Tension myositis syndrome (TMS) is a condition described by Dr. John E. Sarno in his book Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection (ISBN 0446392308). According to Dr. Sarno, TMS is a condition in which emotional stress is manifested as physical pain in the human body. Most often this pain occurs in the back, neck, shoulders, and buttocks but may appear in other parts of the body as well. The physiological reason for the pain is increased tension in the affected muscles, which decreases oxygen flow. This results in muscle pain similar to what an athlete might feel after a strenuous workout. Whereas the athlete will feel relief within moments of halting the workout, the person afflicted with TMS continues to feel pain almost constantly.
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2 Treatment 3 Back Pain and Traditional Medicine |
Dr. Sarno claims that the pain is the mind's defense mechanism against subconscious mental stress it does not want to cope with. Rather than be forced to deal with the stress and its underlying causes, the mind causes muscles in the body to tighten up and thus cause physical pain. The conscious mind can then concentrate on this pain rather than the underlying emotional stress.Underlying Cause