Back Pain and Emotions



Posted: Friday, January 08, 2010

by
ANR Publishing

Low back pain is an epidemic in the U.S. and more than 80% of people worldwide will suffer from low back pain at some point in their lives. Widespread suffering from back pain is a new phenomenon; historically, there has never been a time when millions of people have been suffering from the same pain syndrome. Western medicine would have us all believing that our discs are the problem, but the proof is lacking.

Our bodies are designed to heal without lingering pain, and our backs are no exception. Numerous studies of asymptomatic patients have shown that spinal abnormalities, such as herniated discs and stenosis of the spinal canal are not in themselves indicative of painful conditions. Many patients, being told that their herniated discs are the source of their pain, opt for surgery as a last resort. Failed back surgeries are common; surgery on herniated discs does not necessarily end the pain and many patients are finding that they are still in pain, sometimes much worse pain, after surgery.

The problem goes all the way back to the diagnosis - most doctors believe that low back pain is caused by herniated discs, pinched nerves, or other physical problems, however, nothing could be farther from the truth. One doctor proved that almost 90% of back pain patients can quickly and easily heal themselves using their minds alone. Dr. John Sarno, a back specialist, discovered that most chronic back pain is caused not by physical injuries or malformations, but instead, by repressed emotions.

Healing from back pain, then, becomes a matter of understanding how our mind affects our level of pain and learning to change learned and conditional behaviors that contribute to a negative emotional state. The emotions that contribute to chronic pain tend to be hidden in the unconscious and are not readily accessible to us. The patient represses socially unacceptable emotions, such as anger, resentment, and anxiety in an attempt to protect them from dealing with the emotional pain that they would otherwise cause. The unconscious, in an attempt to distract the patient from the painful emotions, creates instead physical pain. These conditions frequently have what appears to be a physical injury or malformation associated with them, but this is just a convenient ‘place’ for the mind to store the pain.

Recovering from chronic pain with an emotional component requires the patient to accept that their pain is most likely caused by repressed emotions and to work to turn around the conditioned habit of avoiding reinjuring themselves. Additionally, patients must work to reduce stress and understand the source of the repressed emotions so that they can let go of the physical pain. There is good news, though; the prognosis for healing is extremely good for patients with chronic low back pain - almost 90% of patients recover completely and no longer suffer from pain.

To receive my FREE report Top 10 Tips for Pain Relief and Healthy Living go to: http://www.annekwest.com/freereport

Anne K. West is a passionate advocate of using the mind and increased awareness to reach optimum levels of health for your body, mind, and soul. For a complete list of her resources on healing pain, including back pain, neck pain, buttock pain, and bursitis pain, please visit: http://www.annekwest.com/ebooks

 

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