A knowledgeable physical therapist can slowly build up patients' confidence by reassuring them that there is no structural problem and reminding them of the physiologic reason for the pain.

... it is highly unlikely that a structural derangement could produce pain equal in severity to acute muscle spasm.

There's nothing like a little physical pain to keep your mind off your emotional problems.

... surgery is a powerful placebo, perhaps the ultimate placebo. The effectiveness of a placebo is directly proportional to the impression it makes on the patient's subconscious mind.

It is my impression that 'pain-killing' drugs improve the patient's mood rather than take away the pain.

... our diagnosis and treatment of of tension myositis syndrome represent yet another instance of what is possible when the power of the mind is mobilized for healing the body. It's not magic; it is as scientific as the appropriate use of antibiotics, for science encompasses everything that is true in nature.

It is perfectly acceptable to have a physical problem in our culture, but people tend to shy away from anything that has to do with the emotions.