What is the theory behind Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS)?

If you suffer from persistent back, neck, or shoulder pain despite no clear physical injury, you might be experiencing something deeper than muscle strain or disc trouble.

Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) offers a different explanation for chronic pain rooted in psychological stress and emotional repression rather than structural damage.

First proposed by Dr. John Sarno, a rehabilitation physician at New York University, the TMS theory suggests that your brain can create physical pain as a way to distract you from painful or threatening emotions.