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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
 Posted - 01/25/2005 : 01:23:52
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Paul Gwozdz, M.D.
Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS)
Tension Myositis Syndrome is an emotionally induced physical disorder that has become an epidemic in this country. It is known as chronic back pain to some patients, Others know it as Fibromyalgia; others as depression and anxiety and others as frequent headaches or a host of other chronic problems "without much of a cure". For a more complete list of all of the symptoms of TMS, please click here. Dr. John Sarno of the NYU School of Medicine has identified the syndrome, its causes and fortunately its cure. He has seen over 11,000 chronic pain patients over that past 30 years and has approximately a 90% rate of cure of these maladies. He has truly made a major medical discovery but one that is not yet recognized by organized medicine since it involves mind-body principles that have not yet been accepted by academic medicine.
I was a patient of Dr. Sarno back in 1987 and credit him with a miracle cure of my back pain. I was one of the millions of patients to go the chiropractic route and the orthopedic route without success. At the time, I was an engineering manager at AT&T Bell Labs. I called Dr. Sarno up and told him that I had read "Mind Over Back Pain" and that I would like to have an appt. He said that I probably did not need to see him, since I had already read his book. I told him that I would like to anyway and it was the best decision of my life. Although, some patients will be able to be cured just by reading Dr. Sarno's books, I believe that most including myself need the reassurance of the diagnosis of TMS as well as help in understanding how to implement the cure and use small gains in pain relief to reinforce the diagnosis of TMS and therefore the healing.
I was probably fortunate that I was not yet an M.D. when I first found Dr. Sarno and was cured. It was easier for me to accept the diagnosis of TMS and accept the psychological cure for my physical pain. I then had 14 years of a pain free back during which time I went to medical school and completed my family practice residency. After graduating from residency, I went back and trained with Dr. Sarno as an M.D. learning about his latest thinking.
I now practice his medicine in a very similar way except that I treat many of the other chronic symptoms (mental and physical) of TMS along with the classic symptoms such as lower back pain. I use Dr. Sarno's ideas in my family practice office daily but am selective in which patients I introduce the idea. Patients must be open to a diagnosis of TMS or at least the idea that their pain is related in some way to their stress levels otherwise I will be talking to the wall. For my outside TMS patients, I practice the way Dr. Sarno taught me except that I have broadened the lecture to include all of the symptoms of TMS. I think that doing so is important so that I can treat the depressed patient using the same techniques but also because many of the patients either already have experienced the TMS equivalents or else will do so after eliminating their back pain. I have probably done this since I personally am a perfect example of having multiple TMS symptoms that plagued me until I learned about the equivalents. Back when I was a patient, Dr. Sarno had not yet learned of the equivalents.
I hold my TMS lecture approximately once a month in the waiting room of my office. My fee for the initial consultation, the lecture (or multiple lectures for those needing some reinforcement), and followup phone calls as needed is $500. I also screen my patients the way Dr. Sarno does so that I don't waste their time or money as well as my energy. I have received calls such as "I diagnosed my mother-in-law as having TMS, can you help her?", to which I replied, "let her find Dr. Sarno's book on your coffee table and let her decide that she has TMS, then I can help her."
I may be Dr. Sarno's #1 disciple and believe that someday he will win the Nobel prize for his work. Unfortunately, the modern medical journals are afraid to touch his work. That is why the internet is so critical to announcing the diagnosis of TMS and helping others to a cure.
For a very nice introduction to the topic, please check out the website tarpityoga.com by Kim Ruby. I highly recommend reading Dr. Sarno's books, especially Healing Back Pain[1] and The Mindbody Prescription[2]. For an active discussion group, please check out TMShelp.com. Just be careful not to try to cure yourself for too long a period of time before seeing a TMS doctor. On TMShelp.com, I have seen people with TMS get very frustrated because they tried to cure themselves by just reading a book when a little redirection from a TMS doctor would probably have made a big difference. I know that it sounds like I am trying to sell my services, but I am sincere in my comment.
[1] Sarno, John E., M.D., Healing Back Pain - The Mind-Body Connection, Warner Books, 1991, ISBN 0-446-39230-8.
[2] Sarno, John E. M.D. The Mindbody Prescription - Healing The Body, Healing the Pain, Warner Books, 1998, ISBN 0-446-52076-4.
Return to the Homepage for Dr. Gwozdz
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Kavita
USA
47 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2005 : 06:31:20
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Tom-
Thank you so much for putting this article here, it is good reassurance that what we have in TMS and that we can get better.
I have been waiting months for an appt with a TMS doctor in Washington, DC, and will finally see her next Thursday. (I made the appt back in September!) I am discouraged that I have made no further progress in my recovery, and that the pain has been worse since I returned from India (hence, the reason why I haven't had a post since before Christmas). I still do everything I want to do (exercise, work a full day, cook and clean like a demon on the weekends), but the pain is unbelievable and depressing.
Whenever I feel pain, I ask myself, "What is bothering me right now?" More often than not, I am just angry at the pain (and the moron on the train next to me that is talking on his cell phone way too loud). Right now I am working on not stressing out about things I can't control, and trying to have fun with life when I can. Work is good, my marriage is good, and life is pretty darn good - but I am in pain. I am hoping that the TMS doctor will help me move forward.
If anyone out there has had success after being "stuck" for awhile, I would love to hear your strategies. Thanks! |
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Info From a TMS Doctor's Web Site From NJ
