| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Warren |
Posted - 01/13/2007 : 11:56:42
For those of you that have any doubts that your back or neck pain is TMS, I should be your personal TMS consultant! I had serious back and neck pain for years, but I have now defeated both, after I FULLY-accepted (and I do mean FULLY accepted) that my pain was due to TMS. For me, the key to me fully accepting TMS as causative in my back/neck pain was to have an MRI on my back and an x-ray of my neck taken at the time of my pain and then interpreted by Dr. David Schechter. His conclusion that I had no structural damage which would be causing the pain, gave me the certainty I needed to beat the TMS-induced pain in my back and neck. A victory!!!!!
For the last two years, unfortunately, I have had foot pain in my left foot, which was diagnosed by two podiatrists as sesamoiditis ( chronic inflammation of one or both of the two small bones under the big toe) and/or mechanical problems in my gait. I have chronic discomfort and pain in the first MTP joint, mainly on the bottom of my left foot. I had been diagnosed with gout, but the gout is now under control with a drug called Allopurinol. My left foot was inflamed and hurt before because of the gout, but now it is not inflamed at all, but the pain on the bottom of my left foot continues!!!
I have even had two phone consultations with Dr. Marc Sopher, who is convinced my foot pain is due to TMS, but I can't seem to fully accept that diagnosis. Has anyone here beat TMS-induced foot pain? If so, how have you done it? |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Andrew2000 |
Posted - 01/15/2007 : 13:27:00
Hi Warren - if you're able to search through some of the postings I've made on the site over the past few months, you'll see that I too suffered from plantar fasciitis and some other foot problems -- I saw a podiatrist several times, wore custom orthodics, had cortisone shots, ouch - they really hurt!
Even after I started reading Sarno and understanding more about mind/body connections it was hard for me to accept that problems in my feet could be coming from my head!
It took awhile, but I'm better now ... and it wasn't a result of rest or wearing the orthodics. It was "doing the work" that people on the message board talk about -- for me, personally, it was facing a lot of fears about making changes in my life -- many related to my career. And I'm still going through those changes, but the foot problems have subsided. When I look back on it, there was no doubt that the physical pain served as a distraction.
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| Wavy Soul |
Posted - 01/15/2007 : 00:28:28
Hi Warren,
quote:
have some very intense work ahead of me
Just wanted to say that I have found it helpful to assume it's TMS and still get help with the pain, but put most of my effort into exploring the TMS roots. I'm going through a very "real" seeming thing with intense TMJ pain which came out of massive dental surgery, therefore wants to tell me it's real. But it's gradually getting better as I stop focusing my anxiety on it, and focus my attention as much as I can on the possible causes. I've found that when I really intend to do this, life seems to show me quite clearly what the real roots of my pain are.
There is definitely a phase of something close to blind faith that we sometimes need, but hey, so what! I'm the daughter of cynical atheists but I can see the logic of having faith in TMS as an equally sound hypothesis to the "something is really wrong" hypothesis of many doctors and my former mind.
Hope this helps. I'm meaning a both/and - get help with the pain AND stop worrying about "what it really is"...
Don't mean to demean
xxx
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
| Warren |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 11:14:20
altrunner- your comments are very interesting and potentially helpful to me. I have found it much more difficult to accept the fact that my foot pain is due SOLELY to TMS than I did accepting the fact that my back/neck pain was due to TMS. I have some very intense work ahead of me if I am going to accept Dr. Sopher's diagnosis that my foot pain is due only to TMS. It's just so hard to believe, especially since I have had gout attacks which caused pain in the same area as my current chronic pain. But, for the first time in a while, I am ready to confront my unconscious to deal with my foot pain. That's a first step. |
| altherunner |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 10:00:32
I had achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and a pianful bunion, that took longer to go away than my back and neck pain. Now I still have a bunion, but it doesn't hurt anymore. I haven't had any recurrence of foot problems, other than the occassional blister. |
| Curiosity18 |
Posted - 01/13/2007 : 15:17:37
Warren,
Thank you for your back and neck encouragement. I struggled with foot, ankle and Achilles pain approximately 5 years ago. My podiatrist fitted me for orthotics and suggested different walking shoes, none of which made a difference. Then my thumb and wrist started acting up, so I had x-rays taken, which showed mild osteoarthritis. I freaked out.
Fortunately, I had seen Dr. Sarno years earlier. I sent him my reports and phoned him. He basically said: "I wish these radiologists would stop pathologizing normal degenerative changes! This is TMS!" Within a week both hand and foot pain went away completely, and did not return (until a month ago, when I sprained my ankle-that's yet another issue!)
In HBP Sarno states that TMS foot pain can be more challenging to resolve, because many folks have such a difficult time accepting that it is not due to structural causes.
Holly,
Have you considered phoning Dr. Sarno regarding your polyneuropathy? Since he saw you in the past it seems that it would be helpful to get his insight on this. Also, check out page 118 in HBP, which describes
mononeuritis multiplex as TMS.
I wish you both the best. I am currently attempting to allow my ankle to be "simply a sprained ankle" that will completely heal!
Curiosity
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| Littlebird |
Posted - 01/13/2007 : 13:22:42
Hi Warren,
It's really tough sometimes to decide which pain is from TMS and which isn't. Is there anything about the pain that seems to fit the TMS pattern, such as the pain only being there at certain times or with certain events, but going away at other times? Is there emotional stuff that you feel the pain could be linked to? Those seem to be some of the best clues to help us determine which type of pain we have.
Hope you'll get relief soon. Let us know how things go for you--it's helpful to hear other people's experiences. Following Holly's ordeal has been informative for me. Take care! |
| holly |
Posted - 01/13/2007 : 12:57:08
I could have posted that similar post easily. I too beat back and neck pain and many years later developed this polyneurophy after severly banging a middle toe. Three years later I am back with my post inquring about neurotin right near your post. I don't believe absolutely everything is TMS as most here (including myself) wish to believe. I think the theory is correct with alot of things especially with the neck ,back ,arm, skin etc. But using it to diagnose just everything now I just don't buy. 3 years ago I said this gotta be TMS of course. I totally believed it as with my back and neck and skin problems like you. Totally understanding the concept and preaching it right and left for years! This polyneurophy I just feel is not that. Not everything can be TMS. Not everything. Oh and I spent a whole summer 10 years ago going to Sarno's group sessions and met with him personally. I was actually dissapointed that I really feel I have this neuropathic condition. |
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