Mindbody Perspectives
“At the end of the mind, the body. But at the end of the body, the mind.” Paul Valery
There is new interest and evidence for approaches to chronic symptoms that recognize the complex interplay between mind and body. This perspective is not dismissing symptoms saying “It’s all in your head.” It is saying symptoms are real and involve the pathways of your nervous system. That shift opens up a range of new possibilities for treatment and recovery.
These symptoms can be called neuroplastic in that they reflect the plasticity of the nervous system to change and adapt. This approach starts with the understanding that the human brain can cause pain or illness in the body. Pain does not always equate with tissue damage and symptoms do not always indicate pathological processes. Effective treatment for these syndromes is available.
I have been interested in these approaches for more than thirty years, including communicating with Dr. John Sarno and interviewing several of his patients for my 2007 doctoral dissertation. This approach will seem radical for many first encountering it, including health care clinicians, but it recognizes the interconnections between mind, emotions, body, spirit, beliefs, the power of labels and community that have been assumed in most cultures throughout human history.
I offer the same protocols used in recent research studies, such as in the 2021 intervention for back pain and welcome clients who have found me through practitioner referral lists from professional organizations that support this approach.
Please see below for further resources.
Over the years I have talked with countless people about how their physical symptoms might be connected with stress, specific situations, past experiences, emotions and more. I have listened to stories of medical journeys and how frustrating it is that “they can’t find anything wrong.” Talking about how the mind and body might be connected is never an easy conversation in an urgent care exam room or anywhere someone is hearing these ideas for the first time. I have learned to plant seeds of possible connections for people to consider at a later moment.
In offering Health Coaching services in this practice for what have been called mindbody syndromes or neuroplastic symptoms or tension myositis, I can connect with clients who are interested in exploring this approach. It continues to be a fascinating and rewarding challenge for me to bring together my background in medical anthropology with a nurse practitioner’s and massage therapist’s interest in the physical and a consulting detective’s interest in “obvious facts.” Mainly these clients find me through practitioner databases of related professional organizations, but anyone is welcome to make an appointment to discuss how this approach might relate to their situation.
Resources
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As a voracious reader and audiobook listener, I have always loved hearing about the idea of “book cures” with this approach. There are many people over the past decades who have reported symptoms improving or disappearing after reading books. Here are a few I often recommend to clients and patients.
This is an accesible introduction to these theories by one of the founders of Pain Reproceessing Therapy (PRT). It is also excellent as an audiobook read by the author and he also has a great podcast. I have completed training in PRT with Alan Gordon and his colleagues.
Unlearn Your Pain, 4th Edition by Dr. Howard Schubiner
This is a comprehensive workbook written by one of the leaders in the field of mindbody medicine. Combined with resources on his website, this is a great option for people to work with this perspective on their own or with me in a series of appointments. I have completed several classes with Dr. Schubiner and his colleagues.
Back in Control: A Surgeon's Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain, 2nd Edition by Dr. David Hanscom.
This is a particularly fascinating as it is written by a back surgeon who also suffered from back pain.
The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain by Dr. John Sarno
This is one of the many now classic books written by the late New York University Rusk Institute physician that have changed the lives of countless people. In the film and video section I have links to several recent films about his work.
Written by a gastroenterologist and founder of the Association for Treatment of Neuroplastic Syndromes, he discusses many case studies to explain and demonstrate a mindbody approach.
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This brief documentary called Changing Your Mind: Chronic Pain and the Brain can be viewed here. It includes some familiar faces.
This ten minute video on the paradigm shift of this perspective helps put some of the recent studies in context.
Dr. Howard Schubiner’s six short animated videos on pain are an excellent introduction to this approach.
All The Rage: Saved by Sarno is a film about Dr. John Sarno and his decades of work exploring mindbody connections.
Although Dr. Schubiner does not use this specific group approach currently, the film This Might Hurt offers a window into how this approach has helped certain people.
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Dr. David Clarke’s youtube channel is a tremendous source for stories of patients who have recovered from a variety of neuroplastic symptoms.
I highly recommend the Curable app. It is like having a mindbody coach in your phone. It is very comprehensive and has helped many people. Through this link you can get the first six weeks free. I am always surprised how few people I suggest this to actually try it. For some people this leads to something like a “book cure” like people have had from Dr. Sarno’s books.
Alan Gordon and Alon Ziv have an excellent podcast called Tell Me About Your Pain.
Many people have benefited from the work of Nicole Sachs, who initially trained with Dr. Sarno. She has a youtube video and has a particular interest in long COVID.
Many people have appreciated Dan Buglio's coaching approach.
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I will only link to a few articles in this growing literature. Two of my teachers, Dr. Howard Schubiner and Dr. Howard Lumley are co-authors on several of the studies. I can provide a similar intervention to the one used in the 2021 Effects of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs. Placebo study.
2022: Trauma matters: psychological interventions for comorbid psychosocial trauma and chronic pain
2022: At the intersection of anger, chronic pain, and the brain: A mini-review
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The title of this 2023 NBC Today show segment is “New therapy aims to cure back pain without drugs, surgery.”
This 2021 Washington Post article is called Chronic pain is surprisingly treatable — when patients focus on the brain: An unexpected therapy shows results.
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I am happy to work with clients who are making their own way through books and other resources. I love hearing about the “book cures” that some people have experienced.
I have worked with clients who have also been using these two professional resources:
Over the last eight years, my training and certifications in this approach have included:
-Psychophysiological Disorder Association (PPDA) Practitioner Training with Dr. David Clarke
-Pain Reprocessing Treatment (PRT) Certification with Alan Gordon
-Advanced PRT with Dr. Howard Schubiner
-Freedom from Pain with Dr. Howard Schubiner
-Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy with Dr. Howard Schubiner and Dr. Dan Lumley
-Beyond Pain with Charlie Merrill and Dr. Howard Schubiner
-Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners’ Association (SIRPA) Practitioner Certification with Georgie Oldfield
