Some illnesses really are all in the mind

Chronic is a nasty little word which creeps up on you. When my back first started hurting I couldn't wait to leap onto a surgeon's table for him to wield his knife and remove a herniated disc so I could start life anew. Second opinion? Never needed one of those.

Six years later I'm sitting surrounded by a great big pillow at a hydraulically operated desk. In 10 minutes time I will stand up and go on working for another 10 minutes. Then I will go for a walk, roll around on the floor for a bit and start again.

And in about a year I may have finished writing this piece. I could write a guide to the osteopaths, chiropractors, physiotherapists, orthopaedic surgeons and pain management consultants of the environs of Harley Street - and my back still hurts. Badly. It's as simple

or as complicated as that.

My most recent research in the ether of the desperate has led me into the realms of the psycho-emotional. Dr John Sarno is a revered professor of clinical rehabilitation medicine at New York University Medical Center. He is also a hero to his patients and a walking slap in the face to mainstream medical logic. He certainly undermines the scientific approach with his belief in the power of the mind to influence the workings of the body.

But then I am only mildly amazed that I can go and spend one hour with a hypnotist and quit smoking just like that. From 60 a day to zero. So why should we not consider other possibilities that accept the power of the mind and harness it for better health?

Look up Sarno's book Healing Back Pain on Amazon and you'll find some incredible reader reviews that practically weep with gratitude. His latest book, The Divided Mind, amplifies his arguments.

In essence, he has discovered that there are certain medical conditions that defy all attempts of cure and are the subject