Resources - Books
The Original Tension Myositis Syndrome Books by Dr. Sarno
Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection
by Dr. John E. Sarno
This is the foundational book on Tension Myositis Syndrome by Dr. John Sarno, and is a must read. Don’t be deceived by the title — even though it specifically references back pain, the core concepts of TMS in this book can be applied universally across all sorts of chronic pains and illnesses related to mind body pain. If I could only recommend one book to someone just learning about TMS, this would be it.
The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain
by Dr. John E. Sarno
The follow-up book to Healing Back Pain, Dr. Sarno expands on his theory of TMS in this book to cover a broader range of chronic pain conditions, including headaches, fibromyalgia, and gastrointestinal issues. This book dives deeper into the psychological causes of chronic pain and provides more detailed healing strategies than his first book.
The Divided Mind: The Epidemic of Mindbody Disorders
by Dr. John E. Sarno
Dr. Sarno’s final book, which explores the divide between the conscious and unconscious mind, and how this rift leads to physical symptoms. It also includes chapters written by other doctors who support and expand on Sarno’s work. This is a great book, but probably not the one I would start with if you haven’t already read Healing Back Pain and The Mindbody Prescription.
Highly Recommended TMS/Mind Body Syndrome Books
Unlearn Your Pain
by Howard Schubiner, MD
Dr. Schubiner is a protégé and former colleague of Dr. John Sarno. His book provides a detailed program for overcoming chronic pain and Tension Myoneural Syndrome, which includes journaling exercises, case studies, and techniques for emotional healing. This is the best book in the list to serve as an actual practical guide for people ready to actively start working on their emotional triggers and is a great hands on, step-by-step program to begin mind-body healing.
The Way Out: A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain
by Alan Gordon and Alon Ziv
This is one of my favorite books on healing chronic pain. Alan Gordon, founder of the Pain Psychology Center, and Alon Ziv offer a step-by-step guide to rewiring the brain’s response to pain. They go into depth about how fear and pain are interconnected and provide strategies for breaking the cycle. The book presents a neuroscience-based approach to chronic pain recovery and offers clear strategies that are rooted in the leading, cutting-edge research.
The Great Pain Deception: Faulty Medical Advice is Making Us Worse
by Steve Ozanich
This was one of the books that I read right when I was smack dab in the middle of the hardest part of my TMS healing journey and helped me believe that my own healing was possible. Steve provides his own candid, personal story about healing from chronic back pain for over 20+ years which I found to be inspiring and relatable. If you have been told that surgery or a lifetime of medication is the only option for you to manage your pain, this is a great read to provide you with some hope.