| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| CherylH |
Posted - 07/05/2005 : 12:02:40
Hi. I've been through what many of you have - chiropractor, physical therapist (who called it thoracic outlet syndrome), an orthoped (5 minute visit and said some type of RSI). Finally remembered I had Sarno's books, read them - got Schechter's CDs and Fred Amir's book and started to put it all behind me. I journaled for a while, which was enlightening, but decided to just move on and not focus on it.
Here's my issue. I'm studying stenography, an intense 3 hrs a day of practice learning to improve speed on a steno machine. I'm not a musician, but it's likened to trying to practice to be a concert pianist. This learning process can take about a year (for geniuses) or several years for the average student. I'm close to halfway there.
I finally did get to see a Sarno Dr. He did a brief checkup, did an xray and a thyroid blood test, and concluded it was TMS, which is what I've thought all along. He said it was okay to take something when the pain gets annoying enough - after all, it is legitimate pain. But how do we separate a real 'overuse' issue and taking care of yourself physically when you are learning a new skill that's stressing your muscles and tendons? I'm also not a tennis player or a golfer, but I imagine if you did either of those things 3 hrs a day, you'd start to feel it somewhere in your triceps, biceps, etc.
I keep telling myself that once I 'graduate' I'll hardly ever have as much machine time as I do now, plus my arms/hands will be used to the repetitive work by then. I know some reporters who claimed they practically cried their way through school, it hurt so much and so often. And there they are, several years later, working - with only occasional aches and pains.
What I do is try to take regular breaks throughout the day, occasionally use a hot tub (once/twice a week). I'm sort of addicted to my heating pad - I think it's a comfort thing - I let my arm rest on it at night.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
Thank you... Cheryl |
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| CherylH |
Posted - 07/05/2005 : 19:56:44
Thanks, Peter, for the response. And thanks for the excerpts from Sopher's book. He had just written that when I first started exploring about TMS. I know my problem is TMS for so many reasons, including the fact that it's moved to different parts of my body.
I owe my recovery thus far to Sarno and colleagues and am very grateful for it. But, I still can't help think that, for example, if a novice 45 yr old started training to be a semi pro tennis player, that they'd run across add'l needs for conditioning, and I sometimes wonder if that 'conditioning' or proper care is part of the beat I'm missing. I don't know, maybe it's my lack of knowledge about athletics, music, and muscle conditioning, and not just a nagging 'doubt' that's still way in the back of my mind that I have to 'take it easy'?
Thanks again so much - I'll get Sopher's book, and thanks for that reminder...
Cheryl |
| n/a |
Posted - 07/05/2005 : 14:11:04
RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury also known as Repetitive Stress Disorders or RSD) is TMS, period. People have been "overusing" their arms since the first man and woman was placed on this earth. Now, all of a sudden we are getting RSI and stuff like carpal tunnel syndrome all of a sudden. It is medical science's was of explaining pain when they have no other explanation. The fact that people recover from RSI after receiving TMS treatment is proof enough that RSI is TMS. This is what Dr. Marc D. Sopher - a TMS doctor- says in Chapters 12 and 15 in his book "To Be or Not To Be... Pain-Free":
Chapter 12
HANDS UP!
Right behind headaches, back pain and foot pain is hand and wrist
pain, often diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome, or CTS. Symptoms
may include pain (burning, aching, stabbing, etc.), numbness,
tingling, and/or weakness from the forearm to the fingers. Sometimes
constant, sometimes intermittent, triggers may include repetitive
activity (like keyboard or mouse work) and even sleep! Fortunately,
recent studies may help to dispel these myths. Remember, a keyboard
can only cause discomfort if it falls from a great height!
CTS is often discussed as a repetitive stress disorder (RSD) or
injury (RSI). The patients I’ve seen with CTS complaints are often
doing repetitive tasks, in assembly or at a factory machine. Think of
them as athletes who have trained at an activity or task and it becomes
apparent that their symptoms can’t be caused by their work. Even if
they are obese smokers who cannot climb a flight of stairs without
huffing and puffing, they are uniquely prepared for their work by
virtue of that repetition. With training, with repetition we become
more capable, not less so. We aren’t so fragile, remember? Truth
be told, many of the tasks that these people perform are not physically
demanding, they are just done over and over again.
So, why the explosion of CTS? Well, the powers that be have
declared that RSI is a physical problem with a physical cause
(repetitive activity, improper ergonomics, etc.). It has been made a
legitimate and acceptable cause of pain (think “in vogue”). The
trigger is in place, the system recognizes it, and – voila – a mindbody
disorder may flourish.
Current CTS treatment includes anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid
injections, wrist splints, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and if
all else fails, surgery. I’ve seen many treatment failures. By this I
mean no response or temporary relief only. Why? Because a
physical modality cannot cure a problem with a psychological cause.
Let’s go back to these patients with CTS. Susan does data entry at
her computer for eight hours each day. She does not love her job; she
finds it boring and the pay is barely enough to make ends meet. She
works full-time and feels guilty that her kids have to go to daycare
after school. Bob works assembling circuit boards. He often works
overtime – the extra income allows his wife to work only part-time so
she can spend more time with their children. Bob feels his supervisor
doesn’t appreciate him. Bob’s father just learned he has lung cancer.
Susan and Bob also have the same internal conflicts that we all do.
Now do you know why they hurt? Their pain is from TMS and they
got better when they recognized this.
Scott is a pilot, married with two children, who came to see me for
evaluation of wrist and thumb pain plaguing him for more than one
year. He was certain it was arthritis or possibly carpal tunnel
syndrome. While taking his full history, he also complained of
chronic neck and back pain and recurrent testicular discomfort, the
last diagnosed as epididymitis.
Conscientious, thoughtful and caring, he saw that his personality
and the stresses of every day living could be sufficient to cause his
symptoms. It is now three years of feeling well and he is able to
quickly rid himself of symptoms when they recur.
Further support for how CTS is actually another manifestation of
TMS comes from a recent medical paper that suggested that the cause
of the malfunction of the median nerve at the wrist is a mild reduction
of blood flow to the area. Hence, mild oxygen deprivation results in
TMS symptoms in the hand or wrist, just as it causes TMS symptoms
elsewhere in the body.
===========
Chapter 15
REPETITIVE STRESS INJURIES AND REPETITIVE STRESS
DISORDERS
Now that studies have concluded that computer keyboard work is
not responsible for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), I have to believe
that it is just a matter of time before other studies deflate the myths of
other repetitive stress disorders (RSD).
I firmly believe that RSD is akin to whiplash. It exists only
because of the legal, social, and medical sanctions in our society.
Remove litigation, insurance companies, and practitioners wed to the
mistaken belief in physical causes for all physical symptoms, and
RSDs vanish. Worker’s compensation has value when grievous harm
occurs in the course of an occupation, but it is now totally out of
control. Our legal system has run amuck. Law schools churn out
more attorneys than we need. Needing to provide for themselves,
lawyers have had to adapt and so have explored and exploited every
nook and cranny of laws governing compensation. These opinions
are not original. However, what I have to say next is.
If TMS theory enters the societal mainstream and is embraced
by the medical community, the insurance industry and legislators,
much of the chronic pain in our society will vanish.
While this may seem difficult to believe, it has occurred in other
countries. As I said earlier, elimination of compensation for pain and
suffering can eliminate pain and suffering. Imagine the ramifications!
Employer costs are cut as insurance rates drop, employees take less
sick time, and there is a decline in disability. Employees have fewer
physical complaints and accordingly see improvement in mood. It
can just snowball. Yes, I may be a dreamer, but I know it is within
the realm of possibility. An exercise physiologist and expert witness
in chronic pain cases, such as whiplash and RSD, requested
anonymity when he agreed with me on this issue. Who dares to kill
the golden goose? |
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