outside-in' approach to treatment so they can 'fix' patients. TMS, however, is 'inside out.'

If TMS were a profit-making DRUG that cured chronic pain then it would be SO EASY to market. TMS would be the most prescribed drug in the US! But there's no money in TMS. TMS needs a catchy logo. Something like "Love Trumps Hate," which I just heard on TV for the first time yesterday. TMS needs a phrase which sticks in peoples' minds to make TMS Real, something simple that people can wrap their minds around. Politicians know that 'emotion trumps factual evidence' and the same thing is true in medicine too--it's almost criminal that medicine is ignoring its own research, but it is.

...so how can TMS be put forth in a nutshell so that people see it as 'Something Real'? It may sound silly to you right now but drug companies do it all the time and make huge profits for doing so.

 

I'm not sure. I completely agree with you. Some people just are not ready to hear it though. I had Sarno's book for 3 years before I actually read it. You are asking the right questions in the right place. I hope somebody responds to you that can help.

 

I love this rant magicbird, it shows you care. Welcome to my world/hell. I've never been successful in getting CEUs because the big money is made in doing the wrong thing. I just gave up my trainer's license because the course they had on mindbody was terribly inaccurate. I tried to get 2 CEUs for 14 years of writing on the topic but they turned me down. I've been uninvited to many clinics and symposiums because I espouse healing, and not treating.

The only people that seem slightly interested are those who can save money. But the insurance industry doesn't like the boat rocked, they're all doing well and aren't eager to sell the cash cow for a handful of magic(bird) beans.

One of my favorite videos is of Dr. Sarno saying, "I don't think it's pessimistic, I think it's just realistic that the medical profession is now all of a sudden going to start recognizing the impact of emotions in health and illness, nah....can't see it...however, you're welcome to try!!"

He had a huge smile on his face.

I've never spoken to a bulldozer, what's it like? : ) Keep plowing though! Some day you'll uncover an artifact of truth that others will recognize as treasure. The more you offer up truth the better the chance of striking gold.

Steve

 

Dear Steve,

Thanks so much for responding to my email. It's so ironic, Steve, to realize that I first learned about Sarno's work and TMS not through traditional medical channels (as one would hope and trust) but from a pop-up ad on Amazon.com advertising your book, "The Great Pain Deception: Faulty Medical Advice Is Making Us Worse." That was a very smart name to pick for your book, Steve, and it was smart of you to advertise your book with a pop-up ad on Amazon.com, even though I normally find pop-up ads very annoying. I bought your book solely to make sure that there wasn't any 'faulty medical advice' out there that I didn't know about yet. Your book's title is a 'scare' tactic of sorts but it is an effective one because it caught my ear, and if that's what it takes then that's what it takes. My basement is full of discarded professional books on 'healing back pain' so I never would have purchased Sarno's book (because it sounds like 'just another book on back pain') except that I read your book first, Steve. [I had no idea, Steve, that your book would transform my life before I was done reading it].

Your email underscored the likelihood that I won't 'be heard' by any CEU providers any time soon if ever, but one of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten in life is to "Be a squeaky wheel." So that's what I'll continue to do--be a squeaky wheel for what it's worth. I carry around a copy of your book, and when I find myself chatting with someone who suffers from chronic pain (this happens a lot), they often pull out their cell phone and take a picture of the cover of your book so they can seek it out and read it themselves.
Ironically, Amazon.com is doing more to help people heal from chronic pain than our costly medical system is.

Again, thanks again for your email, Steve. It means a lot to me that you responded.

Yours,

Magicbird (because I'm cautious about posting my real name online)
New Hope, Pennsylvania

PS: Speaking to a bulldozer isn't fun.

 

I'm happy that you found GPD o' bird a la magic. It makes all those lonely years writing worth it when I hear of another person it has impacted. I would very much love to get you on the WoV. You express yourself well, but I see here you are hiding, so I leave it up to you. My goal is to build a wall so vast that no one can ignore its truth, built upon powerful stories of healing, and endless hope in order to spread Dr. Sarno's work wide and far. I wish I would have had a place to visit when I was lost in interstice.

I would like to take credit for the annoying pop up ad but Amazon does that stuff. We have no control over what they do, even the price of my book is set by them. I tell them what I want per book and they put their tag on it. Sometimes they drop the price dramatically and raise it again. Someone showed me yesterday that my first book is being sold by someone for $74 online. Then of course I get slammed for being greedy, but it isn't me. Se la vi.

I hope you get squeekier and louder and keep shouting from the mountaintops. Those who listen will be forever changed, and a single life changed is worth your effort. I could certainly use your help in helping more people. I've been witnessing the most amazing healings and wanted to show others what I'm seeing.

It is too bad that Amazon is doing more for healing than our medical system. But don't over-estimate how many people want to heal; few do. Many contact me and won't read Dr. Sarno's books, or even mine. They just want to complain, healing is not a current option which is another great observation by the good doctor: it's protecting them. They talk about healing, but stay clear of it while it serves its purpose in them.

I looked up New Hope, what a great name for you to live in, and it came true for you! I think I'll move to Margaritaville.

Steve

 

I wonder if a course could be framed in a way where you don't focus on TMS or Dr. Sarno, but instead point to all the scientific evidence that connects physical pain and emotions. There's a ton of that.

Maybe mention TMS and Dr. Sarno as an interesting side bar.