About Cindy Perlin
My book, The Truth About Chronic Pain Treatments: The Best and Worst Strategies for Becoming Pain Free, grew out of my own experience with chronic pain as well as my work as a health care provider working with pain patients.
I became highly motivated to learn about effective chronic pain treatments after I developed severe, disabling back pain when I was 25 years old. The doctors I consulted with were unable to find the cause of my pain, and they prescribed drugs which didn’t help and were potentially dangerous.
After enduring agonizing pain for more than three years, a friend suggested that I read a book about the mind/body connection, which, among other ideas talked about healing through “laughter therapy” and biofeedback. I changed my TV viewing habits–I was watching the holocaust miniseries at the time. Then I consulted a biofeedback therapist who taught me that worrying about pain only made it worse, and that I could use my mind to reduce my pain by learning to relax. After the initial session, I was astonished to find that my pain was already reduced by 50% because I knew that I could have some control over my pain instead of fearing it.
These experiences encouraged me to explore other non-pharmacological approaches to healing pain. My health improved enough that I was able to return to work full-time and also complete my Master’s Degree in Social Work.
Another later experience with chronic foot pain that lasted for 14 years and did not respond to mind/body treatments taught me that pain can have many different causes and that you need to determine the cause in order to find the right treatment.
Along the way, I shared my successes with everyone I knew. I realized my passion was to help people heal. I became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and nationally certified biofeedback practitioner. For the last 25 years I have helped my clients improve their emotional and physical well-being through my private practice near Albany, NY. You can learn more about my clinical work at www.peakmindbody.com.
I wrote The Truth About Chronic Pain Treatments: The Best and Worst Strategies for Becoming Pain Free to educate health care providers and patients about how to end the epidemic of chronic pain that is ruining the lives of 100 million Americans and more than a billion people around the world. This book documents how conventional treatments are often the most dangerous and least effective, and how alternative treatments can be used to get to the root of the problem and promote real healing.
Recently, I launched The Alternative Pain Treatment Directory as an additional resource for those struggling with chronic pain. With this website, patients have access to practitioners, products, and information to assist them in managing their pain. Alternative healthcare practitioners can list their services on the directory. Visit the site at paintreatmentdirectory.com to learn more or to list your practice today.