The Mindbody Prescription
by John E. Sarno · first published 1998
72% recommend26% neutral2% critical
Why HN recommends it
Argues that chronic pain like RSI and back trouble often stems from repressed stress and emotion rather than physical damage. Readers with stubborn pain say it relieved symptoms when ergonomics and therapy failed.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Dr. John E. Sarno's Healing Back Pain is a New York Times bestseller that has helped over 500,000 readers. Continuing the research since his groundbreaking book, the renowned physician now presents his most complete work yet on the vital connection between mental and bodily health, The Mindbody Prescription. Musculoskeletal pain disorders have reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with most doctors failing to recognize their underlying cause. In this acclaimed volume, Dr. Sarno reveals how many painful conditions--including most neck and back pain, migraine, repetitive stress inju
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2008–2024The trigger point therapy workbook
Clair Davies
Recommended by 17 · mentioned by 1817 recommend · 18 mention17 recommend · 1817 recommend
2013–2026Healing Back Pain
John E. Sarno
Recommended by 36 · mentioned by 5036 recommend · 50 mention36 recommend · 5036 recommend
2012–2019The new rules of posture
Mary Bond
Recommended by 1 · mentioned by 21 recommend · 2 mention1 recommend · 21 recommend
2022–2025Way Out
Gordon, Alan, Alon Ziv
Recommended by 4 · mentioned by 64 recommend · 6 mention4 recommend · 64 recommend
2012–2023The Divided Mind
John E. Sarno
Recommended by 11 · mentioned by 1311 recommend · 13 mention11 recommend · 1311 recommend
2010–2023Treat Your Own Back
Robin A. McKenzie, Robin McKenzie
Recommended by 9 · mentioned by 109 recommend · 10 mention9 recommend · 109 recommend
2008–2023It's not carpal tunnel syndrome!
Suparna Damany
Recommended by 10 · mentioned by 1110 recommend · 11 mention10 recommend · 1110 recommend
2013–2024Becoming a Supple Leopard
Kelly Starrett, Glen Cordoza
Recommended by 14 · mentioned by 1514 recommend · 15 mention14 recommend · 1514 recommend
I'm not sure what the cause of your chronic pain is, but I would highly recommend reading John Sarno's "The Mindbody Prescription." I've dealt with chronic pain for years and it's the only thing that's had any effect. Please, please, don't write it off until you've read the book. Note that Sarno's work focuses on back pain, but…
on “Ask HN: I'm disabled and out of money. Now what?” ↗Reading Dr Sarno’s book “The Mindbody Prescription” was what cured me. There was no physical cause. I haven’t had issues since 2001, and I don’t do anything specific to address the physical, the solution is purely psychological (though the symptoms were…
on “Stopping the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career (2016)” ↗…paragraph on each, but I'm unfortunately short on time. I'm posting any in case just one person who hasn't heard of those checks them out and gets value: -Godel, Escher, Bach (Douglas Hosfstadter) -The Mindbody Prescription (John E. Sarno, completely cured my long-term crippling RSI that kept me from using computers and was ruining my life) -Feeling Good (Dr. Burns, cognitive therapy mostly centered on depression, but I…
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗…believe that RSI (and typing-related carpel tunnel) is psychosomatic. I experienced what I thought was chronic RSI that I wasn't able to solve through any other means but reading Dr. John E Sarno's "The Mindbody Prescription" which I highly recommend reading. For 1.5 years I was not able to type without pain. I was able to rid myself of this pain in weeks through a psychological approach. It's been over 7 years since then…
on “Common Programmer Health Problems” ↗I suggest reading "The Mindbody Prescription" by John E Sarno. Here is an overview of what it talks about: http://www.rsi.deas.harvard.edu/handout.doc (I know it's a Word doc, but that is the best overview I've seen) It helped me recover 100%…
on “Inside the World's Greatest Keyboard ” ↗…seems to solve the root cause. I am 26 and the thought of not being able to use my hands to do something I have frightened the hell out of me. That's when I stumbled upon John Sarno and his book "The mindbody prescription". I thought it's pseudoscience and I read it with very low expectations. And It's been almost four months since I have trouble using my computer. In a nutshell, most of RSI injuries are not just physical…
on “Hands-Free Coding: How I develop software using dictation and eye-tracking” ↗Not one mention of The Mindbody Prescription (if only to dismiss it)? If you're suffering from back pain, or carpal tunnel syndrome, or such ailments, read this book, it might change your life! (and if it doesn't it can't harm) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0446675156/
on “To treat back pain, look to the brain not the spine” ↗I had chronic, severe, debilitating pain for years until I read the book: The Mindbody Prescription by Dr. Sarno [1] Someone on HN suggested it in a "carpal tunnel" thread. I didn't have carpal tunnel. I had a completely destroyed knee. No more cartilage. Bone on bone with every step I took (confirmed…
on “How to deal with extreme physical pain” ↗…on RSI I struggled with RSI for years, and did all the usual things (warmups, exercises, braces, a Kinesis with modified key layout, etc.) Then, in early 2010, I read (at Aaron Iba's suggestion) The Mindbody Prescription by John Sarno. Within a couple of days, I saw remarkable improvement; within a month, I was symptom-free. YMMV, of course. 2. Don't wear a brace of any kind. I question the advice to wear a back…
on “Resolutions for programmers” ↗The most surprising information I discovered curing RSI is: http://aaroniba.net/articles/tmp/how-i-cured-my-rsi-pain.htm... which recommends http://www.amazon.com/Mindbody-Prescription-Healing-Body-Pai...
on “Using Voice to Code Faster than Keyboard” ↗I suggest the possiblity that this is a manifestation of TMS. Check out John Sarno's The Mindbody Prescription.
on “Man receives constant pain signals from his brain” ↗Anyone who is interested in mind over matter should check out Dr. Sarno's work - http://www.amazon.com/The-Mindbody-Prescription-Healing-Body... Similar to the vomiting poster, I had/have a longtime chronic nerve pain issue in my arms and legs that this book was tremendously helpful in managing. While fixing bad posture and a…
on “You can train your body into thinking it’s had medicine” ↗…computer keyboard or bad posture, but rather it's root cause is psychological (with the understanding that physical things are happening, but they are controlled by your mind). I suggest reading "The Mindbody Prescription" by Dr John E Sarno. Here is one of the better summary of the ideas (in Word doc format): http://www.rsi.deas.harvard.edu/handout.doc Personally, I have been pain free for over 10 years thanks to this.…
on “Software Development Is Bad For Your Health” ↗Have you read Mindbody Prescription by Dr. John E. Sarno? It's the only thing that could cure my constant RSI/chronic pain after years of trying everything, and in the book he talks about fibromyalgia. http://www.amazon.com/The-Mindbody-Prescription-Healing-Body...…
on “Why I Changed My Mind On Weed” ↗…equivalent of a novel per week (I do a lot of SEO stuff in my side gigs) and never have a problem. If you really want to learn what's causing your problems - get Healing Back Pain by John Sarno or The Mindbody Prescription (same author). Check this 20/20 segment out from several years ago - I can't find the original Google Video version that I watched, this seems to be a substitute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsR4wydiIBI…
on “Where do you find the time for side projects?” ↗