OVERCOMING REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY

Here's the complete story of my recovery from RSI.

Introduction

Hi there! I’m Brett, and I have a secret. I’ve worked as a computer programmer since 1997. For most of my career I’ve been blighted by Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). It ruined my career, and then nearly ruined my entire life. I was weeks away from giving up a career I loved. Finally, in 2007 I made my breakthrough. I cured my RSI. It’s gone. I no longer fear using a computer. I’ve gotten my life back!

I am going to let you into a secret. Just like me, there are many thousands of people who have successfully cured long term pain conditions following the methods I describe here. The techniques I describe were first used to cure back pain, but they are equally applicable to RSI. I spent less than $100 on curing my RSI. I didn’t have to buy a new chair or desk or ergonomic mouse. I didn’t have to change my diet, take up exercise or swallow loads of pills. I didn’t have to visit a doctor, physiotherapist or other health professional.

The secret of how I cured my RSI will surprise you. My story will make uncomfortable reading. But I hope that my story will demonstrate that RSI doesn’t have to ruin your life!

This forum is mainly concerned with RSI symptoms associated with using a computer keyboard and mouse. But the techniques described here have also been successfully used by people to ease the RSI symptoms that arise from playing musical instruments or other activities. In fact, the techniques will also help with other pain issues such as lingering back, leg or neck pain.

Success Stories

I am one of the many people who have managed to cure their RSI condition by using a revolutionary approach to healing pain. I will tell you my story. It will surprise you. But don't take my word for it - the techniques I used have also worked for many other people. This is what other people have said about the techniques I have used:

...i was COMPLETELY FREE of any pain. I really couldn’t believe it!!..

...has helped me address some debilitating RSI related pains which I'd been carrying for more than 6 years.

Most helpful, most hopeful

I am now probably back to 80% of my pre-RSI capabilities ... and fully expect to continue to improve over the next few weeks and months.

a winner after spending years and countless £££ trying to treat my symptoms

Quite simply-It cured my 'RSI'

RSI sufferers - it could be over

Closest thing to a miracle cure

When I first read these success stories, I was intially very sceptical. But now I accept that they are true. It really is possible to recover from RSI.

Getting Started

First of all, let me congratulate you on having the courage to seek help about this. For years I was in denial about the state of my condition. I didn’t seek medical advice. I didn’t tell my employers. All the time I was aware my condition was worsening. Reading about RSI made me panic. Even seeing those terrible three letters made me sweat. I therefore know exactly how difficult it is for you to read this.

By the way, let me say that before you follow any of the methods described here, you should seek professional medical advice. I’m not your physician. I don’t know your medical history. It is important to rule out other illnesses. Please also bear in mind that I am not a trained medical physician. I make no guarantees about anything. But I am a fellow RSI sufferer. Or rather I was. I am now cured. I now live a normal life again.

The methods described here [b]do[/i] work. How do I know? I have used them myself. So have many others. You are probably asking yourself why you have not heard of these techniques before. There are several reasons. Firstly, the techniques are related to the area of mindbody medicine. This branch of medicine was in vogue in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The connection between mind and body fascinated some of the greatest minds of that period. Sadly this area of medicine largely got neglected for the remainder of the 20th century.

The other reason is that we are conditioned to believe that pills or surgery are the only answers to health problems. Just think of the vast numbers of people on anti-depressants. They usually have a bad incident that makes them feel down. They go to the doctor. The doctor describes anti-depressants. The patient hasn’t really been cured of their depression, but the pills make them feel happier.

Finally, the medical industry is a hugely powerful multi billion dollar business. Doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, chiropractors - they all have jobs because people get sick. Pharmaceutical companies in particular are very powerful. They make their money by persuading doctors to prescribe their pills. I have a relative who once worked in a hospital as a medical secretary. I could not believe the amount of freebies the pharmaceutical company gives to doctors.

I am happy to report that the techniques I describe are finally gaining recognition in the medical community. But it is a slow process. There have even been occasions when the information about the techniques has been removed from Wikipedia. Obviously those of us who know about these techniques find this sort of thing incredibly frustrating.

This Isn't For Everyone

I have used the techniques I will describe. I cured my RSI. I believe that anyone can successfully use these techniques. Unfortunately many people have dismissed these techniques. Many people refuse to believe that they will work. They are of the opinion that they are different to everybody else. Of course the reality is that we are all physiologically pretty much identical. So there is no reason why anyone should not be able to use these techniques.

To use them fully you have to be open to learning about new things. You must put yourself back in control of your own life. You also need to accept that you may have to throw away everything you thought that you knew about your condition.

These techniques touch upon mental health issues. There is a terrific stigma attached to mental health. Many people will refuse to even consider they have a mental health issue.

Finally, it’s worth remembering that some instances of RSI are caused by underlying medical conditions. Carpal tunnel syndrome is one such example. However, I am assured that carpal tunnel syndrome is an extremely rare condition, so there is only a small chance that a person’s RSI could be caused by this. Conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome also have their own particular symptoms, which are usually different from what the typical RSI sufferer experiences.

If you’re having trouble believing what you’re reading, there’s a 10 point action plan at the end of this thread.

What is RSI?

Many people say that they get pain when using a computer keyboard or mouse. Thankfully most of them seem to shake off the pain after a week or two. Unfortunately the pain can sometimes linger for weeks, months, or even years. Very often the pain gets steadily worse, until the sufferer can no longer do the activity that gives them pain. This is particularly worrying for someone who has to use a computer as part of their job.

Anyone who thinks they have RSI should visit a doctor in order that a proper diagnosis is made. A doctor will also ensure that there are no serious underlying health conditions.

Generally, experiencing some or all of the following are indications that RSI may be the cause of pain:

The pain is not present when waking, but gets steadily worse during the day. The pain comes and goes.

The amount of pain seems to be unrelated to weather, diet, medication or other factors.

The amount of pain does not seem related to amount of work undertaken.

The pain goes away while other illnesses are present (e.g. colds/flu/back ache /toothache etc.).

The pain gets worse in hot weather.

Pain is worse for some activities than others (e.g. it is painful to type, but not to play the piano or play computer games).

The pain suffer spends a lot of time worrying about their health.

The pain suffer has problematic relationships with other people such as family, partner or line manager at work.

The pain goes away while the sufferer is on vacation.

A doctor cannot find anything specifically wrong.

The pain has been present for more than three months.

The condition makes the sufferer stop doing certain activities.

The pain sufferer is otherwise in good health, with no other major health problems.

About Me

My name is Brett. I am one of life’s high achievers. Maybe you are as well? RSI tends to affect successful people. In high school my careers advisor told me I’d never go to University. I ended up getting a Bachelor of Science degree. My chemistry teacher told me that it was difficult to study chemistry at degree level. Despite this, I ended up with a doctorate in Biochemistry. Throughout my life I have constantly achieved more than people ever expected of me.

Despite all that hard work studying science, when I graduated I actually ended up as a computer programmer. I first encountered the Internet at University and I managed to bluff my way into my first IT job. I told my line manager I could program computers. In reality the only programming I had done was on my home computer when I was a child. Let me tell you that those first few months were pretty tough going. But I am a quick learner. By the time the dot com boom happened in 2000 I had not only taught myself programming, I had pretty much doubled my salary in three years. I was young, debt free and making good money. I had stock options. Life was good. And yet it wasn’t…

All through these heady years I had a terrible secret. After using a mouse and keyboard all day, my right arm (the one I use a mouse with) used to ache a lot. Some days were better than others. I used to be pleased when there was a long meeting or something, so I wouldn't have to use a computer for a few hours. Unfortunately when you’re a computer programmer, that kind of thing doesn’t happen frequently. You’re pretty much stuck in front of your computer all day long.

The Worsening

At first my arm used to ache on the journey home from work. Slowly it got worse. After three years it began to ache all through the evening, and into the night. Eventually it began to ache a little the next morning. I tried to cut down my computer usage. I stopped playing computer games or doing anything else non-income generating. I pretty much gave up using my home computer. For a couple of years following the dot com crash the economy was bad, so I was able to cut my working hours. This improved my symptoms a little, and I felt that it might help me prolong my career for as long as possible.

I used to hate hearing anything about RSI. I was truly in denial. One day I learned that one of my colleagues was badly affected by it, and had to cut his working hours to a couple of hours a day. When you think you have the same problem, that is not something you want to hear.

During this time I considered switching careers. While I had the financial means to do this, it’s not an easy thing to do. On top of this, so many jobs these days require you to use a computer. Most jobs require you to do something with your hands. Besides, being a computer programmer is pretty lucrative, and it would be difficult to find something else with a decent salary and good working hours.

The Reckoning

After a couple of years of working part-time, I felt that I should return to full time employment. I thought there might be a risk of my making my condition worse. But I had to balance the fact that the job market was improving after the dot com crash, and I was getting left behind in terms of salary and career.

Things did not get off to a good start. The job interview had a technical test that involved designing a database. It was difficult. My RSI symptoms got really bad after doing the test. Not a good sign I thought. On the way home I got pretty depressed. The job was with a very well known organisation and it would mark the resurrection of my career from the ashes of the dot com crash. But I was not sure if I could take the risk.

Much to my surprise, a few days later I was actually offered the job.

Obviously starting a new job is usually good for the morale, especially if it pays 20% more than the old one and there is a decent pension plan, healthcare and other benefits! At first things went very well. The job was full time, but the working day was actually shorter than my old one. My new co-workers were friendly. My RSI symptoms subsided. But I was lulled into a false sense of security.

Health advisors will tell you that if you ignore the symptoms they will get worse. Eventually you may have to give up work altogether. For years I lived with this possibility. In late 2005 it became a reality for me. What scared the hell out of me was that it wasn’t a gradual decline like I had experienced before. It happened literally overnight. One Monday morning I went to work. It was a particularly stressful day in the office. The company’s website was being rebranded that day. I was in charge of making the changes. I ended up having to do a couple of hours of overtime. My line manager was constantly checking up on my progress. By the end of the day both hands and arms were aching like mad.

I was starting to panic. Mostly my RSI problems had affected the arm I used the mouse with. This time it was both arms! What had I done?

The pain continued through the week, then into next week. I thought my career was finished. Actually, I thought my life might be finished. I was going paranoid wondering how on earth I could retire in my mid-30s. I had some cash in the bank, but not enough to last until I could draw my pension.

Like so many sufferers, I desperately tried to think of what had triggered the deterioration in my condition. I wondered if it was caused by a longer than usual working day, or whether it was caused by such a stressful day. The days leading up to the day my condition suddenly worsened had been

very busy. I had recently moved house and the Internet service had been activated, so I did a lot more computer work at home than I had for weeks. The weather had turned a lot colder. I had to do a lot of tiring lifting and unpacking in my new house. I built some flat pack furniture - had the screwdriver usage broken my hands? As if that wasn’t enough, my mother’s partner got rushed to hospital after having a suspected heart attack.

I tried to carry on working. But it was getting harder to disguise what was going on. My line manager had certainly noticed that my productivity was down. In fact, this was starting to feedback and I wondered if stress was making things worse.

I did have a few months when things got a little better. But I had to face up to reality. Whenever I touched a computer keyboard or used a mouse I would start experiencing pain.

This was now starting to have a serious affect upon my productivity at work. Furthermore, I turned down offers of doing overtime. I could have used the extra money, but I chose not to do it.

Eventually I confessed to my line manager that I had a problem. For me, it took great courage to tell somebody else about my problem. I don’t know if it helped to do this. In some ways it was very liberating to tell somebody about my problem. The downside to this was that my line manager had to alert the occupational health advisors at my workplace. This lead to my workstation, posture and typing technique having to be examined. It was all horribly stressful, and I have to say it made my condition even worse.

I also began to notice that my hands and arms were starting to ache from doing other tasks. Chopping vegetables hurt. Cleaning the bathroom hurt. Using my mobile phone hurt. Even changing channels on the TV remote was bad. For me this was really alarming. I did not want to live my life like this, so I really began to put a lot of effort into finding a solution to my problem.

The Search for a Cure

Once things had gotten as bad as they had, I began my search for some relief. I had no idea what to do, other than find something that would prolong my career for just a few more years.Like my fellow sufferers, I tried many things, including:

Medication

I started with standard anti-inflammatory pills. Ibuprofen is a popular over the counter pain reliever. It didn’t seem to make much difference. My doctor prescribed me some stronger anti-inflammatory pills. Again I couldn’t be certain that these were having any effect. Besides, I was wary of using medication to cure my condition. Who wants to take pills for the rest of their lives if they can avoid it?

Diet and dietary supplements

I’ve always had a pretty healthy diet, so I didn’t think there was much room for improvement here. I heard that certain foods were helpful for reducing RSI symptoms due to their anti-inflammatory actions. I tried adding turmeric to as many meals as I could. I ate loads of fresh pineapple. I am not certain that either of these helped much.

I also read somewhere that magnesium supplements are useful in treating RSI. There is some

evidence magnesium supplements improve well-being, and it is also good at preventing muscle cramps. But like with the anti-inflammatory pills, I wasn’t convinced that this was the answer to my problems. Eating lots of magnesium also has unpleasant side effects - like having to go to the bathroom more often!

I also tried homeopathic remedies. I heard somewhere that Arnica was useful for treating injuries. However, this didn’t seem to make much difference, other than reducing the amount of money in my wallet!

Ergonomic Mice

A lot of people have tried different shapes and sizes of mice. There are also trackballs and pen-like mice. Unfortunately since both of my arms were affected I didn’t think that changing to a different mouse would help much. I also find trackballs quite awkward to use.

Posture

I tried to make sure my typing posture was as good as possible. I made sure my mouse was right next to my keyboard, as the occupational health advisors tell you. I even got a footrest. I am not sure any of this was any use to me, although it was nice to be able to put my feet up sometimes!

Improving my Typing Technique

I’ll admit that my typing technique is a little odd. Not that many computer programmers are ever taught how to touch type. I did wonder if I should learn a better typing technique. But having read about other people’s problems with RSI, I came to the conclusion that my typing technique was probably not to blame for my condition.

Ergonomic Clothing and Bandages

In my desperation, I tried so many things. At one point I became convinced the problems were actually in my shoulders, and not in my hands or arms. Somewhere I read a review of a back brace worn by jockeys to protect their backs during horse riding. Apparently back pain sufferers had discovered that these supports helped reduce back pain. Well I’m sorry to say that it didn't really help my symptoms.

I also tried elbow supports and wrist supports. Again they didn’t make appear to make a great deal of difference to my condition.

Heat and Cold Treatment

It’s well known that pain related injuries respond well to hot and cold treatments. For a while I resorted to plunging my hands in a bowl of cold water as soon as I got home from work. I think this helped the pain a little, but it wasn’t exactly a cure.

Exercise

Most occupational health advisors will tell you to exercise your hands and arms. There are special warm up exercises. Unfortunately I didn’t feel that these made any difference at all. If anything,

they made my symptoms worse.

In desperation I even tried watching a Yoga DVD. Maybe I needed to improve my general fitness levels? Unfortunately Yoga really made my hands ache, and trying yoga in front of my TV in a desperate attempt to cure myself was a new low point in my life.

I also tried cycling and other exercises. I am not convinced any of this helped my condition at all.

Doubts Begin to Surface

Many people with RSI report that their symptoms come and go. I certainly noticed this. It made trying to find out what made my symptoms get worse a very difficult task. At the same time, it also encouraged me, because I began to think that there may be the possibility of something that could lessen, or even cure my condition. I just could not figure out what was helping me.

I did notice that my condition tended to get worse in warm weather. After speaking to my doctor about this I began to have doubts as to the cause of my condition. My doctor told me that most genuine long term pain conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism tend to get worse in cold weather. I guess this is why numerous American old folk like to move to Florida, and English old folk move to sunny Spain.

If you work in a large office, there are usually a few people who have occupational health issues. I was always struck by the fact that those with the healthiest diets seemed to have more problems than those who had burgers and cola for lunch. I began to think that diet may not be at all relevant in my condition. That’s not to say that having a healthy diet doesn’t have other benefits though.

Occupational health professionals will tell you that maintaining posture is very important when using a computer. Many larger organisations will make their staff sit through a presentation about workplace health and safety. I have had to do a few of these in my time. As far as I could tell, there wasn’t much wrong with my posture or mouse/keyboard using technique. What I do know is that all those presentations and dire warnings about the long term effects of bad posture certainly scared the hell out of me. I began to wonder if working in an office was more dangerous than joining the army, or getting a job as a stuntman.

Other incidents in my life also made me question the whole posture issue. A few years ago, I was friends with a guy who was a chiropractor. He made a living fixing other people’s backs. Back pain is a huge problem in modern society. Many peoples’ lives are ruined by back pain, just as they are with RSI. The strange thing with me is that my chiropractor friend said that the alignment of my back looked terrible. By his reckoning I should have a lot of problems with back pain. But here’s the thing - I have rarely had any problems with back pain. So I started to wonder if there really was any connection with posture and pain after all.

One thing I noticed is that my pain appeared to go away while I was doing enjoyable work. There didn’t seem to be much connection between the severity of my symptoms and how much work I was doing.

One evening I went to a work colleague’s leaving party. My arms really ached after a long day’s work. But that evening I drank some beer, had a nice meal and enjoyed the company of some good people. That evening the pain subsided. For me that was an intriguing development. On the flipside of this I also noticed that when I went out socialising with people I didn’t like that much my pain

seemed to get worse.

As I mentioned previously, as my condition deteriorated, I began to make frequent visits to my doctor. I was finally referred to a physiotherapist at the local hospital. The afternoon of my consultation I was pretty nervous. The physiotherapist had a good examination of my hands and arms. He measured the strength in my hands and arms, and performed a few other tests. He couldn’t find anything physically wrong with me.

For me I was cheered by this, and I went home reasonably happy.

After the physiotherapist could find nothing wrong with me, I began to suspect that my condition was psychological in origin. Maybe my doctor had suspected the same, but did not tell me as much. I started to suspect that stress was playing an important role. But not knowing much about psychology, I just could not make the connection. I had no proof that this was the cause of my problems.

The Breakthrough

My breakthrough came when I heard of a book called The Mindbody Prescription. I came across it by sheer chance. It supposedly offered a revolutionary method of curing long term pain conditions through the application of mindbody medicine. It is not a very well known book, but it is available through Amazon and other major book retailers. I was very sceptical that a book could cure my condition. But the reviews on Amazon were pretty good. Many reviewers claimed that the book had cured their condition. The book is mostly focussed on back pain, but there were a few RSI sufferers who had reported that the book had overcome their problems as well.

The last decade has seen an explosion in the number of self help books. I don’t know why, maybe we’re suffering a post-9/11 outbreak of mass angst or something. Yes I was sceptical. But the book’s author, Dr. John E. Sarno is a genuine medical doctor with a long history of treating pain. The author's medical credentials appeared excellent.

So I bought the book. I was terrified about reading it. It was pretty much my only chance of doing something about my condition. I was scared it wouldn’t work. It sat, unread, on my bookshelf for a couple of months.

One day I picked up the book and began reading. Wow. It is an interesting book. After reading a few pages I was convinced that my suspicions were right – my RSI was a largely psychological condition. I had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand the suggestion that there might be something wrong with my mental health was a little alarming. On the other hand, a psychological condition can be treated. And this meant that my RSI may not have been a permanent, incurable illness. Perhaps my hands and arms weren’t permanently damaged after all?

I would recommend that anyone who thinks they have RSI should read The Mindbody Prescription. I cannot describe the book in too much detail here. Suffice to say that Dr. Sarno’s theory is that most physical pain syndromes are caused as a result of repressed emotional pain. This emotional pain manifests itself as real, physical pain. The physical pain may appear in different places. Back pain is very common. But conditions such as RSI are equally as common. Sometimes the pain moves to different locations in the body. Dr. Sarno has termed the condition as Tension Myositis Syndrome, or TMS for short.

What misleads many pain sufferers – including myself, is that pain syndromes such as RSI often have a specific trigger. A tennis player might attribute their RSI to a particularly hard match one day, or a golf player might have first experienced pain during a bad swing.

Dr. Sarno is convinced that the physical pain associated with conditions such as RSI is caused by the brain reducing the blood supply to certain parts of the body. This causes a build-up of waste materials and a shortage of oxygen at the affected areas. Should this happen, then real, physical pain is the result. The key thing to remember here is that the restriction of blood flow to a certain part of the body is a temporary and reversible condition. Furthermore, it does not cause long term damage to the body. It is also a revolutionary idea – the pain associated with RSI is real. However, the pain is temporary and no long term damage to the body results from it.

For me this was an encouraging thing to read. Previously I had been told by occupational health advisors and other “experts” that RSI was a chronic and usually permanent condition. But Dr. Sarno disputes that this is the case at all. He has helped many thousands of his own patients recover from long term pain conditions. Many of his patients have had long term back pain problems, which have often resulted in them having to give up work. He has also cured people with various leg and foot pain conditions. In some cases wheelchair bound people have even been able to walk again. This is an impressive track record, and you can only imagine the enhancement of quality of life that someone could obtain from such a cure.

Dr. Sarno has had a very long career and has examined many thousands of patients. Many of these patients have undergone extensive surgery to correct pain conditions. Very often the results of the surgery are of limited or no benefit in resolving the pain issue. Dr. Sarno makes the interesting observation that very often patients with obvious physical imperfections or wear and tear in their bone and muscle structure will exhibit no pain symptoms at all. Other patients will have no obvious signs of physical injury, and yet may be in constant pain. For me this was another interesting observation. It certainly fitted with the fact that a chiropractor thought my back looked horribly out of alignment, and yet I vary rarely suffer from back pain.

The major criticism of the book I have is that the chapter on how to use the knowledge to cure pain conditions is very brief. The knowledge in the book is useful, but it did not appear to offer an instantaneous cure.

There is also only a brief mention of the specific condition of RSI. At first I found this a little disappointing. But it is important to realise that although pain syndromes may arise in different parts of the body, they are all essentially the same condition.

Convincing my Mind

After reading The Mindbody Prescription, I had to radically re-think my condition. I instantly recognised my personality type in his book, and some of his case studies strongly resembled my own life.

Furthermore, I now had a term for what I was suffering from - Tension Myositis Syndrome, (TMS). This was a breakthrough, as I could begin to see that RSI was not the major condition I needed to be concerned about. Instead, my RSI was simply a manifestation of TMS. I could just have easily had developed long term back ache, or toothache or any other pain syndrome. But I guess that because I used a computer all day and had been told many horror stories about RSI that this is what pain syndrome I ended up with.

Actually, Dr Sarno’s theories also made me suspect that the persistent toothache I had earlier in my life was likely to be a similar manifestation of the pain syndrome.

Like most people who have encountered Dr Sarno’s theories, they didn’t have an instantaneous effect on my symptoms. This is apparently entirely normal. It takes some time for the conscious part of the brain to digest the information in the books. The information that the mind is responsible for long term pain syndromes is very profound, and it does take time to think about it thoroughly.

The theories also required me to overcome pretty much everything I had ever heard or read about RSI. This was an exceedingly difficult thing to do. We are taught to respect experts. We are told to listen to experts. So when occupational health advisors warn us that RSI can be permanent, that is what we believe. Throughout our lives this kind of thinking is also reinforced by the facts we see. I personally have known people who have been forced to give up their careers due to an injury. I know people who walk everywhere with a stick, or have to use a wheelchair, or spend most of their lives in their armchairs, too afraid to get a job and enjoy their lives. Obviously in some cases these people have serious underlying illnesses. But I suspect that not all of them are as ill as they think they are.

Really Convincing my Mind

Some people have reported that they were able to cure their pain conditions by simply reading The Mindbody Prescription. If I am honest I found the book a little disappointing. The chapter on how to apply the knowledge of what TMS is to actually cure the condition was fairly brief. I wasn’t really sure about what I had to do to get better.

I needed more convincing about the existence of TMS as a genuine medical condition. I also needed to know what to do in order to improve or even cure my RSI.

Many pain sufferers who have come across the concept of TMS have reported that reading about the subject more widely has been very useful in curing their pain. So I found another book written by Dr .Sarno called The Divided Mind. Actually Dr. Sarno is just one of the co-authors of the book. The book contains a number of essays by renowned physicians. I found this reassuring, as it is useful to get other people’s opinions of Dr. Sarno’s work. The other authors also bring their own ideas in what is still a relatively new area of understanding.

For me, The Divided Mind was the breakthrough I needed. The chapter by Dr. Andrea Leonard-Segal really struck home with me. In this chapter she describes how she has been able to offer a cure to many patients who had symptoms similar to mine. In fact her patients’ medical histories were almost exactly like my own. Many of her patients were convinced that there was a specific trigger for their pain. They were terrified of using the limbs with the pain symptoms, in case they made things worse. She reported that, like me, many of her patients were high achieving individuals. They drive themselves very hard. They have high expectations of themselves, and, if they don't meet these expectations, then they are very hard on themselves.

I realised that I was driving myself too hard. I had unrealistic expectations of myself. I needed to work less, and have more fun.

This is the essence of this approach to treating pain symptoms like RSI.

Everybody has lead different lives. They will all have different reasons for how they ended up with their pain condition. In my case, I have driven myself too hard. I needed to slow down a bit, and forget about being No. 1 in everything I do.

So driving myself too hard was causing my pain problems. Once I realised this, my pain went away quite quickly.

This is of course not the only reason why people develop TMS symptoms. Other people who have achieved freedom from pain have reported that it requires a lot of soul searching in order to determine exactly what is the root cause of their pain. Some people will find it easier to understand what their problems are caused by compared to others. For me the soul searching required for understanding why I got my problems was difficult. On the face of it, I had a very good childhood. I had no money or relationship worries. I was leading a very good life.

It is important to remember that problems arise in the subconscious. According to current understanding of the mind, the subconscious has no concept of time. It is also immature and childlike. This is an important consideration. The timelessness of the subconscious means that incidents that happened a long time ago can have a disproportionate affect on our present lives.

I am beginning to suspect that my subconscious has different priorities for what my conscious is concerned about. I am not particularly close to my family. I don’t call them every day, I only usually see them a couple of times a year. And yet when one of them gets sick, I sometimes get reoccurrences of my symptoms. Maybe my subconscious cares more deeply about my family than I realise. This may also explain how so many people are more deeply affected by family issues than they realise.

I am Cured!

Like most people who have become aware of Dr Sarno’s theories, it did take a while to convince myself that this would really work.

I first read The Mindbody Prescription in May 2007. That month I was unable to type for more than 10 minutes a day before the pain started. I read The Divided Mind in July 2007. By August 2007 I was able to work all day without experiencing the usual RSI symptoms. I was even able to work in front of my office computer for 9-10 hours a day without much of a lunch break. The less preoccupied with my RSI I became, the less pain I felt.

Sometimes my hands and arms would ache a little, especially if I had to type a lot that day. But the pain would subside as I walked home, and it certainly didn’t linger through the evening and onto the next morning like it used to do. I found I was completely pain free at weekends. Furthermore, I found that other activities no longer made my hands and arms ache. I no longer got pain from using my hands in other activities like cooking or cleaning the house.

I also started to develop a much better understanding of my body. I could begin to feel when my hands and arms were relaxed. I guess this meant that blood was flowing well.I do have occasional relapses. This is entirely normal, so it is good to prepare for them (see a later section in this book). The arm I use my mouse with does get tired sometimes. This is to be expected, as I use it a lot. But the other arm I only use for typing is completely cured.

But on the whole, my life is much better than it was a couple of years ago. I was able to resume my job, and my performance improved enormously. I no longer worry if I have to do overtime.

The Truth is Everywhere

Now that I had read Dr Sarno’s books and thought about his theories of TMS, I began to realise that other people have touched upon the theories, but they just haven’t realised the significance of them. At one time I was having relationship troubles, and I bought a copy of that well known book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. It’s a great book. But what struck me was that in the chapter entitled “How to Communicate Difficult Feelings”, there is this throwaway line:

“Most physical diseases are now widely accepted as being directly related to our unresolved emotional pain.”

I guess that the author of that book is a love doctor, and not a medical doctor. But I was struck by the thought of how many people had read that book, and not realised the significance of that statement. It’s almost hidden in plain sight.

I also suspect that a lot of medical doctors are comfortable with the idea of many ailments being caused by psychological issues. I am sure my own doctor felt this way about my condition, but she did not want to suggest it to me. In my experience, general practitioners will be careful about suggesting that your illness is psychological in origin. I suppose this is reasonable. But from reading about other pain sufferers and their meetings with their doctors, it does appear that the doctor will be interested about this area.

Anyone who has small children will be familiar with phantom illnesses. My niece is incredibly good at getting headaches whenever she doesn't want to go to school! I guess RSI isn’t necessarily a phantom illness. But the end result is the same. In my case, when my niece gets a headache she gets sent home from school. In my case my RSI pretty much forced me to give up my career.

Resuming Activities

I can tell you that I was happy to be able to do my job again without being in constant pain. That was all I really wanted to do. But I wanted to test the techniques I have described. I wanted to see if I could resume other activities that I once enjoyed.

I used to love playing computer games. But I had to give them up as my condition worsened. My thought was that I had to reserve my hands for revenue earning activities only!

So in 2009 I bought a PlayStation 3 games console. At first I was tentative at using it. Playing computer games is generally much harder on the hands and arms than is typing with a keyboard and

using a mouse.

At first things didn’t go that well. My hands really ached after playing games. I guess I was starting to use muscles that hadn’t been used that much for years. It was natural for them to ache a bit on taking up a new activity. But after a month or so I had convinced my brain that I wouldn’t permanently damage my hands from playing games for an hour or two each night.

Many other RSI sufferers have reported similar results when trying to resume activities they once loved. The key is to take things slowly, and not to push things too far. But the crucial thing to address is the fear of causing injury. When I had my pain condition, I was really fearful of making things worse. To overcome this fear is at the very heart of the techniques described here.

You Are NOT Crazy!

There is a lot of stigma of mental health issues. Modern society tends to shun those suspected of having mental health issues.

For some people, the suggestion that there might be something wrong with their mind is offensive. This is entirely natural, and it is one of the major stumbling blocks to using the techniques I have described. Dr. Sarno himself has described a number of patients who refused to believe there was anything wrong with their minds. For this reason, they did not get cured of their pain problems.

The important consideration is that having RSI does not mean you have a serious mental health problem. RSI is not a mental health illness such as schizophrenia. The pain is not in our heads – the pain is real. We are not hypochondriacs. We RSI sufferers are not mad! Yes there are psychological issues that we need to address, but this is a normal part of being human. Unfortunately modern medicine has neglected the area of good mental health, although there are encouraging signs that things are starting to change.

Shifting the Pain

I was one of the lucky ones. I was able to overcome my RSI problems by simply reading about the ideas of TMS. I am fairly open-minded and I am open to learning about new things. I also have a background in biochemistry so I am familiar with many of the medical concepts involved. Not everybody is like me. This is not a problem, as there are various alternative strategies to applying the knowledge in these books.

Some people do need a bit more assistance. Many RSI sufferers have been able to overcome the condition with the assistance of psychotherapists. Talking to someone who is trained in resolving problems in the mind can be very useful. And you can of course join the forum here, and talk about your problems. I and many other sufferers have found that talking is great.

Dr. Sarno himself has a pain clinic in New York City. People who have had a consultation with him, or attend one of his seminars have a very good chance of being cured. I guess going to see the World's #1 expert in this field of medicine has a huge psychological boost. He is a very likeable man, and a very impressive speaker. Your brain would have to be extraordinarily stubborn for it not to be moved by what Dr. Sarno has to say. Unfortunately it can be difficult to get a consultation with Dr. Sarno if you do not live in the vicinity of New York City. Dr. Sarno is also quite old now, so I would imagine he is very close to retirement.

Fortunately there are a number of other healthcare practitioners who have learned Dr Sarno’s theories of TMS and its treatment.

A lot of former RSI suffers are impressed with the technique of Journaling. This involves keeping a daily diary of thoughts and feelings about the day’s events. Keeping a journal is therapeutic and can help the mind make sense of where stressful events are arising. Journaling is described in The Mind Body Bible (see the Reading List for further details).

Some RSI sufferers have found that it is necessary to take time off work while they read about TMS. Others have found it is useful to read Dr. Sarno’s books while they are on vacation, or between jobs. It does appear that if your life schedule allows it, then it is worth taking time out to read the books when you won't have the distraction of worrying about your condition due to having to work or do some other activity.

Wow! That's Some Crazy Science

The theories I have written about here are very difficult to come to terms with. It does take for them to sink in. I realise now that by focussing on my arms and hands instead of my mind I was looking in entirely the wrong place for a cure.

It did take a while to read the books listed here. I had to keep stopping after a few pages in order to have a good think about what I had read. There is no instantaneous cure here. But it DOES work. Using the techniques described here, tens of thousands of people have cured their RSI as well as back pain and other chronic pain ailments.

Reliance on “crutches”

Many people have found things that appear to lessen their symptoms. Wrist rests, ergonomic mice, anti-inflammatory pills, there is a long list of them. I tried many of them myself, with mixed results.

The key to the theories surrounding TMS as a cause of RSI is that I really had to get away from the idea that these things were helping my condition. They were not. I now find that if I believe – I mean *really* believe in the theory of TMS, I find that I no longer need any of these things. It did take time to come around to this way of thinking. Many RSI sufferers do often continue using them while they convince themselves that they really might be able to totally cure their condition.

The Void

How much time does an RSI sufferer spend worrying about their condition? I know I spent a lot of time thinking about it. In fact, it was pretty much my only problem. Once a condition like RSI is cured, there becomes the problem of what to do with what I will call the void. It is a good problem to have, but it does need to be addressed.

At its peak, my RSI problems pretty much consumed my entire life. I remember lying in the bath one night and thinking that “this is my only problem. If only I could solve this, then my life would be perfect”.

In fact, a reader who had read this guide remarked to me that RSI consumed his life, and he wasn’t sure what to do with his life, since RSI made him so scared to do the hobbies and interests that he loved.

So once my RSI was no longer an issue affecting my life, I found it useful to start planning about what improvements I could make to my life. I resumed some hobbies I had previously given up due to fear about my condition. I put more effort into my job, and in fact I actually got a much better paid job. I also expanded my small software business by releasing several new products.

Since RSI is usually experienced by those who use computers as part of their jobs, it can have a devastating impact on careers. Just think of what sufferers could do if they didn't have to worry about their condition any more. I know that I actually turned down potentially lucrative job offers because I thought the job might be too much for me given how bad my condition was. I also didn’t put as much effort into the jobs I had throughout my career. I have no idea how many promotions I missed out on because I had been too scared to work overtime, or put extra effort in when required.

Letting Go

The key to using this technique is to let go. I found that I really needed to forget about ever having had RSI. In fact while writing my story I have really had to think about how hard life was while I had the condition. For many people this is the hardest part of this technique. There is something in our human nature that sometimes makes us want to be ill. Maybe it is so we can take notice of ourselves, try to slow ourselves down. Maybe we want to be pitied by other people. But I found it was absolutely crucial that I believed in the techniques described by Dr. Sarno and others.

Letting go can be difficult. It means not going to the doctors. It means halting medication. It means not consulting with occupational therapists. This is a big call to make. But I know from experience that the only way to be completely symptom free is to completely focus away from all of this.

It also means not even thinking about RSI anymore. I know this is pretty hard to do, and it took me a while to accomplish. But eventually, I started thinking about other things, and stopped thinking about RSI altogether. It does take a while to get to this stage. But once I knew that I hadn’t permanently ruined my arms, it got a lot easier.

It does help to introduce some new things into your life. Maybe you can take up a new hobby, or plan a dream vacation or something. Keeping your mind busy is really important.

Keeping Quiet

Knowledge of mindbody medicine techniques has had a profound effect on my life. Knowing that physical conditions can be cured using the power of the mind has changed my life. I no longer worry about RSI – I no longer get terrible pain when I use a computer and I have been able to resume my career. I have also begun to notice that there are a lot more people suffering from these kinds of illnesses. I work in a large organisation and there are quite a number of people with ergonomic mice, special keyboards, chairs, footrests and other paraphernalia.

I would really love to share what I know with other people. I wonder if they are suffering in silence. But I have found out that it is a dangerous thing to do. There is a huge stigma associated with mental health issues. If you suggest to someone that their illness might be of psychological origins

then you run the risk of getting a very hostile response! Tread carefully is the key phrase here.

Some people take their illnesses very seriously. I've worked people who have had major work-related occupational health issues. Could I help them? I possibly could. But if I misjudged things I could get in trouble with my co-worker, my boss, our occupational health staff, our human resource department - heck I could even lose my own job! So I keep quiet.

Not that many health professionals know a great deal about mindbody medicine. Sadly it is not taught much during medical training. I suspect that general practitioners are aware of the link between the mind and physical illnesses. My experience is that the further down the medical tree you get, the less likely a person is to have heard about mindbody medicine. I am especially wary of mentioning what I know to the occupational health advisers where I work, so for now I have kept quiet.

The Need to Worry

I am starting to think that humans need something to worry about. This is not just on a personal level. It can also inflict whole countries, indeed the whole planet. My entire life has been lived under a shadow of worry. In the 1970s I had to worry about nuclear holocaust. In the 1980s I had to worry about Irish terrorists. In the 1990s it was the hole in the ozone layer. Since 9/11 I’ve had to worry about global terrorism, although I now wonder if I should worry more about global warming.

On a more personal level, I am beginning to think that we also need smaller things to worry about. Men worry about their jobs, whether their girlfriend loves them, whether their hair is falling out and if people can notice their beer gut. Women worry about their looks, their relationships, and pretty much everything.

Many people worry about their health. Pain syndromes like RSI, back pain or fibromyalgia are increasingly common. But other issues like food intolerances are also on the rise. Many of these could be psychological in origin.

Worrying about RSI is entirely natural. We’ve all heard the stories, like if you ignore it the pain will get worse. We are told that repeatedly ignoring the symptoms may lead to permanent damage and disablement. Maybe like me you know people who have had to work part-time, or even give up their careers altogether because of this problem. If you think about it, the nature of RSI makes it a perfect thing to worry about. Thankfully, as I have found out, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Coping with Setbacks

Many people have been completely cured using the techniques described here. Some of us do, however, get relapses of the same or similar pain condition. It is entirely natural to have setbacks with these techniques. Our bodies will constantly be looking for ways to distract us from stressful incidents in our lives.

For me, these setbacks usually go like this....

Hmmm, my arm/leg/neck/back hurts.

Hmmm, my arm/leg/neck/back has been hurting for several days now. I wonder if I have been doing too much typing/walking/driving/lifting?

This pain won't go! I wonder if I've permanently damaged something?

This is the critical point at which I always try to remember what I have read about mindbody medicine. I convince myself that this is nothing other than a minor relapse and that the pain should go in a few days. I am acutely aware that these setbacks will often coincide with a stressful periods in my life. Reading about stress has made me realise that “good” events (finding a new job, starting a relationship, getting married, and going on vacation) can be just as stressful as the “bad” events in life.

When dealing with setbacks it is important to remember that a new pain condition may arise elsewhere in the body. Dr. Sarno terms this substitution of location the system imperative. A setback will sometimes be a relapse of the old symptoms of RSI. Alternatively the pain may arise in an entirely different part of the body. Because I don’t have a motor vehicle I have to walk everywhere. I walk much more than the average person. This makes me susceptible to the occasional bought of leg or foot pain. Other times I get toothache. Sometimes I am acutely aware that these minor pain sites are on the way to becoming longer term pain centres, so I have to tell myself that the area will soon heal, and that I should not worry about the pain. After I have done that, the pain does eventually disappear.

If you’ve been an RSI sufferer then many relapses you might have are often computer related symptoms:

Back pain. Well this is the most obvious signs of TMS related issues, and it’s the pain condition that Dr. Sarno first wrote about. If you do a lot of computer work then you might get back pain from time to time. I know I do, but I have to say I don’t think it’s anything to do with my posture or the chair I use to sit at my workstation.

Eye strain. Oh, this is another symptom you might see if you use a computer a lot. Eye strain seems very much to be stress related, and it usually goes after a few days.

Shoulder pain. Again, shoulders do seem to get quite stiff sometimes, and this really seems to be stress related.

Of course, if you think something is seriously wrong with you, then always get it checked out by a doctor. But once again I find that most of these conditions go after a week or two.

I always make sure that I have tools available to help cope with relapses. I have found it useful to keep my copies of The Mindbody Prescription and The Divided Mind. If I tell people about them, sometimes they ask to borrow them. I tell them to buy their own copies. Then, if I experience a relapse, I have found that re-reading a few chapters of one of the books reassures my mind that any relapse is just temporary, and should not last more than a few days.

A Reality Check/Overconfidence

Now I understand these mindbody techniques, I now realise that many of the “illnesses” I routinely get are just manifestations of the same types of pain syndrome that caused my RSI. I am now a lot less worried about any aches and pains I get. I am, however, cautious about getting overconfident and complacent. For that reason if I suspect that I have a potentially more serious medical condition I do still visit my doctor. In a way this is part of the healing process of TMS. If a trained medical practitioner cannot find anything wrong, then the illness is more likely to be psychological in origin.

Summary and Conclusions

RSI is a bad thing to be afflicted by. It nearly ruined my entire life. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Most RSI sufferers believe that they have used their hands and arms too much, and they are now permanently worn out. They believe the generally held view that if left untreated that RSI results in permanent disablement.

Dr. Sarno’s long career as a pain specialist disputes the widely held theories that pain syndromes such as back pain and RSI are permanently disabling. His patients have in many cases been able to completely overcome their long term pain syndromes, and have been able to resume normal lives free of the pain that was the cause of so much anguish.

Many RSI sufferers could be suffering from a condition termed Tension Myositis Syndrome, or TMS. This condition is caused by repressed emotions in the brain, and results in restricted blood supply to certain parts of the body. The restricted blood supply causes genuine pain, but the pain does not result in permanent long term damage to the body.

Once the theory of TMS is understood and the underlying emotional distress is acknowledged, the pain will gradually subside.

RSI nearly ruined my life. Since I discovered the techniques I have described, my RSI has pretty much gone for good. Sometimes I get relapses, but I know powerful techniques for overcoming these setbacks.

The notion that reading a book can cure a condition is pretty incredible. I was sceptical. So are most people. The techniques I have described have been used by many other people in order to cure their long term pain conditions. It will work, but you have to believe that it will work. Some people find this too hard to accept, in which case the books will not help them.

I started my fight back against RSI in 2007. I have the occasional relapse, but I am pretty much cured. Since then I’ve gone on to get a much better job. I’ve also been able to spend more time on my small business, and have released several more products. What’s more, I’ve fallen in love with a beautiful lady! My hope is that instead of worrying about my health, my life can only get better and better. I hope that my story has inspired you.

Find more success stories here, and a 10 point action plan to cure your RSI once and for all.

10 Point Action Plan - Get Rid of RSI Once And For All

I realise that the information in this site is pretty incredible. Many people don’t believe that it will work, and that their RSI is somehow different from anybody else’s. So here’s a useful plan of action to get you started:

1. Slow down! RSI sufferers tend to be overachievers. They are always in a hurry. I realise now that was part of my problem. You need to read and re-read this document when you are least stressed. Don’t read it at work. Don’t read it on a busy train or bus. Read it when you are relaxed and in a contemplative mood.

2. Print out my guide to curing RSI and put it on your book shelf. Your mind may not yet be ready to accept what you have read here. When you feel ready to read it again, have a good long read.

3. Go to Amazon and order The Mindbody Prescription. It is a book that will radically change your understanding of your body.

4. Register for this forum and read the stories of people like you who have cured their RSI using mindbody techniques. Here's my recovery story, and another person's story.

5. Visit themindbodysyndrome.com – a site run by Dr Marc Sopher. Dr. Sopher is a US based family physician who has successfully treated many long term pain problems using mindbody techniques.

6. Many people have found it much easier to cure their RSI if they take some time off work and read about mindbody techniques. For this reason, it’s much better to read this forum or The Mindbody Prescription while on vacation, or you are between jobs or have some other time when you don’t need to use whatever you think is causing your RSI.

7. Think about something you find very embarrassing. Did you blush? If you did, congratulations! You have demonstrated to yourself that the mind can control blood supply to parts of your body!

8. Read The Secret or The Answer. Both are books that teach you how you can use your brain’s subconscious to improve your relationships and your professional life. We are only just beginning to find out about how powerful the brain is. 90% of what we know about the human brain was discovered in the last 10 years!

9. Again, join the forum here and introduce yourself. Ask questions, get answers.

10. Don’t let RSI ruin your life. If you believe you can recover, you will.

I COMANDAMENTI DELLA GUARIGIONE

(per il mal di schiena, ma non solo)

Il dolore è dovuto al TMS, non a una qualche anomalia strutturale. La ragione immediata del dolore è una leggera e momentanea deprivazione di ossigeno.

Il TMS è una condizione innocua, CAUSATA DALLE EMOZIONI REPRESSE.

La principale causa è la mia RABBIA REPRESSA.

Il TMS esiste solo per distrarre la mia attenzione dalle emozioni (dai problemi reali che sono dentro di me).

Dato che la mia schiena (cervicale, dorso, fondoschiena) è assolutamente normale, non c’è nulla di cui terrorizzarsi!

Dunque, l’attività fisica non è pericolosa!

Perciò, da ora in poi, io…

- Ricomincerò ogni forma di normale attività fisica.- Non sarò più ingabbiato o intimidito dal dolore (dalla paura del dolore).

- Volgerò la mia attenzione dal dolore alle situazioni emozionali che sto vivendo.

- Farò in modo di essere io ad avere il controllo su di me, e non la mia mente “subconscia”.

- Farò in modo di concentrarmi sul significato psicologico, e non sul fatto fisico.