Dr. John E. Sarno, "whose controversial books on the psychological origins of chronic pain sold over a million copies, even while he was largely ignored or maligned by many of his medical peers," died June 22, the New York Times reported. He was 93. His books, including the bestselling Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection, "became popular largely through word of mouth. Thousands of people have claimed to have been cured by reading them," the Times noted.
"His views are definitely considered on the fringe," said Dr. Christopher Gharibo, a pain management specialist at the Langone Medical Center at New York University. "His position was that almost all chronic pain is purely psychological and 'all in the head,' which I certainly disagree with."
Eric Sherman, a psychotherapist who worked with Dr. Sarno for many years, recalled: "It was him against the world, yet he was never afraid of not fitting in. He had a 'damn the torpedoes' perspective on his work, and was notoriously indifferent to others' opinions of him."
Dr. Sarno's other books include The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain; The Divided Mind: The Epidemic of Mindbody Disorders; and Mind Over Back Pain: A Radically New Approach to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Back Pain.