| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Redsandro |
Posted - 11/06/2006 : 08:34:59
Hi people,
Nice to read all those success stories! I have RSI for 6 years now in the form of severe but partially copable 'pain' mostly in my lower arm musles that lift my fingers, and a month ago I had this 'cannot use my arms anymore' phase for the 3rd time, pissing me off real bad. Since then I rarely used my computer (getting severe problems for running behind at school and stuff), resulting in a pain free period. This happens everytime I don't use the computer for like a month (I can tell because of vacationtimes). When I return to the computer, pain quickly emerges again. I've been to the therapy-attending-non-working circus, wasting my time and getting more depressed. I recently finished 'The Mindbody Prescription', wow that's really something. I understand and believe the theory, but the pain still developes (for example as I am typing this).
I cannot 'believe it is harmless' when my arm starts to feel whiny, because when I squeeze over my lower arm muscles I feel this painfully string of musle. And from experience I know ignoring this and going on makes it worse, and going on more makes my arms malfunction so I cannot cook and drive anymore which really sucks.
Are there any ex-RSI-sufferers who had problems at the same spot, who can give me any recommendations? I'd like this to work!
-
Excuse my grammar, I'm dutch 
<font size="1"><i>Do not base your joy upon the deeds of others, for what is given can be taken away.</i></font id="size1"> |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Redsandro |
Posted - 12/29/2006 : 19:52:15
Thanks for this information!
But the fact is, I bought, read and practiced that book abouth a month before I found out about Sarno. I know all about triggerpoints and I thought I finally found the solution.
But the pain release was 10% at best, and temporarely. That's actually why I started to google more for desparate wicked RSI fixes and discovered Sarno. After practicing Sarno, the pain subsided varying between 80%-100% and I get all sorts of symtom imperatives and such sci-fi like stuff, letting me know something's really responding to what I do.
That's why I think triggerpoints are a symptom of TMS, and Sarno is the cure.
____________
No Hope = No Fear. |
| torarnek |
Posted - 12/29/2006 : 12:34:26
Redsandro, I feel obliged to send you a message. I have been in your situation with so severe RSI problems that I had problems carrying my groceries from the store. I “fixed” my problem with something called Trigger Point Therapy – where I massage certain very painful points in the muscles, so that they can go back to their normal state and length. The book is called “The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook” (http://www.triggerpointbook.com).
This together with physical exercise has dramatically improved my life. However, my problem is that the trigger points come back all the time. And I have been suspecting a connection with my emotions and the mind, and yesterday I came across Dr.Sarno’s work, so hopefully I will solve this problem once and for all.
My main message to is that muscles that are in spasm and have trigger points (they seem to have crystals inside of them) need physical pressure in order to release.
My belief is that Dr.Sarno’s work together with trigger point therapy and exercise will do the trick!
Good luck
Tor |
| Redsandro |
Posted - 11/21/2006 : 02:21:19
I got it on the shelf now, but that makes it sound more interesting. At the moment I'm reading Fred Amir's book. I'm at about page 100 something, and the first 70 pages weren't new or interesting imo. Still, reading about another's recovery strategy is helping, but he's really had all the pain there is except for RSI or something. I'm going to enjoy the devided mind :)
____________
Do not base your joy upon the deeds of others, for what is given can be taken away. |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 11/20/2006 : 21:27:27
CONGRATULATIONS REDSANDRO ON YOUR TMS BREAKTHROUGH!
I think you will like his newest book too. It's about a lot of the methods you are using. The book makes a very difficult subject, the workings of the human mind, understandable.
Keep up the good work and it's GREAT that you are playing the guitar again! |
| Redsandro |
Posted - 11/20/2006 : 07:00:29
I thought I should say that since a few days, I am back at the level of complaints I had one week after reading Sarno's MBC, which is good!
Learning more about this TMS, other people's experiences and giving the explanation a personal touch makes it more a part of myself, understandable and reachable. I'm still away from comprehending it totally and I wonder if I ever will, but after knowing, believeing and acknowledging how TMS works, learning how it works with you is the next step.
I played a lot of guitar these days, and I haven't really done that in many years.  When you treat the irrational stubborn inner TMS creating unconscious as a 3 year old, you can visualise stuff like playing together with your inner kid. Sure, you can laugh. I would too. In fact, I do. But it works for me.
When I took a walk the other day and experienced pain, I imagined walking with my inner kid, or young version of myself, and tried to talk and reason with it. After the walk the pain had subsided somewhat. I wouldn't recommend talking out loud tho.
When things don't go the way I like it, I summon the kid, and explain we have to cooperate in order to accomplish stuff.
____________
Do not base your joy upon the deeds of others, for what is given can be taken away. |
| Redsandro |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 12:22:17
Thanks, you people keep keeping me confident. :)
I really think reading Sarno's latest book will do me and my mind good. I ordered it together with Fred Amir's book even before I had a major breakthrough last week, but I think the mailman got lost in Europe.
____________
Do not base your joy upon the deeds of others, for what is given can be taken away. |
| armchairlinguist |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 11:43:30
Redsandro, setbacks are pretty normal. You do have control over the pain to some extent, but the more important thing is that you have control over your reaction to the pain. You don't have to let it worry you, bother you, or stop you, if that's what you choose.
Don't let it get you down. The computer is not bad for you. Your own fear is bad for you.
Go at your own pace in your recovery. Maybe you just went a little too fast for your brain. Take it easy for a few days and try again when you're feeling more confident.
Best of luck.
--
Wherever you go, there you are. |
| MikeJ |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 10:07:02
Sandro, I thought of you when I read this thread. There's a good quote from flyefisher regarding setbacks that should help.
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2536 |
| Redsandro |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 07:29:47
I experienced relief so my mind must have understood what was going on. However, this weekend I had a major setback (or flareup is the correct word?). I started thinking psychologically but the same mystery that decided to take the pain away earlier made it come back and I couldn't think it away again.
Now once more I'm scared to use the computer.. 
quote:
Originally posted by Redsandro
I have no control over pain going away or coming back. that makes it scary..
____________
Do not base your joy upon the deeds of others, for what is given can be taken away. |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 19:37:47
GOOD STUFF REDSANDRO!
Keep it coming. You won't always have to do the self-searching. All you eventualy need to do is understand how the TMS process works, and when you have pain switch your thinking to the emotional from the physical.
Let it all hang out!      |
| MikeJ |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 16:52:53
Wow ... it really sounds like you had a breakthrough! That's wonderful news! |
| Redsandro |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 16:20:19
I've had too many moments where I mistakenly thought my RSI was over to consider myself cured now that I am quite painfree for a short while. And there's still this little pain moving around my arms like TMS' tongue licking. But I did a lot better today!
I couldn't sleep last night. I couldn't stop thinking about all possible emotions and rage. Anything I came up with was recent, and I had to think of something that also bothered me 6 years ago, when my RSI started. Finally I realised that all my life, I really hated almost everyone. Excluding my friends and family ofcourse, but everyone has always been so stupid. When going out, I always got into trouble because local stupid people probably saw me as different from what they are used to. Sure I look kind of off compared to most idiots around me, but they don't have the right to judge me. When I was younger I felt almost punished to be part of humanity. As I grew up I've been more around and I know I've just always lived in places where there is an above average number of ignorant stupid rednecks and multicultural intolerant people, but still I expect to have to deal with these kind of people everywhere I go and I'm usually right, feeding my anger about everyone I don't know. My whole life I wanted to hurt these %$@! but I always restrained myself. There's not a greater piece of repressed anger in my life. At least not something that's been there for so long. That combined with the fact that I've had a lot of unfortune in my life, while all those people whom I wished to experience severe mental pain had not a trouble of similar proportions, making life seem even more unfair to me. On top of that, I don't believe in God so I could only blame this unfairness on myself. But ofcourse things didn't change so I blamed myself for uncontiously not caring about myself.
When I realised that, I had piece of mind. I slept for a hour before my phone woke me up. And a whole lot of the pain, gone!
This is actually kind of personal, but since this personal knowledge administered such a relief in pain I thought I'd share it so others know what kind of history they might be looking for in themselves.
____________
Do not base your joy upon the deeds of others, for what is given can be taken away. |
| cheeryquery |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 14:55:22
I've spent years on this process (about 14) and still have ups and downs. Mostly, though, when I get a pain I can sternly tell it to "go away" (okay, I'm not always that polite) and it goes! Miracle.
I have lots of friends and relations who won't take Sarno seriously. They are, NONE OF THEM, doing as well as I am. They have chiropracter bills, disability claims, etc. while all I have is the knowledge that I'm doing this to myself. Often I don't know why, either. I don't' think it really matters. Fact is, life is hard and sometimes that fact is difficult to face. So we don't. We distract ourselves, with TMS pain, from the scary idea of making changes. |
| Gecco |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 14:23:23
TMS can act as a "protector" as much as it seems it is harming you. Ask yourself some tough questions. What is this pain protecting me from? Is the computer facilitiating something you hate? Resent? Wish you could runaway from? Believe it or not, there is some part of subconscious that believes that this is the right thing for you. You have to target that part, and figure what is giving it its power (fear, anger, etc). Then focus your attention on that issue and keep digging. Consider your symptoms as an annoyance and as temporary. Your fear gives it enormous power. Lastly, do not focus on the symptoms - if you are, TMS has already won. |
| h2oskier25 |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 12:36:04
quote:
Originally posted by Redsandro
The thing with those succes stories is that I see so many differences to my exact problems that I keep wondering if I'm somehow not applying to TMS (even though the TMS description sounds more sensemaking than anything I've heard about RSI lately).
Really !! Can't find an RSI success story. Here's one.
http://tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2242
Mine is the 3rd entry from the last.
Also, please search BOTH "SuccessStory:" AND "RSI". |
| Littlebird |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 00:24:24
I think that once you've read the Divided Mind book you may develop more confidence in the theory of TMS.
Typing and using the mouse was very difficult for me until about a month ago. I'd quickly get to a point where my arms and hands hurt so much that I had to stop using the computer and had to limit other activities, like cooking, until the pain improved. Now I'm doing things on the computer that would have really triggered the pain for me, but it's not painful anymore.
While I didn't have numbness in my arms, I was having numbness in my feet and legs, and all the way up to my waist on one side of my body, which was thought to be due to Multiple Sclerosis. I was taking a medication called Neurontin for the numbness and nerve pain. Since accepting TMS as the cause I don't have the numbness or nerve pain and I'm almost completely weaned off the Neurontin. I had tried to reduce my dosage of the Neurontin before I learned of TMS, because I didn't like the side effects, but my numbness and nerve pain got worse, so now that I'm not having those symptoms and I'm nearly all the way off the medication I am certain it was just TMS.
I hope you'll be able to continue developing confidence in the idea of TMS and to get well quickly. |
| Redsandro |
Posted - 11/08/2006 : 17:38:56
Today was indeed a nice day!
But the thing that puzzles me is that I am aware of the TMS theory for about three weeks now, and I finished MBP half a week ago, and all that time I was thinking about any personality trait or long lasting emotions or anger that would have caused the RSI and I think I didn't really find anything that made a whole lot of sense. Also I am still not sure whether the theory is correct, and still my self decided to give me this day of partial relief to let me know it can work. The fact of relief, that's the one big piece of evidence no one else can give me. On the other hand, the pain comes back sometimes on this same day for no reason. I have no control over pain going away or coming back. that makes it scary..
None the less it's cool so far.. I'll report back later!
____________
Do not base your joy upon the deeds of others, for what is given can be taken away. |
| HilaryN |
Posted - 11/08/2006 : 13:15:58
Redsandro, I think you've made a very important step and have reached that "Aha" moment. Progress can be uneven, but it's definitely upwards and you have to have patience.
Good luck!
Hilary N |
| armchairlinguist |
Posted - 11/08/2006 : 10:41:11
Congratulations on your progress!
quote:
This is pretty exciting, it might get better.
On the other hand it's frightening.. what if this is temporarily?
I worried about this too, but it turned out to be groundless. I believe the thought that I used to mitigate this worry was:
If I am typing more and not getting worse like I did before, there is no reason that can't continue. If RSI were really physically based, there would be nothing I could do to change my reaction to it. Even my small progress means this is the right theory.
Glad to hear you are . I am  to hear of your success so far.
--
Wherever you go, there you are. |
| Redsandro |
Posted - 11/08/2006 : 08:25:12
Not sure if this will persist, but I definitely felt a slight decrease of complaints today! My arms still felt unconfortable, but there was less pain and I typed a lot.
My arm felt sucky again after playing guitar for a short time so I took a walk.
Anyway, I kept typing and said to myself "What is going on?"
And a voice in the back of my head said "You're beginning to believe, Neo."
lol
This is pretty exciting, it might get better.
On the other hand it's frightening.. what if this is temporarily?
However for the time being I'm like this ->
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Do not base your joy upon the deeds of others, for what is given can be taken away. |
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