Internet Resources

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General TMS-Related Websites

• Andrew's TMS Website: Andrew, a former RSI sufferer, has put together a comprehensive website which discusses the medical evidence for TMS and collates a large number of chronic pain success stories from the web.
• Conquer RSI, by Nate: Nate created a site containing his personal story of overcoming years of RSI, as well as a handout page and an FAQ page specifically for people with RSI symptoms.
• Defeat Chronic Pain: This is a great TMS website set up by Steve Yang, a former chronic pain sufferer.
• Healing Back Pain: This site is not run by Dr. Sarno, but rather by a former patient of his who made the official video of his patient lecture.
• Rachel's RSI Homage to Dr. John Sarno: Rachel's compelling personal account of her struggle with pain that was diagnosed as RSI, her discovery of Dr. John Sarno and his book The Mindbody Prescription and her subsequent recovery.
• Seligman Medical Institute (SMI): A research institute devoted to TMS and other mind-body disorders. Although the SMI lost its funding in 2007, and as a result appears to have been inactive in its research since then, the information and materials on its website are still accessible.
• Unlearn Your Pain: Dr. Howard Schubiner has published a randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of the TMS Treatment approach. He currently manages a multi-million-dollar NIH grant further investigating how to treat TMS. His website is based on his book, Unlearn Your Pain, and includes a structured TMS recovery program based on that book and the recovery program that he runs at Providence Hospital in Michigan.
• The Healthy Mind: Run by a TMS doctor, the site has research summaries and podcasts on a variety of subjects related to psychology, including TMS.
• Back in Control: Mindbody physician David Hanscom made this website where he writes blogs and other articles on a variety of chronic pain issues. The website also provides information on Dr. Hanscom's book, Back in Control, and his recovery program called the DOCC project.
• Many TMS practitioners discuss TMS on the websites for their personal practices: (A complete list of all known TMS practitioners can be found on our Find a TMS Doctor or Therapist page) James Alexander, Frances Sommer Anderson, Alexander Angelov, MD, Jeffrey Axelbank, PsyD, Will Baum, Arnold Bloch, LCSW, Margaret Chan, PhD, Sharon K Farber, PhD, Susan Farber, MA, MFT, Arlene Feinblatt, PhD, Alan Gordon, LCSW, Hal Greenham, BSc, Michele Lowenthal MS, MHC, Louise Levy, Debbie Lampon, MSc PGDip, FPC, Michelle Gottlieb, PsyD, MFT, Paul Gwozdz, MD, Jane Parkinson, David Schechter, MD, Nicole Seitz, LPC, Nic Straiton, DO, Mark G. Strom, and Liz Wallenstein.

Chatrooms and Forums

• The TMS Wiki's Discussion Forum: this TMS forum, located on this web site, has subforums for general discussions, peer support, and the free Structured Educational Program and TMS Recovery Program on this site.
• TMSHelp Forum: more than a decade old, TMSHelp is the internet's oldest TMS forum. It has been in operation for more than a decade.
• The TMS Wiki Chatroom: home to this site's moderated drop-in chat, and used during this site's call-in discussion group podcast.

TMS Nonprofits

• The PPD/TMS Peer Network (PTPN) The PPD/TMS Peer Network is an association of people who have recovered from TMS and wish to help raise awareness of TMS. This web site, The TMS Wiki, is the official website of the PPD/TMS Peer Network. Like the other nonprofits in this list, it is recognized by the United States Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
• Seligman Medical Institute (SMI): A research institute devoted to TMS and other mind-body disorders. Although the SMI lost its funding in 2007, and as a result appears to have been inactive in its research since then, the information and materials on its website are still accessible.
• PPD Association (PPDA): A practitioner association dedicated to training TMS practitioners. On it's board are several of Dr. Sarno's closest professional associates and several other leaders in the TMS field.

TMS Videos

ABCNews 20/20 segment on Dr. Sarno
There is no better way to learn about TMS and to see Dr. Sarno's treatment program work miracles than to watch this 15 minute segment from 20/20. Dr. Sarno cured one of the 20/20 reporters years before this program aired. In it, they follow three or four back pain sufferers, including one who has such pain that she moves about on a scooter rather than walking. By the end of the program, after treatment by Dr. Sarno, she is shown running (the other pain sufferers that they followed all improved, as well). 20 files were also pulled at random from Dr. Sarno's records, were called by a reporter, and all reported that they were better or much better after going through his program.

Dr. Schubiner's Online Video Lectures on TMS
In these four, 15-minute free video lectures, Dr. Howard Schubiner teaches you the basics of how TMS works by describing numerous medical studies that provide evidence for why it does what it does, and telling how you can develop a self-cure for TMS through gaining knowledge.

TMS Media Library
Hosted on the PTPN's discussion forum, this video collection includes interviews with TMS therapists, success stories from former TMS sufferers, videos by TMS practitioners, relaxation and meditation exercises, and more. The library is ever-expanding, as anyone with an account on the discussion forum can add to it.

TMS Audio

Recordings of the PTPN's Call-In Discussion Group
Listen to the recordings of the PPD/TMS Peer Network's weekly discussion group as members discuss common themes brought up in TMS books such as Pathways to Pain Relief and materials such as Alan Gordon's TMS Recovery Program.

Seligman Medical Institute Podcasts
The following are podcasts from the Seligman Medical Institute (SMI), a research institute devoted to TMS and other mind-body disorders. Although the SMI lost its funding in 2007, and as a result appears to have been inactive in its research since then, its website and materials from its website are still available. These podcasts can also be found here.

• Introduction to Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) (7:50) By Arthur Smith and David Schechter.
• Case Studies in Psychological Treatment of TMS (21:30) By Arlen Ring and David Schechter.
• What is Involved in Treating TMS: The Theory and Practice (17:31) By Arlen Ring and David Schechter. Focuses on psychotherapy.
• Psychotherapy for Chronic Pain: It Really Can Help (18:01) By Donald Dubin and David Schechter. Focuses on psychotherapy.
• Case Studies in Psychological Treatment of TMS and Its Equivalents (19:44) By Donald Dubin and David Schechter.

Success Stories

Here are some collections of success stories:

• TMS Wiki Success Story Database: The TMS Wiki's collection of success stories, organized by symptoms and diagnoses. Success stories from all of the following sources are linked to from this categorized list.
• TMSHelp's Success Stories Forum: Over 100 success stories have been posted by TMS patients on TMSHelp's Success Stories forum.
• Rachel Podolsky's TMS Stories Page: Rachel Podolsky posted the emails she received from people who have progressed or fully recovered from TMS on this page.
• Stories Featured on Andrew's TMS Site: Andrew's site features a number of success stories, mainly from RSI and back pain but also including nerve pain, sciatica, and neck pain.
• Thank You, Dr. Sarno: An unofficial collection of success stories in the form of thank-you letters to Dr. Sarno.
• Individual Success Stories
  • Some testimonials written by patients of Dr. Marc Sopher, a family physician who overcame lower back pain and sciatica when a patient of his gave him a copy of one of Sarno's books.
  • Kim Ruby's story of how she overcame TMS that manifested itself as depression.
  • Dr. David Schechter describes his experience with knee pain and TMS from when he was a medical student and met with Dr. Sarno in the following video. You may want to skip the first 52 seconds. The full DVD is part of David Schechter's Mindbody Workbook and Patient Panel DVD.
  • Kelvin Gunnells Kelvin Gunnells' experience of becoming pain-free. Kelvin has also put up a great page listing many helpful TMS articles and links, at TMS Related Articles and Links
  • Keith Bifton's account of how he overcame RSI through a mindbody approach, employing meditation, the Alexander Technique and yoga.
• The Amazon reviews for TMS books can be terrific sources of success stories:
  • Healing Back Pain - Amazon reviews
  • The Mindbody Prescription - Amazon reviews
  • The Divided Mind - Amazon reviews
  • Mind Over Back Pain - Amazon reviews

Articles for Healing

The following are articles, exercises, and other documents, specifically intended to help someone overcome their TMS:

• 7 Tips for Successful Therapeutic Journaling, by Georgie Oldfield, MCSP
• Miracles of Mindbody Medicine, by Alan Gordon, LCSW, Georgie Oldfield, MCSP, and Audrey Berdeski
• Generating Self Compassion, from Alan Gordon, LCSW's TMS Recovery Program
• The Science Behind Your Inner Child. from Alan Gordon, LCSW's TMS Recovery Program
• Recognizing Destructive Behaviors, from Alan Gordon, LCSW's TMS Recovery Program
• Your Back Is Not “Out” and Your Leg Length is Fine, by Paul Ingraham

Articles from the News

• For a complete list of media reports on TMS, see our page on TMS In The Media.
• Can Chronic Pain Be Cured? (June 13, 2013)
• Placebos Are Getting More Effective. Drugmakers Are Desperate to Know Why. (August 24, 2009, Wired Magazine): This article takes an in depth look at how the placebo effect has affected pharmaceutical companies. It investigates the history behind the placebo effect and how the medical community has used it in treating patients.
• Listening to Hypochondria (June 8, 2008, New York Magazine): Almost everyone is aware of hypochondria yet there is little understanding of the condition and how its treated. This article discusses a study led by Brain Fallon, a professor at Columbia University Medical Center, which investigated the effectiveness of medication and therapy in treating hypochondria. It is an interesting article that sheds light on what it is like to live with hypochondria.
• Back Pain A Mental Problem? One Doc Says So (May 2, 2008).
• The Psychology of Back PainL: Author, editor and blogger Jonah Lehrer has written a very detailed and well written 5000 word article about TMS. It originally appeared in Best Life, a magazine written by the editors of Men's Health.
• Ah, My Non-Aching Back: A Longtime Sufferer Finds That It's All In The Mind (March 6, 1987): A 6 page overview of TMS and the author's experience in New York Magazine. You can also read Oh, My Aching Back, the article that he wrote before he found Dr. Sarno, full of approaches that he no longer believes in.

Miscellaneous

Top Tips for banishing TMS, from TMSHelp:

• The Ultimate TMS tips thread...
• What works/worked BEST against your TMS?

TMS in the Medical Community (as discussed on TMSHelp):

• a spine surgeon with herniated discs electing to not have surgery
• Doctor knew about Sarno but didn't say so

DISCLAIMER: The TMS Wiki is for informational and support purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. See Full Disclaimer.