| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MarkD |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 09:17:15
My story. My pain started in March of this year. It was pain down my leg. MRI showed herniations. I met with Dr. Sarno at the end of March and I have been working on my TMS ever since through writing and seeing a therapist. I was doing great, swimming, biking and returning to the gym. Yesterday, walking to my apartment, I sneezed. My lower back locked up and it has been in pain since yesterday.
Question: Could something as innocent as a sneeze bring out TMS?
Any help or thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. |
| 12 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 09/13/2011 : 12:14:56
quote:
Originally posted by MarkD
I have conditioned myself to feel the pain when I stand or walk for long periods so I need to de-condition myself.
Yes, you must de-condition yourself. I found that after 20 minutes of walking my limp went away. Yours undoubtedly will be different but if you stick it out eventually the bursas in the joints will start making their lubricating fluid, WD-40 for the joints, and you will feel good. |
| MarkD |
Posted - 09/13/2011 : 09:45:04
Tom,
I met with my therapsit last night and we discussed the need for me to start getting back to a normal routine.
The pain has been so bad that I can not stand for a long period or walk for more than a city block or two. It debilitating.
She suggested that I start out with some things that I have not been doing lately like driving my car (because its painful getting in and out) and short walks.
I have conditioned myself to feel the pain when I stand or walk for long periods so I need to de-condition myself.
Looking forward getting my life back.
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| tennis tom |
Posted - 09/12/2011 : 10:47:53
Thanks Mark, we all can use a TMS "knowledge penicillin" booster from time to time. I did a group with Dr. Bruce Eisendorf in Santa Cruz, CA., a number of years ago and found it very beneficial, especially from the aspect of seeing how much worse off some were than me. Also ran into SingerArtist, who flew in from Vegas there. I recall she was in such pain she could not sit and had to stand for the entire group session. It was meditation oriented but that's Santa Cruz for ya'.
After forcing myself to watch the 9/11 replay last night (which I had not intended to do) and being reminded of the unspeakable scenes of humans trusting their fates to believing they could learn to fly from a hundred story building when the fire was at their back, it brought back to me what a rat-race life in NY must be. Don't underestimate the stress and tension by osmosis you must internalize by the NYC TMS pressure-cooker. Is it any accident that Dr. Sarno evolved his TMS theory there!
I feel the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti are quite applicable :
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."
I am not referring to NYC in particular with that but to "modern" life in general.
Mark, I feel you will win the TMS war but all of us need to keep the Good Doctor's book in our medicine cabinets and apply generously when we feel the slightest TMS scratching.
Best Wishes,
tt |
| MarkD |
Posted - 09/12/2011 : 10:16:03
Balto,
I appreciate your kind words and ideas. I like the "so what" attitude. I think that I will struggle with it at first, but I need to try it.
You are 100% right that I fear the pain. I work on this with my therapist and my essays, but i am not breaking through.
i don't know if its a childhood insecurity or something else, but recognizing the fear has not been enough. |
| balto |
Posted - 09/12/2011 : 09:59:45
speaking from my own experience with tms, I think your pain/anxiety keep coming back because of fear. You were able to elliminate each pain symptoms when they come but another pain will appear soon afterward because you've just focus on that one particular pain. You were able to over come your fear of just that one particular pain. But you didn't over come what brought on that pain, those pain. The pain exist because it want to help you forget your fear, stress, negative thoughts... whatever they are. If you have more negative issues, stress than you have positive then the pain will keep coming, to "help" you. I found that the only way for my pain/anxiety symptoms to stop coming back I have to change many aspect of my life. I forced myself to focus more on making my life more positive, more energetic, more happy. I avoided stressful situations, stay away from negative people (and doctors), lower my standard of living to reduce financial stress... I adopted the "so what" approach to many of my everyday problems. I accepted my symptoms as harmless and temporary and refused to fear them.... in time they just disappear and have not come back for years. It take time, take lots of effort, but it is doable.
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| MarkD |
Posted - 09/12/2011 : 09:45:45
Tom,
Thanks. I was hoping that you would respond. Sometimes I need to be reminded how lucky I am that I can get dr. sarno on the phone and get a very fast determination as to what is going on. My wife said the same thing this weekend when I was in one of my down monments. She sid that I should consider myself lucky that I can speak with Dr. Sarno.
BTW, I am seeing one of his therapists one on one. My therapist is suggesting that i try group therapy with other TMS patients. I think that will help also.
You hit the nail on the head, winning the battles not the war...yet.
Thanks again. |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 09/12/2011 : 09:03:35
Hi Mark,
Although kind words are not my forte, I'll give them to you. . And here are some thoughts:
Damn, I wish I was in the Tri-States area and could see the Good Doctor! Maybe in your case familiarity breeds contempt, as it were, and you are not able to appreciate how lucky you are to have direct access to the High Priest of TMS!
You are winning the TMS battles but not the war. Your case begs the question, why aren't you seeing one of Dr. Sarno's recommended therapists?--or are you?
If it's any consolation, I've had a "frozen" shoulder for at least three months and have gotten over it with no doctor or PT visits, just by waiting it out and thinking TMS'ly.
Regarding your diabetes, I believe in one of the doctor's books, maybe his latest, there's a chapter on diabetes--or maybe it was high blood pressure? I'm sure if you do a "SEARCH" here, you'll come up with it.
Good Luck!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR. SARNO'S 12 DAILY REMINDERS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0dKBFwGR0g
TAKE THE HOLMES-RAHE STRESS TEST
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_and_Rahe_stress_scale
Some of my favorite excerpts from _THE DIVIDED MIND_ :
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2605
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." Jiddu Krishnamurti
"Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional." Author Unknown
"Happy People Are Happy Putters." Frank Nobilo, Golf Analyst
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| MarkD |
Posted - 09/12/2011 : 07:52:10
I have a bit of good news, bad news story since I originally posted my "a sneeze" post. I was able to beat that episode of TMS which manifested in my back and right leg.
However, I haven't posted on this site since February of 2009. At that time, I was battling TMS induced prostatis or as I would rather call it TMS that was appearing as prostatis. Fortunately, after speaking with Dr. Sarno and seeing a battery of doctors to find out that nothing was physically wrong with me, I was able to "beat" that episode of TMS.
Of course, I may not have beaten it because in late 2009, I began to have shoulder pain. (My brain moved the pain). Again, after seeing a battery of doctors and then speaking with Dr. Sarno, I was able to beat that episode. I truly believed that I was FINALLY a success story.
Fast forward to February 2011, another sneeze and back pain with pain radiating down the back of my left leg and front left hip area. (Almost two years to the date of my 2009 back pain) My trunk was shifted to the left. Dr. Sarno called it pelvic shift. The pain was excruciating and I could not walk without a limp because of the shift. I got an MRI that showed the L4, L5, S1 herniations. Same herinations as the last MRI that I had in 2009. Faxed my MRI results to Sarno and had a second appointment with Sarno. He diagnosed TMS. I have been doing the work, etc. since February however four (4) weeks ago, I coughed and ended up in the emergency room with what the doctor called Sciatica down the right leg. I have been battling that pain ever since with pain killers: tramadol and vicadin. Not much success with those. My right foot is numb and it radiates up the front of my right shin into the back of my leg (hamstring) and into my buttocks. Back is pain free.
I am sure that other people have had this. I also have diabetes and my diabetes doctor believes the pain is not related to the diabetes. So, I have had a battery of doctors examine me and have been told that it’s TMS by Dr. Sarno. I agree with diagnosis because I just bought a new house which is exciting but causes additional amounts of stress and responsibilities.
I am hoping that someone on this forum can help me get past these reoccurrences of TMS. I know that this pain shall pass, but how do I stop it from manifesting again in some different body part?
Thoughts and kind words also appreciated.
Thank you,
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| skizzik |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 12:38:30
Hi Mark,
Maybe this thread, or a new one, would you detail your visit w/ the good doctor and the follow ups. W/b very interesting to hear about.
thanx |
| MarkD |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 11:45:36
Thanks - Dave. I am laughing right now. It is so easy to be tricked by one's mind. |
| crk |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 11:36:00
My understanding is that the mind will indeed look for something, such as a sneeze, to mentally connect the pain for you. If it's not connected to a physical action it will be less believable as an "injury," and believability is key. The sneeze is perfectly logical. Good luck with your tms. |
| Dave |
Posted - 08/06/2007 : 10:14:56
Yes, of course, it can definitely be an acute TMS attack.
If this would have happened to me I would just laugh and tell myself how silly my unconscious mind has become if it thinks I'm going to fall for those tricks anymore. Then maybe I'll take some Advil and just go about my day. |
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