Tension myositis syndrome

Tension myositis syndrome, also called tension myoneural syndrome or mindbody syndrome, is a diagnosis proposed by the physician John E. Sarno for musculoskeletal and nerve pain, most notably chronic back pain, that he attributed to psychological rather than structural causes. Sarno described the condition across four books beginning with Mind Over Back Pain in 1982, and argued that repressed emotions could produce real physical pain by restricting blood flow to muscles and nerves, a mechanism he believed could extend to other pain disorders as well. His treatment protocol rejected rest and physical intervention in favor of patient education about the mind-body link, writing about the emotional issues believed to underlie the pain, a return to normal activity despite discomfort, and for some patients psychotherapy or support meetings. The diagnosis and its treatment protocol are not accepted by the mainstream medical community, which classifies it as a pseudomedical concept and a form of alternative medicine rather than an established condition.