delmar
it is a good book. worth the $ and time invested. you will recognize yourself in the pages It has helped my back pain, if not just for the fact that I am no longer afraid of the pain. Sarno does a good job of convincing the reader of the statistics and medical proof and research that shows back pain is often not from a physical cause (i.e. herniated disc, disease, deterioration)

Good luck with your search.
Tammy

Hi Delmar,
You sound just like me. I have spinal stenoses & had back surgery 7 years ago. They fused my back between L4 L5. I am in pain every day of my life. I am so depressed. A lot of it is from my back. And the Vicadin I take for the cronic pain does not help. Whatever you can do to help yourself if it is working do it. I hope you get some relief. I haven't found any. Maybe this will help.

I can totally relate to this. I combat the pain by going to the chiropractor once a month and try to get a massage. I have quit pampering myself on the massage part and make me think I will pick up the phone and make an appointment.

hi im 37 and was a nurse in 2000 had back fusion have had problems ever since with depression, anxiety, pain . I now am unable to work and will be receiving my disability shortly. Ive always suffered with this I think a lot of it stems from things we went thru maybe as a child that are unresolved.I now have degenerative disc disease and might have to have neck surgery .

I injured my back, neck and shoulder several yrs. ago after falling off a lader. I can relate to the increased anxiety and depression and now I'm making weekly visits with a chiropractor hoping He will make some improvments over time. I just finished session 4 and I will maintain some realistic expectations about my own life and what could be done to improve it.

JoeyO

Hello All, Interesting topic! Yes, I have suffered from back and neck pain for 20 years. I have been able to manage it until recently when I woke up one morning and could not move my head. I had an MRI and found I had two herniated disks, stenosis and degenerative disc disease. I was scareda to death of surgery and opted for physical therapy: a sports medicine philosophy which puts you through some rigorous strength training. It has worked wonders! My Doctor told me that 85% of herniated disks will repair themselves over time. As far as the arthritis and degeneration etc., if you gave everyone an MRI, 90% of them would show some sort of problem, yet not all people experience pain because of it. I know that tension and anxiety have caused most of my pain over the years. I would much rather deal with this than have some surgery try to fix it, which often times just makes matters worse. Thanks for the info on the "Mind Over Back Pain" bood!!! I will look to order it right away! In the mean time...excersise!!! Move those muscles and get the blood flowing to those poor muscles and joints! It is very healing to them and your emotions!

I too have back pain. I have been going to the chiropractor and he does do massage. It has really helped. He also gave me a tai chi dvd to do and told me to try beginner pilates. All of these strenghten your back muscles. I have heard that anxiety (tightening the muscles) will cause the nerves to be pinched and gives us pain. I will definitely read that book. Thanks Tammy for the recommendation. Also thanks Waystone for starting this topic!

Has anyone ever done the disco-gram test for the lower back if so i'd appreciate your thoughts on the test in terms of the pain level and the success of what it is suppose to be figuring out and whatever else you want to add thanks

As someone who has suffered from lower back pain for most of his adult lifetime, I recently found a possible cause. While reviewing results of blood tests, my current doctor noticed my testosterone level was near the very low end of the scale. He prescribed injections for me to boost the level and MOST of my body aches and pain disappeared!!!!

He has since changed my prescription so I can simply rub in an ointment myself on a daily basis. This has the added benefit of lessening the frequency of erectile dysfunction.

Hi everyone,
I am new here, just started the program. I was reading through this thread and just wanted to add my two cents as a nurse. The link between depression and pain is a very real one, whenever the body feels pain a chemical called seritonin is released. Seritonin is also responsible for your moods, as the seritonin is depleted the depression increases and there is also a link that the pain increases but that would be a whole biochem lesson to explain.
I hope I helped, but when you go to your doc and he wants to put you on an anti-depressant as well as pain meds for long term pain management, it does help, with the right combo! I have chronic back pain and it is a part of my "coatail". FYI-My pain med is a rare one methadone, everyone has an opnion, but its the only thing that controls the pain!
Best of luck to every one, hope this was helpful.

Chrissy

leonardo,
Yes, I had a discogram test about 8 years ago before my most extensive spinal surgery. The pain level wasn't anything we can't deal with and generally a sedative is used before and during the process. it was very helpful to pinpoint the most extreme origin of the pain and a relief to know exactly what was going on.

I have pain 24/7, some days mild and some days quite severe, but have to honestly say that this program helped to alleviate a great deal of the worry about it and helped me to live a much more active, productive life in spite of the pain. It's all in the attitude for me, and coping skills and I'll not let pain keep me from finding the joy in life ever again!!!
Hugs to all.

This is a topic that get a lot of attention! I have had back surgery and it really helped me, but it sure didn't cure me ~ And you shouldn't even expect that. I have Fibromyalgia, so know what pain is all about. I have found that massage therapy, really good stretching exercises and a spa tub has done wonders. When my back gets really bad, ice for twenty minutes on and twenty mintues off really makes a difference. If it is a spasm type pain I usually have to resort to a RX muscle relaxer. Keep a positive attitude - better said than done, but try...and don't be afraid to share, there are a lot of people that have the same problem. Start a support group if you think it would help. Hope things will get better for you. Hugs ~

I have had back pain since I was 29. I'm 60 now.

I've got a birth defect spondola-listhesis or a spine slippage, about a 40-50% slip. It only showed up in my life when I was a teenager and had become very physically active, football, heavy weight lifting, martial arts etc... I took to a trip to the dr to see what was up, and he basically told me that I wouldn't be doing any of those things anymore.

It's a real drag as I was always physically intense, I basically expressed myself through those mechanisms...then you start the next school year and at 15 are struggling with getting out of bed, having pain walking to the bus stop, going from one class to the next and so on. Nobody understands what's the matter cause you look fine, everyone else around you is being a teen and still doing all this 'normal' stuff...and then you just kinda become lost, turn in....can't escape the pain (especially from the lousy wheather growing up on Long Island, NY)....and eventually find out how drinking and drugs can make the pain go away...for a little while. And all the meantime, while trying to make some sense of it all and just wanting your life to go back to the way it was, that black cloud of depression consumes you...takes you away, takes away your ability, takes away your will.

22 yrs later, I'm still standing, still trying to get a grip. It's a drag to have to go through all of that stuff the hard way, but the program does open your eyes. Once you learn that all the negativity is a choice, there is certainly some relief. Choosing to do the hard work and change, that's the new mother of it all! Some of these old habits of mine are like buddies....hard to say goodbye...and I'm so darn good at being negative!

Hi everyone, I have now been having back pain for a year. I first hurt my feet and then my back and neck have pain. I have noticed that when I am stressed or anxious, my back hurts tremendously. In a flash. I know they are connected. I take a fibermyalgia medication called Lyrica and an anti-depressant Remeron. When I feel really stressed xanax .5 mg. does help. good luck.