What is TMS?

TMS stands for Tension Myoneural* Syndrome, a term coined by Dr. John Sarno, Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University School of Medicine, and attending physician at the Howard A. Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University Medical Center. Dr. Sarno created this term to describe a cohort of his patients who presented with severe and previously incurable pain (often back pain). These patients had real physical pain that was produced through a mind-body connection. Much as grief can cause tears and embarassment can cause blushing, fear, stress, conditioning, and emotional tension were the cause of their all-too-real physical pain.

Many recovered TMS sufferers found this mind-body explanation hard to believe or even funny at first. What wasn't funny, however, was how discovering this diagnosis has helped so many of us recover from debilitating pain that had formerly ruled our lives. By exploring the TMS Wiki, you can find literally hundreds of success stories written by people whose lives were transformed by this diagnosis. As an example, consider this story, written especially for people not familiar with TMS.

If you would like to read more, we recommend that you watch the 20/20 segment on TMS and Dr. Sarno.

There are no exercises, shots, surgeries, or other painful or expensive treatments involved with the treatment of TMS. Instead, as Dr. Sarno writes, "information ... is the penicillin for this disorder." Therefore, the first several steps in the So You Think You Might Have TMS page provide a great deal of information about TMS. You might try reading over those first several steps if you would like to learn more. Of course, if you think you have TMS, we encourage you to try all of the steps--if you get the recommended books out of your local library, the entire process will be completely free and could transform your life, as it has transformed ours. What do you have to lose?

* Dr. Sarno has recently changed the expansion of TMS from "Tension Myositis Syndrome" to "Tension Myoneural Syndrome." On some pages of the wiki we still use the word Myositis because more people are familiar with the old term.