| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| McZ |
Posted - 10/03/2006 : 15:26:30
Hi there,
I have been a lurker for a while. I have been experiencing lower back pain at night for a few years now. It all started when we got rid of our old mattress and got a new one. I have had a few different mattresses since then (all the same problem). The pain sometimes goes away during the day, but not always. But it is always the worst at night and when I wake up in the morning and it is making me tired all the time because I am not sleeping well.
I discovered Sarno's books and have been reading them. And I really think TMS could be the cause. But I am having a problem convincing myself 100% because I didn't have any pain before getting a new mattress. So my head wants to blame the mattress, due to the timing.
Can anyone offere any advice? Also, it seems like it would be more difficult to convince my unconscious mind since this happens at night and I am asleep, so I can't talk to my head in my sleep.
I definitely fit the personality type. Is there a chance this pain is really caused by the new mattress? Or does this sound like classic TMS? If it is TMS, I need to get rid of the thought that it has something to do with my mattress.
Thanks in advance for any help |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 10/06/2006 : 10:44:04
quote:
Originally posted by McZ
Another observation is on vacation.....I know they say you might have more pain while on vacation, but I find the opposite to be true. But I think that makes sense because you are not in your own bed and so you are not as conditioned.
TMS pain on vacation can cut both ways. It depends if you bring your TMS problems, (person), on vacation with you. |
| McZ |
Posted - 10/05/2006 : 22:53:55
Thanks everyone!!!! I did have a lot better night last night and didn't wake in nearly as much pain. Hopefully tonight will be the same or better.
I am not having troubles sleeping or going to sleep. I am tired because I must be restless in my sleep or I am waking and just don't remember.
I think the hard part is convincing your unconscious mind enought that while you sleep it doesn't go crazy! Something interesting that I have noticed is that a couple times in the last few years I have been a little tipsy when I go to bed, I wake up pain free. My mind must do something different when alcohol is involved.
Another observation is on vacation.....I know they say you might have more pain while on vacation, but I find the opposite to be true. But I think that makes sense because you are not in your own bed and so you are not as conditioned.
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| h2oskier25 |
Posted - 10/04/2006 : 09:49:49
atg is right.
Dr. Schechter also says that sleep is something we've been doing all of our lives, and our bodies are quite good at it.
Regards,
Beth |
| atg |
Posted - 10/04/2006 : 01:25:57
McZ,
It is a very hard thing to uncondition your mind that the mattress is causing your pain. You have to respect "the doubt" because it's been reinforced so many times over the years. No matter what anyone here says, there will probably still be a part of you that still thinks it's the mattress because, well... you've thought it for so long. That is why I suggested getting the original mattress, because nothing would be more convincing than directly confronting your doubt.
Dr. Schechter, a renown TMS doctor I went to in Los Angeles once told me that lying down is the position where your back is the most relaxed and where pain is least likely to exist. Think about it. All day your up, walking around (utilizing ALL of your back muscles), sitting, bending, reaching, etc. It is when you lie down that all of this relaxes.
I remember maybe a year and a half ago I couldn't sleep over at my girlfriend's place because she had a bad mattress. I would be in so much pain when I woke up. A year later I could sleep on that or any mattress and it caused me no pain.
Above all else though, don't beat yourself up if you can't relinquish the "mattress explanation" entirely. Like I said, you've believed it for so long and it seemed like such a logical conclusion, it pretty much became a given in your mind.
Good luck! These are great questions you're asking. |
| miche |
Posted - 10/03/2006 : 22:17:34
Darko says:
When we go to sleep, or unconscious minds run free and create tension.
Darko I could not agree with you more. I remember how shocked I was when, years ago I started to heve panic attacks wake me out of my sleep, yet this is when they occurred, it got to the point where I would fight sleep for fear of experiencing the attacks, to this day , even though I have not suffered from panic in years, I still stay up as late as I can and wait until I can barely stand up before I make my way to bed |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 10/03/2006 : 21:57:14
Welcome to TMS land McZZZZZZZZZZZZZ,
The source of your backpain is DEFINITELY NOT THE MATTRASS. Dr. Sarno says that the human back is EXCEEDEINGLY STRONG. You CANNOT damage it from a mattrass.
It takes about two weeks to get used to and adjust to most anything. If you are tired you will sleep. Try napping. Get more exercise so you feel physically tired and fall to sleep naturally. Swim and it will make your eyes tired and sleepy. Most people who can't fall asleep easily don't do enough physical activity through their occupation or supplemented with exercise to override their pent up energies that build-up during the course of a stressful day of TMS reservoir filling.
Oh ya, and do the TMS work, your lack of sleep is a distraction from dealing with your emotional issues. It gives you the excuse through being too tired to have the energy neccessary to face your issues head-on, head-on, head-on, head-on, head-on, (sorry it's that darn commercial).
It takes a lot of energy to have the confidence to do TMS work. Don't take it personally, it's universal, you, me, most everybody--as the Good Doctor says--it't the HUMAN CONDITION. 
Sleep Well,
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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| Darko |
Posted - 10/03/2006 : 17:21:50
McZ,
You have EXACTLY what I have. I've been tired for years now......real pain in the arse isn't it? Listen, you need to lose the idea that the mattress has something to do with it, cause it doesn't. It's your thoughts during the day, and the repressed stuff in your mind that does it. When we go to sleep, or unconscious minds run free and create tension. I suggest you hurry up and accept this idea so you can get on with finding out what the issue is. I've been trying all sorts of things with limited success. Do you find you have loads of negative thoughts during the day? I don't think there is a silver bullet for our pain, as I accept the idea but still have pain. I've tried releasing old emotions and will do more as I have found it did help. However I also believe it's my day to day thoughts that are also an issue. So I'll be observing them more and making sure I don't get too carried away. I would certainly like to know who else on this forum has our exact symptoms, as we can share info to try and beat this thing.
Darko
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| sonora sky |
Posted - 10/03/2006 : 16:54:39
Hi--this is also mentioned in Dr. Sopher's book, I think ("To be or not to be...pain free"). Up until I discovered TMS, I would have probably said that mattresses and pillows can reek havoc on your back, neck, etc. My neck used to go bananas if I didn't have a perfectly flat pillow of a specific width.
What it comes down to is that ANY mattress should be comfortable enough for our bodies. We're so spoiled today: we have so many choices of firmness, softness, etc., etc. it leads us to believe that these minute differences can cause pain and affect our alignment, posture, or whatever. Think of all the people around the world who still sleep (and have for thousands of years) on surfaces a lot less "comfortable" (in our view, like rugs or mats on the ground) than the cushy pillowtops of today.
Try to think of emotional issues or stress that you might have been experiencing around the time of changing from the old mattress. If there was something going on in your life, your mind probably saw the new mattress as a perfect way to distract you. Think about it--how 'perfect' is it that the original mattress is no longer available?--the TMS gremlin loves that kind of thinking!
Best,
ss |
| McZ |
Posted - 10/03/2006 : 16:29:11
Thanks. It isn't possible to purchase the original one because it doesn't exist any more. I have bought one that is close as I could come (at least in theory).
I just know that Sarno implies that people should be able to sleep on any mattress basically. That it isn't the cause of the pain. Would you say that is true?
I came here because I know you all have alot more experience with TMS than I do. I really think that this could all be TMS, but like I said, there is a small part of me that still believes it is the mattress. That is what I am having a hard time getting over.
Have any of you actually seen someone's pain caused my a mattress? I also bought Brady's book, and in his quesions towards the end he mentions that he has never seen a mattress as the cause. So I am optimistic in that regard. |
| atg |
Posted - 10/03/2006 : 16:22:18
If it is TMS, it sounds like because of this simultaneous mattress switch you will have a difficult time entirely believing it. Wouldn't one way to rule out that doubt in your mind be to purchase that original mattress (obviously not the exact same one) and see if your pain goes away? |
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