Somatic Tracking Exercise for Pain Reprocessing Therapy (Guided By Tanner Murtagh, MSW, RSW)

[@farnjokerehis1724]

I view tracking as having a closer mind connection with certain areas of concern or preferably eventually with your entire body. Being able to feel all sensations through the area(s) not just the pain. Until I found this capable, it was as if my body was set to automatic and I had no control over tension and the like. Mind and body two seperate organisms.

[@DianaCz-p6k]

Tanner has lots of other videos to check out!

[@hew195050]

I had seen a few of Tanners youtube videos some time back but I don't think I was ready. I am now. Oh am I ever!

[@jimcoon]

what happened to Dr. John Sarno and the millions of people he helped cure using TMS treatment? Seems all those who previously followed him, or were mentored by Sarno, have completely discarded his premise that psychosomatic pain is caused by the subconscious mind restricting blood flow to muscles. That worked for so many, but now the “new deal” is neuro-plastic pain, somatic tracking etc. Why is Schubiner and others so quick to ditch all that Sarno accomplished?

[@ThisMightHurt]

@jimcoon Thanks for your comment. As I see it, Howard Schubiner, MD and many of the other practitioners credit Dr. Sarno frequently and carry on the main thrust of his work-seeing that the brain can trigger symptoms because of stress, anxiety, fear, trauma, and other factors, and can recover by addressing those things. Many have set aside the reduced blood flow ("ischemia") theory because it has not held up to scientific scrutiny, yet nevertheless Dr. Sarno was a visionary who brought healing to thousands... The neuroscience has advanced quite a bit since Dr. Sarno's books were authored, and the now the most common theory for how/why symptoms are created by the brain is called predictive coding. The brain is always constructing and predicting our momentary experience from a combination of prior beliefs and incoming sensory information, and those prior beliefs can keep the pain or other symptoms in the "on" position even when there's healthy tissues. It's probably useful to note, that if an explanation works for you and other people to eliminate or ward off pain, then there's no need to alter it. Thanks, Kent

[@rachelolson]

So, is there a way to do this if it feels too intense to be curious or fascinated with the sensation? I just can't get there. I get very uncomfortable. Something s little more neutral maybe? Ideas?

[@ThisMightHurt]

Hi @rachelolson, The recommendation is to only do somatic tracking when your pain/discomfort is down to moderate or mild levels. When pain is at high levels, it's usually better to use coping skills to distract yourself from the unpleasantness, rather than turning to it and paying direct attention to it. Does that help? Thanks, Kent

[@rachelolson]

@@ThisMightHurtyes that's helpful. But also is there another way to explore it other than curiosity/fascination? Like a step before that that's a little less positive? After years of hating the symptoms it's hard to go straight to fascination. Thanks!

[@ThisMightHurt]

@@rachelolson Yes, an intermediate step is to simply "be with the pain" rather than being curious. If you can think of the pain as a sign of deep feelings, you can sort of hold the pain the way you might hold a frightened child who is screaming with fear. Just being a calm presence in the midst of the pain, allowing it to be there without resorting to hating it and driving to drive it away, is an important step. After you can do this, after you can be with pain with less resistance and reactivity, you can try to add curiosity or interest. Does that make sense? Thanks, Kent www.mindbodyinsight.net

[@ThisMightHurt]

@@rachelolson You could go from hate, to anger, to irritation, to dislike, to mild dislike, to non-hate / neutrality? I like your questions! Baby steps are definitely helpful to this process.... Good luck. - Kent

[@SM-vb8fj]

Thanks for this video!

[@ThisMightHurt]

Glad you liked it!