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If you're not convinced that a mindbody approach can heal your pain, then you'll benefit from hearing this story.
A professional basketball player recently went public after he made a full recovery from chronic back pain using a Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) approach.
His name is Michael Porter Jr., and he plays for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Here's how incredible his story is:
Porter had back pain since he was a young teenager
He was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease at age 15-16 and was later diagnosed with herniated discs
He had 3 back surgeries by age 25, and missed large chunks games in both his college and professional career
Despite being treated by some of the worlds best sports medicine doctors, his pain persisted, and his career was in serious jeopardy
After his third back surgery in five years, he turned to a mindbody approach to heal for good.
With the help of a talented coach named Nicole Sachs, Porter swapped surgery, physical therapy, and conditioning for pain education, journaling, and emotional processing - the same types of TMS treatment I've guided numerous clients on.
And guess what? It worked. (Not surprised!)
For the first time in his career, he played an entire season without missing a game, helping to lead his team to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, beating LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Porter's discs are still degenerated, he's still got herniations, and yet - he's pain free. The reason? Because he recognized that Tension Myositis Syndrome was driving his pain - not these structural 'abnormalities'.
In his own words, on a recent podcast (highly recommend!) “Every single NBA player that they would MRI would have bulging discs, probably degenerative discs, herniated discs. Some players would be symptomatic, some players won’t. That’s not what’s causing your pain.”
Amen, Michael.
What Porter's Recovery Means For Tension Myositis Syndrome Sufferers
While Porter's story is remarkable for the validation of a mindbody treatment in professional sports to alleviate chronic pain, it's a common recovery story at its core.
I see the same thing all the time with my own clients:
Scary structural diagnoses: Degenerative discs, herniated discs, torn meniscuses, nerve damage - you name it. Often, clients come to me having seen world-class doctors, and are in nothing but pain.
But once they're evaluated for Tension Myositis Syndrome (which you can do right here), they understand that their body isn't broken or damaged, they start to see themselves and their pain in a whole new way.
They leave with their lives back.
Transformed in ways they didn't believe were possible.
I've seen it over and over. And it can happen for you, too.
It's time for YOUR Pain Free Comeback!
A huge, huge thanks to Porter for his courage to go public with his story. It's not easy to go against the mainstream as someone with his visibility.
And if you're ready to follow Porter on the mindbody path to heal your chronic symptoms, let's chat.
I'll share a path to healing for you to immediately start to see your symptoms in a whole new way, reduce fear, unlock hope for healing, and soon feel confident to resume physical activity - pain free.
You don't need to be a professional athlete to benefit...
... though if you are, please reach out.
Alec
P.S. If you'd like to read more about Porter's recovery, check out this article I co-wrote with Mindbody Medicine pioneer Dr. David Schechter. It was originally published on RealGM.com, one of the top US Basketball news sites.
Alec Kassin is a former semi-pro cyclist, former chronic back pain sufferer, and certified Breakthrough Chronic Pain Coach. He's the Co-Founder of Pain Free Comeback, a proven brain-focused recovery method for athletes and active people with chronic pain. He empowers clients to become pain free without drugs, surgery, or physical treatment.
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