Pain, the Nervous System, and the Work of John Sarno
For decades, Dr. John Sarno challenged the conventional view of chronic pain. He proposed that many cases of back pain and other physical symptoms aren’t simply structural problems, but expressions of the nervous system under emotional strain. His term Tension Myoneural Syndrome (TMS) gave language to what many people already intuited: when we carry unexpressed feelings, our bodies often speak for us.
Steve Ozanich, one of Sarno’s most devoted students, has written extensively about this mind–body connection. In his book The Great Pain Deception, Ozanich shares his own journey of healing as well as countless stories of people who recovered once they understood that pain could be a reflection of repressed emotion, unresolved stress, or a nervous system stuck in protection mode.
Both Sarno and Ozanich point to something hopeful: pain is not always a life sentence. It can be an intelligent — though uncomfortable — signal from the body asking us to feel more fully, to listen more deeply, and to process what has long been held inside.
My Experience with Pain
A few months ago, I had a sudden sciatica attack. The pain was sharp and consuming, and for a moment it felt like my body had betrayed me. But leaning on Sarno’s and Ozanich’s work, I began to look beneath the surface.
What I discovered was that the pain wasn’t random. It was tied to familiar patterns in my life — perfectionism, overfunctioning, and rigid, almost idolatrous attachments to people and activities that weren’t truly serving me. In a strange way, the pain was holding up a mirror: showing me what I hadn’t wanted to see, demanding that I loosen my grip and feel what was actually going on inside.
That sciatica episode became less of a physical crisis and more of an invitation. It pushed me to notice how my nervous system was protecting me by creating symptoms, and how much energy I had been spending trying to hold everything together.
How This Relates to My Work
In my practice, I work with clients who are curious about these ideas. Whether or not you identify with TMS specifically, you may have noticed that your pain flares during stressful times, or that it changes depending on your emotional state. This is not “all in your head” — it’s a real, physiological process rooted in how the nervous system manages threat, stress, and unresolved experience.
Through gentle, body-based awareness practices and relational support, it’s possible to create space for the nervous system to shift. Many people find that as they connect more directly with their inner life — emotions, memories, patterns of tension — their pain begins to improve.
An Invitation
If you’re drawn to the work of Sarno and Ozanich, you’re already open to seeing pain differently. You may not need another pill, surgery, or adjustment. You may need a chance to slow down, listen inwardly, and feel what has been waiting to be felt.
I don’t offer quick fixes, but I do offer a steady presence and tools for working with the nervous system in a compassionate, curious way. Together, we explore how pain might be connected to your whole life — your history, your relationships, your body’s patterns of holding and protecting.
Pain doesn’t have to be the end of the story.
Sometimes it can be the doorway into a fuller, more connected experience of yourself.
👉 If you’d like to explore this, I invite you to reach out or book a consultation. We can look together at how your pain may be pointing toward something deeper and more workable than you’ve been led to believe.
