| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| HopefulAli |
Posted - 02/27/2011 : 22:51:08
Hi everyone,
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this... I fear it could be sort of long although I will try to hit the main points as briefly as I can. I am a 26 year old female.
Almost two years ago now I got into a car accident (rear-ended, and it was not very severe), and I had some back pain immediately after but they thought it was just a sprain... after many months of excruciating lower back pain (with numbness and tingling in feet etc) the diagnosis came back as degenerative disc disease at L5-S1 with a bulging disc. Prior to this I have had a host of other problems, the most persistent of which being a 6 year knee problem (meniscal tear) that I had surgery on (it didn't help) and a rotator cuff "injury" that has lasted about 4 years. (I put injury in quotes bc after reading Sarno's work I am more convinced that it is impossible for an injury to last that long). I have also had a severe ankle sprain that took a year to heal as well as MS-like tingling and twitching symptoms, the cause of which was never discovered (I don't have MS though, thank heavens). Also have had dermatitis and tinnitus...
The other problems have mainly resolved (thank God), but I continue to struggle with the chronic back pain, which at times seems to consume my life (I know you all know how this feels). I am a graduate student so not being able to sit because of the pain is a great worry and hindrance for me.
I am not overweight and am in good health otherwise.
Since reading Sarno's book, I had a period of about 80% improvement for 2 months. I was jogging, swimming, ice skating, sitting for long periods of time, and doing many other activities I had previously enjoyed. Like many of you, reading "Healing Back Pain" was like seeing myself described... I am the very sensitive, people-pleasing, anxious type.
Over the past month or so I have seemingly slipped backwards and have been having flare-ups at least every week... not to the point of intolerability but enough to irritate and worry me, and discourage me from continuing with my exercise routine. Lower back aching and tightness, popping and cracking, increasing with exercise and long periods of sitting/studying. I have tried yelling at my back, focusing on emotional stressors, etc... and I just can't seem to break the pain cycle like before. I am getting discouraged.
I guess I am trying to decide if it is possible that this is NOT TMS and truly is a structural problem... for instance when I hear my back cracking and popping in the lumbar area I think, "well maybe the cause IS structural," even though I know if I really want Sarno's method to work I have to overcome those doubts.
I just ordered Schubiner's workbook... has anyone had any luck with that?
I have a feeling I will persevere in the end. I have youth on my side and am basically healthy... I hope someone out there can offer some encouragement or suggestions. Maybe since I have been suffering with chronic pain for so long (about 7 years total) I just need to go see Sarno in order for me to really accept it...
Thanks for reading!! I know it was long. |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| guej |
Posted - 03/02/2011 : 07:06:03
Ok, the "t" button on my laptop is not working and the above post is a grammatical mess. Apparently I haven't lost my perfectionist tendencies  |
| guej |
Posted - 03/02/2011 : 07:01:48
Hi Hopeful,
I, like many others, understand what you're going through. I saw Dr. Sarno in person, and 2 months later, was back to doing almost all activities (after being almost disabled with pain for over a year). I would then have frequent flareups, and I had one minor injury (achilles pull) that blew up into a full-fledged pain syndrome for about 6 months.
I'm going to go against the masses and say that it's not necessarily flaring up due to a new emoional issue. When you've been in pain for so long, your body expects it and is on the lookout for it. What I mean is that the slightest twinge will catch your attention, register as "significant" in your brain (because to you, it means more disability and chronic pain), and will then take on a life of its own because you're anxious over it. This is more along the lines of the conditioned response that Sarno speaks of. I, personally, found this aspect of TMS to be better addressed in "Back Sense" by Ron Siegel. Sarno does a great job explaining the origin of pain and types of people who develop pain syndromes, and Ron Siegel really explains the whole pain cycle.
With the benefit of hindsight, I can tell you that not worrying about it and getting on with life is what ultimately moved me from tolerable constant pain to where I am now, which is barely noticing a somewhat annoying sensation in the background (and this took me almost 3 years from when I first developed chronic pain, to seeing Dr. Sarno, to trying very hard to rid myself of pain, to finally saying f.. it, going about my life and realizing one day that I hadn't thought about pain all day,which would have been inconceivable to me 3 years ago. Don't ask me what I did. I have no idea. I think it was the "not doing" that did it. I threw myself back into work, and unbelievably, I was so busy, I didn't have time to obsess over my chronic pain condition. It was exactly what I needed. I was never able to take the focus off the pain, so by burying myself in work, I inadvertently forced my brain to shift focus.
As for meds, I don't personally don't think there is anything wrong with giving yourself some relief so your nerves can calm down. I never looked at heat pads or pills as a cure. Just a temporary crutch to ease the pain so I could get a mental break from it, which is what I needed to get back to living my life. I can't even remember the last time I took a pain pill, and I took round the clock meds for a very long time.
OK, I'm rambling. Your email just reminded me of what I went through. You need to see this from the perspective of those who started out really bad, got better, had some backslides, still didn't get pain free, and eventually found here way to a good place. I recommend reading some of Skizzik's old posts to get a sense of an up and down journey. He just posted a success story and for those of us who can relate to the long haul recovery experience, it was so great read.
Don't get discouraged. Try not obsess and get busy with things you enjoy again. |
| HopefulAli |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 21:56:13
Hey guys!
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Heelsdown, I too had an eating disorder, for about 3 years, before the back pain. I had not really considered that connection before... I wonder if that could also be consider a TMS proxy. At least, it seems to confirm that I am the anxious personality type that would be more pre-disposed to TMS.
To all the people who replied, and others, what do you guys do during a flare up? I think that's what I am most concerned about. Can I take pain meds, do stretches, use heat, etc.? It seems that would reinforce the "structural problem" idea (which I don't want to do) but at the same time it's difficult to forge through the pain without the help of those methods.
I just don't know how to stop the flare-ups from happening. Perhaps I need to try more moderate activity rather than jumping right into things like aerobics classes (no pun intended)... but I WAS doing that stuff a month and a half ago.
Sigh.
Hope to hear from you!
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| heelsdown |
Posted - 02/28/2011 : 19:30:02
Hey,
You're not the only young person. There's more of us than you think! I'm 25 and have only had pain for 2 to 3 years, but before that it was tms in eating disorder form since I was 12.
I bet your's is tms. You didn't mention anything in your post about what's going on emotionally. I think it's time to focus on that!
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| matty |
Posted - 02/28/2011 : 08:32:47
I had the same issue after 20 years of being pain free i had flare ups.I suggest you look internally for possible emotional issues that may be happening(mine was a relationship break up).I have had great success with scott bradys book Pain Free For Life.He plots out a six week action plan that has worked for me.He was helped by sarno but changed TMS name to AOS in his book but its same principal.
matt |
| lindaleyner |
Posted - 02/28/2011 : 06:24:37
I am in this, too, being only 18-years of age. This is so debiliating, because you see your strong mates that never have a thing and there you go, 24/7 of pain. |
| healingback |
Posted - 02/28/2011 : 03:03:35
Hi hopeful ali, your story rings similar to mine in some way, I'm 27, the pain in my lower back also came on after a minor car accident... (although looking back I had the pain on and off a month before the actually crash) I went on to be told my si joint was too loose, and thatbwas the cause of my pain, I also have clicking in my low back, I found about it tms in november, I have gone from not being able to stand to butter toast to last week being able to stand for 3 hrs :) the fact that your pain reduced for two months proved that it wasn't physical, why else would it subside right? My way of getting through was just to do it, challenge the pain, hope that helps.
This to shall pass.... |
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