| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| walnut864 |
Posted - 12/29/2011 : 15:36:40
I was recently suffering from some gastrointestinal problems. They had me pretty stressed out and anxious. I was scheduled for an endoscopy and colonoscopy. I canceled them for the time being b/c I have gotten 90-95 % better.
The I began having these headaches. They seem to be coming from my neck up the back of my head on the sides. They move from left to right or both sides. I cant describe the pain. Last week it my headache would get worse if I wore my baseball cap. There are 2 spots that are painful if I press on them.
heres a photo i marked the spots that are painful to press in red,.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/walnut187/backofhead.jpg
Pain comes and goes during the days, moves arounds, sometimes my jaws feel tights, sometimes my temples feel tight, i was also having some twitching in my facial muscles. neck stiffnesss when i wake in the mornings. the muscles and tendons feel very tight. |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| walnut864 |
Posted - 01/08/2012 : 20:16:14
thanks for all the replies,
i didnt have time to see my regular doctor, i stopped by a place we have called "minor care" its located about 100 yards from the E.R. and is part of our hospital system. they sent in a physicians assistant. she didnt see anything that made her want to send me to the e.r., she said lets try to treat it conservatively with naproxen and norflex. she said she thinks it is tension headaches. she said if this treatment didnt work then i should consult my physician and try to get to a neurologist.
im pretty sure it is tension headaches. they have eased up alot the past 5 days. and all i really have is tight neck muscles. the pain seems to have been replaced with fasciculations. mainly in the front muscles of my right leg. ive had fasiculations for at least 2 years maybe longer but they come and go. will see how this all pans out for me. thanks for all the replies. |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 01/01/2012 : 16:14:12
I agree 100% with what forestfortrees wrote when he talked about Dr. Sarno's concept of "Symptom Imperative." Having symptoms that move around is indeed a classic sign of TMS. I am not convinced, however, of the existence of any unconscious and for the most part it is not recognized in psychology circles these days except for the die hard Freudians. |
| tmsjptc |
Posted - 01/01/2012 : 10:46:30
definitely sounds like tms to me. back pain was always minor issue for me. chief complaint was and is headaches that sound just like yours. 15 years of them before i read sarno book and got a lot of relief. not out of the woods completely yet. but i know now that this is my issue. good luck and dont give up. drugs dont fix this. |
| Cath |
Posted - 01/01/2012 : 06:29:10
I have this too and was diagnosed with TMJ by my Dentist 3 years ago. Dont't know if I should be saying this, because Sarno believes that all TMJ is psychosomatic, but the spots you have highlighted are sites of the occipital nerve. In my experience these nerves become irritated when your head is constantly bent forward over either a desk or anything else for that matter. I was told by my neurologist that I have chronic myofascial pain. The occipital nerve runs through your neck and spine between C2 and C3 and then into the brain stem where it joins the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve is responsible for all pain in the face and there are a couple of branches that run through the temple and the jaw, but i must stress that this is not trigeminal neuralgia which is a completely different condition. My myofascial pain started simply with tension headaches and tinnitus and has become a monster which affects most of the left side of my body, and is echoed less acutely on my right side. I had been through a very stressful time after the death of my mother, so you could say that it probably was initiated by stress, but I did make things worse by focussing solely on the pain for a year, searching for a structural problem, which probably doesn't exist. I have seen jaw specialists, dental specialists and neurologists, all of whom offered treatment which made my problem worse rather than better.
Now my pain is my stressor, and I have been exploring Sarno's theory for about 4
months now because all the doctors can offer me are drugs. |
| bryan3000 |
Posted - 12/30/2011 : 13:11:27
Walt,
I have EXACTLY the same painful spots on the back of my head. My headaches seem to come from my sinus area and spread up into my forehead, but I absolutely have that EXACT pain in those spots. It's like painful nodes on both sides. I also get jaw tightness, neck stiffness and on top of it... tinnitus. I grind my teeth at night. I highly suspect you to too.
Don't know what it is, but I assume this is TMS.
_____________________________
-1/2010 - Developed chronic sinus problems. ENTs/Docs can't find anything
-5/29/2010 - Doc gives cocktail of allergy meds which induces first ever panic attack/anxiety.
-7/16/2010 - Anxiety stays/worsens - put on Xanax
2/1/2011 - Began Xanax taper - Withdrawal starts - full body chaos
-6/11/2011 - Last dose of Xanax. Physical/emotional chaos continues for several months.
-Now: Taking it day by day, looking for real answers and ways to heal myself without medical poison. |
| forestfortrees |
Posted - 12/30/2011 : 12:16:21
It sounds like you have what Sarno calls the Symptom Imperative. You were making great progress and out of nowhere you get these new symptoms. One of the interesting things you mention is that your headaches move around. Having symptoms that move around is a classic sign of TMS. It is simply your unconscious trying to create a new distraction because the previous one (gastrointestinal problems) was no longer working. Kesh2 is right about having a doctor rule out serious issues, but at same time it does sound like TMS.
Forest
Check out the TMS Wiki's free Structured Educational Program! |
| kesh2 |
Posted - 12/29/2011 : 16:00:09
Go to a doctor to rule out serious issues, and if you then think you have TMS then don't obsess over the physical symptoms and focus on what is going on psychologically. |
| walnut864 |
Posted - 12/29/2011 : 15:43:53
also, im 6 foot 4 and i work at a register all day, our side of the floor behind the counter is higher than the customers, im looking down alot during the day. |
