Dr. David Schechter didn’t always buy into the idea of the mind-body pain connection. As a medical student, he relied on conventional and traditional approaches to pain management.

But that was before he developed knee pain that felt almost impossible to resolve. He tried mechanical therapy and strengthening exercises as is typically recommended, but nothing seemed to work. So he approached an NYU physiatrist for help: Dr. John Sarno, who became one of America’s most famous back pain doctors.

Dr. Sarno told Dr. Schechter that his pain was psychosomatic. “That really threw me for a loop,” Dr. Schechter said. “It was not what I was expecting to hear.” 

But it worked. And Dr. Sarno’s theory of Tension Myositis Syndrome, or TMS — that the mind creates pain in order to suppress traumatic events or subconscious thoughts and feelings — has been supported by independent research showing how the brain reacts differently to chronic and acute pain.

It’s an idea that has unfortunately come with social stigma: patients who suffer from TMS worry that the pain is “all in their head.”

But psychosomatic pain is real, Dr. Schechter says, and understanding how our brain impacts our physical bodies is the first step to accurate treatment and recovery.

Dr. Schechter joins us on episode 44 of Back Talk Doc to discuss the research behind mind-body medicine and the mind-body methods that best help address pain. 

“It's a more effective way to treat a particular type of symptom, typically chronic pain,” he says. “And it's a better way to define it. If you make the correct diagnosis, you're more likely to move forward with the correct treatment program.”

Read the Full Show Notes on our website BackTalkDoc.com.

💡 Featured Expert 💡

Name: David Schechter, MD

What he does: Dr. David Schechter is a physician in Culver City, California with a medical degree from New York University. He specializes in sports medicine with a particular focus on non-surgical approaches and mind-body medicine. Dr. Schechter is the author of several books including The MindBody Workbook.

Company: David Schechter, MD (private practice)

Words of wisdom: “If you're afraid of failure, if you're afraid to not get there those opportunities may not ever become available. So don't be afraid to fail. Try it, and if it doesn't work out, learn from it and move on. And do even better next time.”

Connect: LinkedIn

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Back Talk Doc is brought to you by Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates, with offices in North and South Carolina. To learn more about Dr. Lakhia and treatment options for back and spine issues, go to backtalkdoc.com. To schedule an appointment with Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates, you can call us at 1-800-344-6716 or visit our website at carolinaneurosurgery.com.