Thursday, August 13, 2009

Dr. John Sarno

I was going to talk about Candace Pert next, but I realized that it was Dr. Sarno who led me to Dr. Pert, so it makes sense to talk about him first.
I just love this cartoon! It was drawn by Boris to illustrate Dr. Sarno's point to our son, David.

I first heard of Dr. Sarno's work through Andrew Weil's recommendation. Dr. Weil had been saying forEVER that most any kind of back problem could be helped without drugs or surgery and that Dr. Sarno's book, "MindBody Prescription" was a good place to learn about his theory. I didn't pay much attention until I had a really yucky time with back, knee, and hip pain that just wouldn't go away. I went to all kinds of doctors, got all kinds of tests including blood tests to see if I had some weird rheumatoid problem. To make my long, painful story short and painless, I took Dr. Weil's recommendation and read Dr. Sarno's book and (FOR REAL!)within 2 weeks after finishing the book, I was perfectly pain-free and back to running, weight lifting, and yoga.

Dr. Sarno has put himself out on a limb by spelling out a treatment that really consists of education. No drugs, surgery, or special exercises, just a new understanding of how the body's systems of creating pain works. And it was this new understanding that opened my mind to a completely different approach to thinking about the entire subject of health. The beauty of this education is that once you understand it, the back-and-forth communication between your mind and your body becomes a source of knowledge for you that you didn't know you already possessed!

John E. Sarno is Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, and attending physician at the Howard A. Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical Center. He graduated from The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1950. In 1965 he became the Director of the Outpatient Department at the Rusk Institute.

4 comments:

  1. I hope your readers who are suffering from any kind of chronic pain or illness will give Dr. Sarno's books (which are also available on iTunes) an honest chance, because I can attest to the fact that the one you cited also helps tremendously with fibromyalgia! I gave a CD version of "The Mindbody Prescription" to a friend for his chronic back pain and a month later another friend of his gave him the very same set of CDs! His other friend experienced exactly what you had; two weeks after reading Sarno's book his chronic back pain ended for good. Boris' comic might not make a lot of sense to those unfamiliar with Sarno, but once they read it, they'll get it! (love the depiction of David--and what he's painting)!

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  2. Thanks for the information about the CD version of "The Mindbody Prescription"! That is a great idea for someone who either doesn't have much time to read or someone who learns better by listening. It would be great to hear it while painting, too!
    Glad you like the cartoon!

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  3. hahahaha It is one of the best cartoon because Dr Sarno was the name of important doctor in USA, so I think that they should incorporate some news different topic such viagra online.

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  4. check out my blog on the Mindbody connection. incredible work and Sarno will be vindicated one day

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