The brain causes physical pain.
Learn how to relieve it.
...thousands treated and recovered...
David Schechter, M.D. | Board Certified Sports Medicine
35+ Years Experience | Student of Dr. John Sarno
Cedars-Sinai Attending Physician | Published Author
What is TMS?
If you've been told:
- "We can't find anything wrong"
- "You'll have to live with it"
- "It's just arthritis/aging"
- "Try another injection/perhaps surgery"
...You may have Tension Myoneural Syndrome (TMS), now called Neuroplastic Symptoms.
TMS is real physical pain caused by the brain, not structural damage. The good news? Once you understand this, recovery is possible—without medications, procedures, or surgery.
I suffered from chronic pain all over my body, could not lift my arms and struggled to walk. Two years after treatment with Dr. Schechter I have climbed 2 SoCal mountains (Cucamonga Peak and Mt. Wilson) and run two 10 K races. I am also playing golf and walk the 18 holes. After 30 years I even got back on the tennis court. It was hard.. I had to work very hard on it. I learned a lot about myself.. Thank you again for your assistance.
Anita B. (patient)
How do I heal from chronic pain?
Three key steps:
1. Learn how the brain creates real physical pain
2. Identify the psychological and emotional triggers
3. Retrain your nervous system to break the cycle
This isn't "mind over matter" or positive thinking.
It's neuroscience-based education that addresses the root cause.
Education is the "penicillin" for TMS.
Part of treating TMS/neuroplastic symptoms is learning how the brain causes physical pain and how you can break the cycle. We offer several educational resources:
-
online video program 5 hour comprehensive program to guide your healing journey
-
books and interactive workbooks about TMS. self-guided resources
-
patient stories about their recovery experiences
Is There Science Behind This Method?
Actually, quite a lot. More science than for many surgical and other approaches to chronic pain.
Three types of research:
1) View research I've participated in about TMS and chronic pain.
2) and Recent and Specific Research by colleagues (controlled studies, major journals)
3) Large amounts of related research summarized in a bibliography of over 200 articles supporting the mind-body link; psycho-physiologic conditions, journaling, neuroscience, and economics of pain.
Other and Newer Names for TMS
TMS, Neuroplastic Symptoms, PPD (Psycho-Physiologic Disorder), Central Pain Syndrome, Distraction Pain Syndrome, Pain Amplification Syndrome, Tension Myoneural Syndrome, Tension Myositis Syndrome, The MindBody Syndrome, Learned Neural Pathways, Nociplastic Pain, Neural Circuit Pain. You may have heard the term PRT or pain reprocessing therapy, a name for one of the elements of treatment for this condition.
Our national non-profit is now the Assoc. for Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms. (ATNS, formerly PPDA)
Dr. David Schechter
Dr. David Schechter is a Board Certified Sports Medicine/Family Medicine Physician practicing in West Los Angeles, California. Cedars-Sinai attending.
Dr. Schechter has over thirty five years of experience with the TMS diagnosis, has treated thousands of neuroplastic patients and published original research.
While a medical student at NYU, he was a successful patient of Dr. John Sarno and Dr. Sarno's research assistant for a follow-up study.
Educational materials developed by Dr. Schechter include:
-
The MindBody Workbook (Volume 1, 2)
-
Think Away Your Pain
-
The MindBody Healing Journey course
-
The MindBody Workbook for teens
-
Understanding and Healing from TMS
Some of these were essential elements of the home treatment program for his 2007 published study in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.
Dr. Schechter's book, published in 2014, brings together his clinical experience, research findings, new scientific evidence and emotional wisdom. This book has been called "the most 'user-friendly' book in this field."
He presents an updated model of pain, The Seven Lessons of Pain, detailed treatment methods and The Twelve Stages of Healing.
It's also been reviewed as "the clearest description of mindbody pain treatment yet written."
Get the latest tips, methods, and information on TMS by joining our mailing list.