The history of neuroplastic therapy
This approach has its roots in the work of an American physician who dared to challenge the prevailing view of chronic pain — and in a generation of clinicians and researchers who turned it into an evidence-based treatment.
The "father" of the approach. He observed that many patients with chronic back pain had no findings to justify their symptoms. He formulated the concept of "Tension Myoneural Syndrome" (TMS), arguing that repressed emotions are expressed as physical pain. Famous figures including Howard Stern, Larry David, John Stossel, Jimmy Kimmel, and Michael Porter Jr. have publicly credited Dr. Sarno with completely curing their chronic pain. Books: Healing Back Pain, The Divided Mind. Film about his life: All the Rage
The most important modern successor of Sarno. He developed the FIT diagnostic criteria and wrote the book Unlearn Your Pain. Co-researcher in many of the landmark randomized trials (Lumley 2017, Ashar 2022). This Might Hurt, a film that follows people with chronic pain as they take part in a program run by Dr. Schubiner.
He was himself healed by Sarno and became one of his first successors. He created the MindBody Workbook and wrote Think Away Your Pain. He published an early effectiveness study of the approach for back pain.
A specialist in "unexplained" symptoms and their relationship with stress and childhood trauma. He is president of the Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms (ATNS) and also maintains the website StressIllness.com.
He formally developed Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and founded the Pain Psychology Center. His protocol was tested in the landmark Boulder study (Ashar 2022). Book: The Way Out.
They developed and tested Emotional Awareness & Expression Therapy (EAET) in randomized trials for fibromyalgia (2017) and chronic pain in veterans (2024).
A pioneer of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) for physical symptoms. He demonstrated the link between repressed emotions and physical manifestations.
He developed the PSRT method and tested it in a randomized trial for back pain, as well as in a study for Long COVID.
Today, this movement has been unified under terms such as neuroplastic pain and neuroplastic symptoms, and is represented by the scientific society Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms (ATNS). The transition from Sarno's observation to evidence-based treatment was completed with the randomized trials you will find in the Bibliography.