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Chronic back pain without a physical cause may be due to tension myositis syndrome (TMS), caused by mental stress. TMS is difficult to treat using traditional methods, but treatments that embrace the mind-body connection have been successful. TMS is diagnosed when a specific cause of pain cannot be identified. Unconscious stress is often the cause of back pain, and other conditions with a mind-body connection may also be present. TMS is often accompanied by stressful events, repressed anger, and perfectionism. Addressing these underlying causes can lead to resolution of pain.
Chronic nonspecific back pain that lacks a physical explanation may be due to tension myositis syndrome, or TMS. This type of back pain is common in individuals experiencing persistent emotional stress and is also sometimes referred to as mind-body syndrome. It’s because tension myositis syndrome is caused by mental stress, as opposed to physical injury, that doctors often find this type of pain difficult to treat using traditional methods. However, successful pain relief efforts have been made using treatments that embrace the mind-body connection.
Tension myositis syndrome is a phrase originally coined by Dr. John Sarno, who theorizes that some forms of chronic pain are attributed to emotional stress. Among the conditions Dr. Sarno believes are rooted in a mind-body connection are carpal tunnel syndrome and back pain. In promoting his theories of tension myositis syndrome, Dr. Sarno says that some chronic pain occurs as a result of the mind creating a diversion from emotional stress. When this occurs, the brain stops sending blood to a particular part of the body, which further results in a buildup of toxins and causes pain in that area. This same activity can also cause muscle spasms, which often accompany back pain.
Diagnosing tension myositis syndrome begins with an exam to determine whether your back pain has an actual source, such as a tumor or actual nerve damage caused by an underlying condition or trauma to that area. When a specific cause of the pain cannot be identified, doctors assume that the pain is caused by tension myositis syndrome. Emotional factors are then explored and further considered as causal sources of pain.
Unconscious stress is often found to be the culprit in causing back pain. It is not uncommon for individuals with back pain symptoms to also have previous or current symptoms of other conditions with a mind-body connection, such as ulcers, spastic colon, headaches, and gastrointestinal distress. Back pain affecting these individuals tends to occur more frequently in the lower back and, in some, also in the neck and shoulder areas.
Other telltale signs that back pain may be due to tension myositis syndrome include stressful events that occur simultaneously with the onset of chronic pain, repressed anger, and other emotions. Another feature of this syndrome is a history of trying remedies that don’t work and a personality prone to perfectionism and controlling tendencies or a person who is excessively self-critical. While treating back pain with conventional methods can offer the patient a level of relief, doctors who follow Dr. Sarno’s theory believe these are only a temporary solution. Instead, by addressing these possible underlying causes of back pain, doctors have found that pain, which otherwise could not be relieved, is finally resolved.
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