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moose1
162 Posts |
 Posted - 08/20/2004 : 10:19:41
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Hell All,
I have been struggling with chronic low back pain for about 7 years. I have had variable success with various "treatments," including Sarno's approach. The one thing that has been completely immune to anything I try is the pain I have every single morning as I wake up. It's a grinding, demoralizing, intense achey pain in my low back that usually continues all day. As you can imagine, after a while this gets to where your quality of life diminishes and, frankly, life becomes totally miserable as the pain becomes the central focus.
Does anyone on this board have experience in dealing with chronic low back pain, especially in the morning? It seems like most folks in this forum have neck and arm pain, among other TMS equivilents. But I don't see many folks struggling specifically with chronic low back pain.
I appreciate any advice.
Moose |
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2004 : 12:04:41
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Low back pain is far and away the predominant TMS symptom that Sarno has seen over the years; it was the basis for his first book and a significant focus in his second.
Pain in the morning is strictly due to conditioning. You expect it, you get it. Even though I've had much success eliminating my TMS, I still get low back pain in the morning when I bend over the sink to brush my teeth. All you can really do is ignore it. Eventually you will be able to wake up without low back pain being the first thought in your mind, and just laugh it away.
If chronic pain remains it could mean: (1) You're still focused on it, so it's doing its job as a distraction, so it will continue; (2) The conditioning is so strong that it is difficult to break; (3) There are still unresolved emotional conflicts that your mind feels necessary to distract you from. It is likely to be some combination of the above.
I know it's difficult, but all you can try to do is not let it get to you. If it makes your life "totally mserable" and the pain "becomes the central focus" then it will continue.
What I do is ignore it, even do things that fly in the face of the pain, like go to the gym and do leg presses despite the fact that my lower back hurts. It's like I'm saying take that! to the TMS. I won't allow you to control me, I won't focus on the pain. Your mission has failed, so go away. It's not always successful, but I take a long-term view and don't let the day-to-day aches and pains get to me. |
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Susie
USA
319 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2004 : 12:42:44
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| I second Dave's reply. Low back pain is what brought me to this forum. I'm a little sore now when I start moving around in the morning, but I pay absolutely no attention to it. I really think it's conditioning that is trying to remind me of the acute pain. I don't think any more of it then I do that my hair is messed up. It usually leaves quickly now but I can't tell you exactly when because I ignore it. When you feel it tomorrow morning, just confront the pain and tell it that is not important enough to ruin your day and go on about your business. When you realize the pain is weakening, you will begin to feel impowered. Freedom from pain is totally within your reach. You just don't really believe it yet. |
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moose1
162 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2004 : 21:09:10
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Guys,
Thanks so much for the kind words and the encouragement. It's always good to hear from people who have dealt with chronic low back pain.
One of the things that make this thing so insidious is that it doesn't really stop me from doing anything. I'm very active and I never *not* do something because of it. It's just always there, which is what makes it so demoralizing over time. I appreciate the advice to just ignore it, but when you wake up in pain every single day, it's difficult to do that. Strange thing is that occasionally, about once a month or so, the pain will go pretty much altogether for a few days, totally out of the blue, and for the life of me I cannot connect these little pain-free windows with anything significant that's going on in my life. There's no discernable life-stress variable that is associated with them, and trust me I've looked.
In any case, thanks again for your input. I’m sure I’ll be back in touch at some point.
Best,
Moose |
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Morning low back pain, etc
