{"id":117489,"date":"2023-11-12T14:38:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-12T18:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=117489"},"modified":"2026-01-20T15:21:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T19:21:03","slug":"dr-sarno-method","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Sarno&#8217;s Method for Treating Psychosomatic Pain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What is the Dr. Sarno method? How does Dr. Sarno explain the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/science\/psychology\/the-mind-body-connection\/\">connection between the mind and the body<\/a>, and how does that influence treatment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Sarno&#8217;s method involves breaking down the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/repressed-emotions-feelings\/\">repressed emotions<\/a> behind physical manifestations of pain. If you understand how this method works, you can start your healing journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read on to learn how the Dr. Sarno method works and how you can apply it to pain treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-understanding-the-dr-sarno-method\">Understanding the Dr. Sarno Method<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hachettebookgroup.com\/titles\/john-e-sarno-md\/the-mindbody-prescription\/9780759521896\/?lens=grand-central-publishing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Mindbody Prescription<\/em><\/a> (1998), Dr. John Sarno explains that the Western world is experiencing an epidemic of disorders characterized by chronic pain with no clear physical cause. However, he explains that these disorders\u2014while genuinely physically painful, and sometimes disabling\u2014are harmless and result from the repression of emotions, particularly rage. He refers to these pain disorders as tension myositis syndrome (TMS). Doctors try to treat these pain disorders as <em>physical problems<\/em>, but often, their treatments don\u2019t provide any relief. Sarno explains that this is because <strong>the problem isn\u2019t physical, it\u2019s emotional\u2014and the key to solving your pain is resolving your emotional tensions.<\/strong> The Dr. Sarno method is one way to resolve these emotional tensions and relieve chronic pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sarno (1923-2017) was a professor of rehabilitation medicine at New York University School of Medicine and an attending physician at the university\u2019s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. He\u2019s best known for developing the theory of TMS. He\u2019s also the author of three other books on TMS theory, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/339020\/mind-over-back-pain-by-john-sarno\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Mind Over Back Pain<\/em><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hachettebookgroup.com\/titles\/john-e-sarno-md\/healing-back-pain\/9780759520844\/?lens=balance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Healing Back Pain<\/em><\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harpercollins.com\/products\/the-divided-mind-john-e-sarno?variant=40827943059490\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Divided Mind<\/em><\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we\u2019ll explain Sarno\u2019s TMS theory and how he developed it, the psychoanalytic principles that TMS theory is founded on, and what makes a person predisposed to TMS. We\u2019ll also explain the different ways in which TMS manifests, as well as Sarno\u2019s treatment method. We\u2019ll supplement Sarno\u2019s ideas with scientific and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/social-context\/\">social context<\/a> as well as tips from other experts on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dealing-with-chronic-pain\/\">dealing with chronic pain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Sarno, <strong>doctors have been diagnosing patients with conditions characterized by seemingly inexplicable muscle pain for over a century<\/strong>. This pain tends to be centered in the back, neck, and shoulders, and it seems to lack a clear physical cause. Because of its prevalence, an entire industry has formed in the United States devoted to diagnosing these disorders\u2014usually as fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, and fibrositis\u2014and their treatment. Sarno estimates that these issues cost the United States over $100 billion annually.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Sarno doesn\u2019t specify where these costs come from, but research conducted since the book\u2019s publication suggests that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK92521\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">they come from several factors<\/a>, including the cost of the healthcare itself, missing work, and reduced wages. This research also suggests a much higher total cost than Sarno\u2019s estimate: Based on data from 2008, experts suggest that the total cost of chronic pain in the United States was more than $500 billion. Experts estimate that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/05\/16\/health\/chronic-pain-study\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">over 51 million Americans suffer from chronic pain<\/a>. However, it\u2019s unclear what proportion of the chronic pain in these studies is due to underlying emotional distress as opposed to a different physiologic cause.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-mindbody-connection-tension-myositis-syndrome\">The Mindbody Connection: Tension Myositis Syndrome<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sarno asserts that these disorders are all different manifestations of the same mindbody disorder: tension myositis syndrome (or TMS). <strong>A mindbody disorder is one in which mental, emotional, or psychological factors cause physical symptoms.<\/strong> He suggests that TMS is the single most common mindbody disorder in the Western world. (Shortform note: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/psychosomatic-disorder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Other common mindbody disorders<\/a> include hypertension, migraines, impotence, and dermatitis.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-developing-the-tms-theory-the-role-of-tension\">Developing the TMS Theory: The Role of Tension<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Sarno continued working with patients suffering from this pain, and he found that nearly 90% of them also suffered from tension-related conditions like heartburn, hernias, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, and eczema. (Shortform note: Sarno tends to use the word \u201ctension\u201d to refer specifically to emotional and psychological tension and only occasionally applies it to physical muscle tension.) Knowing that tension could induce these physical conditions, he hypothesized that the patients\u2019 otherwise inexplicable pain had the same cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He began informing patients that he suspected their pain came from tension, diagnosing them with TMS. To his surprise, <strong>the patients who dismissed the diagnosis saw no improvement in their pain\u2014but the patients who accepted it <\/strong><strong><em>did<\/em><\/strong><strong> improve, corroborating his hypothesis<\/strong>. He found this method of treating patients\u2019 pain\u2014through acceptance of the TMS diagnosis\u2014growing more and more successful, and he continued to hone his hypothesis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mindbody-psychosomatic-conditions-how-the-brain-interacts-with-the-body\">Mindbody (Psychosomatic) Conditions: How the Brain Interacts With the Body<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeing how patients improved in response to his TMS diagnoses, Sarno now had an explanation for these pain syndromes: psychological tension. The pain involved was <em>psychosomatic<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sarno explains that the term \u201cpsychosomatic\u201d has some negative connotations, which is why he uses the synonym \u201cmindbody.\u201d <strong>Both terms refer to physical symptoms that are real and result from emotional or psychological factors<\/strong>. The \u201cpsych\u201d in \u201cpsychosomatic\u201d (and the \u201cmind\u201d in \u201cmindbody\u201d) doesn\u2019t mean a patient is faking or <em>imagining<\/em> their physical symptoms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-do-repressed-emotions-cause-physical-pain\">Why Do Repressed Emotions Cause Physical Pain?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This brings us to the physical manifestations of repressed emotions: <strong>Because these emotions are intolerable to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-subconscious\/\">the conscious mind<\/a>, the mind goes to great lengths to avoid acknowledging them<\/strong>. It distracts itself from them by forcing the person to focus on what\u2019s going on in their body instead of what\u2019s going on in their head, leading to physical symptoms like pain.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mind chooses physical symptoms because, unlike emotional distress, physical conditions are socially acceptable. As diagnoses for a physical condition increase, doctors treat it as more \u201creal,\u201d which validates it as a socially acceptable condition. This is why chronic pain diagnoses change over time according to what\u2019s popular (despite the root cause being emotional distress).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-treat-tms\">How to Treat TMS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Sarno\u2019s theory, chronic unexplained pain is a harmless physical manifestation of repressed emotions. Therefore, physical treatments won\u2019t cure TMS. Instead, Sarno explains that the most effective treatment for TMS starts with knowledge: <strong>You have to understand <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/mind-body-disorders\/\">mindbody disorders<\/a> and where the pain is actually coming from in order to treat it.<\/strong> This is why, according to Sarno, many people can cure their pain simply by reading his books or attending his lectures. However, Sarno emphasizes heavily that patients should only take on this diagnosis and treatment after doctors have effectively ruled out the chances of a serious illness.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Testimonials from people who\u2019ve found success with Sarno\u2019s method support his statement that knowledge is the key to treatment. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/11\/09\/well\/mind\/john-sarno-chronic-pain-relief.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Prominent media figures like Howard Stern and Larry David<\/a> have praised Sarno\u2019s method, and there\u2019s a website called <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thankyoudrsarno.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">thankyoudrsarno.org<\/a> featuring over 100 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/motivational-success-stories\/\">success stories<\/a> and thank you notes to the late doctor.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the patient understands the source of their pain and how the mindbody relationship works, treatment consists of three steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 1: Reject the diagnosis of a structural abnormality.<\/strong> If you think of yourself as someone who just has a \u201cbad back,\u201d or believe that you\u2019ll have to get used to your pain and deal with it indefinitely, you won\u2019t get better. You have to accept that your condition is harmless. This will get your attention off of your body, which defeats the brain\u2019s tactic of distracting you from your unconscious emotions by forcing you to focus on your physical state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 2: Recognize that your emotions induce the pain. <\/strong>You have to understand that the source of your pain is not physical, but rather that it arises from your suppressed emotions as a way to distract your conscious mind.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 3: Accept the nature of the mindbody relationship.<\/strong> Don\u2019t make yourself feel lesser or broken for the symptoms you\u2019re experiencing or the emotions you\u2019re repressing. Everyone has an inner child that\u2019s irrational and emotional. What you\u2019re experiencing is perfectly normal and affects everyone to some degree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the Dr. Sarno method? How does Dr. Sarno explain the connection between the mind and the body, and how does that influence treatment? Dr. Sarno&#8217;s method involves breaking down the repressed emotions behind physical manifestations of pain. If you understand how this method works, you can start your healing journey. Read on to learn how the Dr. Sarno method works and how you can apply it to pain treatments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":1609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,9],"tags":[1324],"class_list":["post-117489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-psychology","tag-the-mindbody-prescription","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Dr. Sarno&#039;s Method for Treating Psychosomatic Pain - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How does Dr. Sarno&#039;s method work to treat mindbody pain? Discover how repressed emotions can manifest as pain and how to treat it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dr. Sarno&#039;s Method for Treating Psychosomatic Pain\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How does Dr. Sarno&#039;s method work to treat mindbody pain? Discover how repressed emotions can manifest as pain and how to treat it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-11-12T18:38:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-20T19:21:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/david-and-goliath-jay-freireich.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"908\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"509\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Becca King\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Becca King\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Becca King\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a98d1f6c931222c11a5c5d087f3376fe\"},\"headline\":\"Dr. Sarno&#8217;s Method for Treating Psychosomatic Pain\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-12T18:38:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-20T19:21:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/\"},\"wordCount\":1333,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/david-and-goliath-jay-freireich.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"The Mindbody Prescription\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Health\",\"Psychology\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/\",\"name\":\"Dr. Sarno's Method for Treating Psychosomatic Pain - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dr-sarno-method\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/david-and-goliath-jay-freireich.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-12T18:38:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-20T19:21:03+00:00\",\"description\":\"How does Dr. Sarno's method work to treat mindbody pain? 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