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john
6 Posts |
 Posted - 04/11/2006 : 13:37:53
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| I have been suffering with sharp pain in my lower back/upper left buttocks (one side only)for over two years now. I also have some achiness and occasional numbness down the same side leg. I have tried every medical approach (including epidurals) except surgery. Last September, after 18 months, the pain subsided and then recurred weeks later following a football game in which my back locked up again. Amazingly, this time, my pain had shifted to my right side only (with my left side now perfect) where the pain resides today. I manage the pain with Hydrocordone on a daily basis as it it too painful to function without it. I would love to hear from anyone having similar experiences as I need to hear more success stories. I believe Dr. Sarno's theories have tremendous validity (and I believe in them) but so far (after only about a month or two) I have had little relief. Surgery is a last resort, but I've invested two years already and realize that at some point in the future I will be forced to consider that option if Sarno's methods do not work for me as it is affecting my quality of life. That said, I also understand that any current acknowledgement of the possibility of surgery will tend to detract from Sarno's treatment. Help!!! I'm suffering and need to find an answer. I also sit for 8 hours a day and wonder if bad posture or a bad chair is causing or contributing to this situation. Has anyone seen any Chicago based TMS doctors? I went skiing last week in Colorado and pushed through the pain. However, instead of getting better (as I had hoped a break from the stress of life would improve things), the pain has gotten worse. I spoke with Dr. Sarno several weeks ago and, while friendly and encouraging, he reported that he is only seeing NY based patients now. I just bought his new book and am hoping it nudges me towards a cure!!! I would very much appreciate any insight from this knowledgeable and compassionate group. |
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2006 : 15:27:14
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Welcome, John. If you search on this forum on "SuccessStory" (all one word) you'll find a few.
If you're not getting any relief perhaps you could find a psychotherapist who is trained "analytically". (I believe that's what Sarno suggests in his book.) Perhaps someone else here can recommend someone in Chicago.
Good luck! It's easy for me to say, because I've recovered from my pain now, but I do recommend you persevere.
Hilary N |
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Susie
USA
319 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2006 : 17:25:56
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| John, sorry for your discomfort. If you are questioning your chair or contemplating surgery you are not totally grasping Dr. Sarno's theory. Sarno's new book is terrific. Hopefully it will help but until you realize there is nothing wrong with your back it will be hard to experience a good recovery. If you are sure there is nothing structurally wrong with your back then surgery is never an option. You must understand this. I would contemplate psycotherapy instead of surgery. Treat what ails you. Myself and countless others on this forum have had great relief from pain. Alot of the oldtimers like myself are pain free and don't check in here often enough. Sarno's treatment really works. Some of us have to reach deeper than others to find their real triggers. Keep looking. Your pain is very treatable. |
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marytabby
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2006 : 18:06:17
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In time you will come to learn that the special chairs, etc. just reinforce to your brain that this is a structural problem and all this concentration on orthotics, etc. hinder your success.
I had to get rid of all the contraptions and get down to basics, meaning starting out by walking through the buttock pain, then power walking, then running again. The reading helped tremendously and this site did too. I read ALL the books one after the other. That's what did it for me, plus all the hard work and ignoring the doctors |
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salamander
85 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2006 : 18:48:33
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John,
I would read and re-read Sarno's healing back pain book first and foremost since it is particularly your back that is troubling you. His new book is great, but his theories really originated surrounding backs. Now, if you have already read his book/books, keep reading them.
Like a previous poster mentioned, you must "believe totally in Sarno's theories". If there is doubt, then you have re-inforced your conditioning and subconcious mind to believe that there is a structural problem.
In terms of getting back to physical stuff, Sarno recommends that you don't try too much too soon. Not because you might injure yourself, but by slowly building up in intensity you gradually "de-condition" your mind and hence can develope trust in your body.
This is a slow process, regardless of what anybody else says. Don't try and put a time limit on healing. Try and forget about the pain (easier said than done) and go on with your life. Above all...STOP TESTING YOUR BACK (by that I mean, don't go looking for pain).
Now my quick success story:
I was playing tennis one day and lunged for a shot, heard a pop, and could not straighten out my back. This was the beginning of almost two years of constant,intractable, excrutiating pain. I spend the majority of time in and out of doctor's office, chiropractic, stretching, massaging, cortisone shots. Most of the time I could not stand up perfectly straight, and I had sciatic pain. Activity of any type was out of the question. I was about 25 and essentially a cripple.
MRI revealed 2 moderate to severe herniated and degenerated disks at around L5S1. I was also diagnosed with Spondylothesis (sp?), "abnormal" looking placement of the vertibrea in the spine. It was suggested that I could have my spine fused. I think that is probably the road that I would have went down had I not read Sarno.
I first read the book with a great deal of scepticism. I am analytically minded, and did not believe in this "mind/emotion garbage". Although I found that I fit Sarno's "profile", I was still reluctant to believe in TMS particularly when MRI's seemed to show some "real" damage. Now comes the part where I was lucky...about 8 years prior to my back pain I had an MRI taken of my lower back due to some groin related pain. Oddly enough, my Orthopedic doctor just happened to mention this previous MRI and managaged to drag it out of my file. He put the two MRI's side by side, both separated by 8 years, and they looked virtually identical. I had the same herniated disks and Spondo that I had back when my back did not hurt at all.
It was at that time that I fully comprehended and believed what Sarno was saying. Through a stroke of luck I was presented with the empirical evidence that proved to me that what Sarno said was true, namely: Supposed "structural defects" in the back rarely cause pain. I did not get well over night, but I think that I probably was pain free within a month. What is most important is that I no longer worried or obsessed about the pain, since I knew that my back was fine.
I truly hope that you get over your pain John. I know that you don't have the proof that I had to help you along, but I feel that if you are honest with yourself, and fit Sarno's personality "profile", then your pain is TMS.
If you want to send me an email to further discuss this you can, I don't come to this board that much anymore.
straightpool85@hotmail.com
Regards,
Doug |
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john
6 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2006 : 20:50:30
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Hilary, Susie, Maryalma and Salamander, thank you so much for the time you took to respond to my post. I am so impressed by the interest shown by the group on this forum. I appreciate your comments tremendously. I understand some of the push back on the chair, but I do recognize from experience that sometimes simple lefestyle practices can cause pain. I once had severe sciatica for 6 months until a friend told me to take my wallet out of my back pocket. The pain was completely gone in days. Another time a doctor was scheduling arthoscopic surgery on my diagnosed "torn rotator cuff" until my own internet research identified sleeping with my arm over my head as a potential cause. Once again, after not being able to even do a single pushup anymore (after once being able to do 500/day), within days of sleeping with my arms at my side the pain was gone for good and has never returned. For this reason, I do think it makes sense to eliminate all the obvious potential causes of pain first just in case there is a simple solution. Once that is accomplished, then I believe the conviction in Sarno's theory can be even stronger as there is no other logical explanation for the pain except for some internal structural defect which I believe is not likely despite my MRI results of two "herniated" discs. I don't think Dr. Sarno would disagree with that logic.
Anyway, I've gotten off track a bit. Mainly, I wanted to thank you all. I very much look forward to living without pain as I've all but forgotten how that must feel. I, too, am very skeptical by nature but for some reason Sarno's theory made perfect sense for me from the first time I've heard it. And, while there are a few facts that suggest to me that TMS is not the issue, there is a mountain of evidence that indeed it is.
Salamander, thanks for the offer of emailing you direct. I will take you up on your offer tomorrow as I would like to communicate with you further without taking too much of your time. Thanks again! |
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2006 : 12:54:55
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quote:
I do recognize from experience that sometimes simple lefestyle practices can cause pain. I once had severe sciatica for 6 months until a friend told me to take my wallet out of my back pocket. The pain was completely gone in days. Another time a doctor was scheduling arthoscopic surgery on my diagnosed "torn rotator cuff" until my own internet research identified sleeping with my arm over my head as a potential cause. Once again, after not being able to even do a single pushup anymore (after once being able to do 500/day), within days of sleeping with my arms at my side the pain was gone for good and has never returned.
John, you can’t be serious! Wallet in your pocket…arm above your head… Read that through and see if it really makes sense. Do you really believe they were the cause of your pain? To me it screams TMS.
See Chapter 3 of “The Mindbody Prescription” under the section entitled “Pavlovian conditioning”.
I used to believe all these things: like taking more vitamins stopped my headaches (they did, but I had to take more and more), stopping drinking milk got rid of my eczema (I’d drunk milk for years beforehand without any problems), sitting in front of a computer gave me pains (but fine to sit anywhere else). These things didn’t make logical sense, but they appeared to solve the problem and I didn’t know any other way, so I went with them. But the rules governing my life were getting more and more restrictive: can’t do this, can’t eat that… Now I know this was all TMS – it plays tricks to make you believe the pain is physically caused. If you look hard enough you’ll find an apparent physical cause of your current pain… but later on you’ll be afflicted with something else. As long as you’re looking for a physical cause you’re unlikely to get relief through Sarno’s method. You have to go for it wholeheartedly.
Hilary N |
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john
6 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2006 : 15:11:06
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Hilary, thank you very much for your well-intentioned follow up to my email. I absolutely believe that the lifestyle issues were causing my shoulder and sciatic pain in those specific situations, and I don't think this statement contradicts Dr. Sarno's theories. For all of Dr. Sarno's breakthroughs, he would be the first to acknowledge that TMS is not the cause of all pain and that, on occasion, pain may be caused by other reasons. For example, if you walked around on your knees for a week, I am certain your knees would ache. I would also bet that the pain in your knees would go after a few days being back on your feet regardless of whether or not you had ever heard of TMS. A thick wallet in one's back pocket is widely known to put undue pressure on nerves and to even cut-off oxygen to critical muscles and nerves (sound familiar?), which could result in pain. Sleeping with one's arm over your head for 4-6 hours every night will again crimp the tendons and nerves and deprive important oxygen. To this day I occasionally forget to keep my arms down and I wake up without an extremely painful shoulder as I have cut off the oxygen to the arm. I have to use my other arm to physically move my numbed arm and painful shoulder back to my side because the pain and numbness prevents me from moving it on my own. I do not believe this is TMS, but a rational explanation of the cause of pain in these specific situations. Add to this the fact that back when the two of these things occurred to me, I had never even heard of TMS and certainly didn't apply any of the treatment techniques. Despite this, healing occurred within days of correcting the poor lifestyly activity (i.e sleeping with my arm back at my side). At best you might argue a placebo effect, but I believe logic dictates that my explanation is a much more likely cause of the pain and the solution.
I will reread Chapter 3 of Sarno's MBP book as you've advised, but I believe Sarno's theories will lose credibility if we are unwilling to acknowledge the possibility that pain is occasionally caused by circumstances that do not involve TMS. It is for this reason that I would recommend that people first consider any obvious causes of the pain before jumping the gun to diagnose TMS. I would think Sarno would apply the same logic. If your car wouldn't start, you would first check to make sure it has gas before bringing it into the station for service. And, if the car indeed has gas, only then would it be logical to conclude that the car is in need of service (a/k/a TMS treatment).
Please accept my response in the positive and appreciative spirit in which it was intended. Thanks Hilary! |
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2006 : 15:41:28
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I sleep with my right arm over my head every night. No shoulder pain. Sometimes my arm is under my pillow. I wake up with a numb arm. It goes away in a few minutes.
A thick wallet in your back pocket is a great joke from Seinfeld, but I doubt it could cause nerve damage.
Of course, pain is sometimes caused by other factors. Not everything is TMS. But there are sources of pain that are TMS despite seemingly valid physical causes, because the brain wants you to believe it. |
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john
6 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2006 : 16:29:33
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Dave, I agree that there are sources of pain that are TMS despite seemingly valid physical causes. I also believe strongly that my current chronic back pain is the result of TMS despite MRI's to the contrary as the evidence is heavily weighted in favor of this conclusion.
Just because you have no pain from your sleeping positions isn't of course dispositive of my theory as we obviously have different anatomies. And, just because you aren't familiar with the potential for pain that can result from having a large object pressed on your posterior for 10 hours a day doesn't mean that the pain can't exist for some people. If you believe that one's brain can short circuit an oxygen or blood supply to any part of the human body, you must also acknowledge that a physical object or position can do the same thing. You've acknowledged numbness in your arm after sleeping funny so I think you're on board with this despite your comments. Nearly every person has stood up after sitting for long periods and suffered the sharp "pins and needles" sensation or even a "chilled" body part brought on by a physical crimping of important oxygen and blood supply. I am simply trying to appeal to your sense of reason and logic.
There is a principle of reasoning that states, in the absence of direct empirical evidence, that one should accept the explanation that is more likely true than not true. I will never know for certain whether my sore shoulder and previous sciatic condition were the result of my wallet/sleeping position or TMS, but I do know that both conditions went away forever -- within days -- after correcting the possible physical causes long before I ever heard of TMS. So, was it the placebo effect (as I certainly applied no TMS treatments) or the physical conditions. In both situations, I thought it unlikely that the physical changes would result in a cure. In fact, I laughed when my friend told me the "wallet" solution after having the same experience with his wallet. The placebo effect by definition presupposes that the subject believes he has been "treated." In both situations I did not believe the change would have any effect and therefore I did not believe I had been "treated." Thermefore, I believe that the placebo effect was the unlikely cause of my pain and that it is more likely true than not true that my physical habits were causing those specific pains.
P.S. Despite this banter, I'd love to hear your story. Where was your pain? Are you completely healed? The number of postings under your name obviously makes you a veteran of this site so I'd be very interested to hear of your experiences. |
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Scottydog
United Kingdom
330 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2006 : 16:59:57
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John,
You say "I just bought his new book and am hoping it nudges me towards a cure!!! "
I discovered Sarno 14 months ago and I'm still working on stuff (but getting there). His book didn't nudge me to a cure, unfortunately, it took alot of reading, journalling and deep thinking and as I said I'm still working on it.
Don't expect things too soon, it can take a while.
Anne |
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2006 : 03:46:06
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Hi John,
Apologies if I seemed harsh.
I don’t think I explained myself clearly enough.
I used to suffer from repetitive strain injury, a condition which is caused by lots of typing and use of the mouse. Sitting at a computer all day with the arms in an immobile position doing lots of tiny repetitive strokes causes damage to the nerves, tendons, muscles and can cause a lot of pain.
I tried all the usual ergonomic things and they would work for a while, but eventually the pain came back. So I got voice recognition which enabled me to carry on my job without typing. Typing caused pain. When I stopped typing and used voice recognition the pain went away. There’s no denying the physical connection there, just like your wallet in the pocket.
Three years later I got early signs of cancer. I had it operated on and the problem went away.
A year later I got eczema. I stopped eating oranges and it went away. Six months later it came back, even though I wasn’t eating oranges. I stopped eating nuts. It went away. A year later it came back again. I stopped dairy products. It went away. Definitely a physical connection like your arm above the head – but if you look at the bigger picture you’d have to ask why previously I’d eaten all these things without problems.
Then I started getting mysterious pains in different parts of the body. They stopped when I took time off work and stopped sitting in front of a computer. They came back if I sat in front of a computer for more than 10 minutes a day. (I was using voice recognition, not typing at this stage.) I also got the pains if I sat and sewed. But I didn’t get them if I sat in front of the TV or read a book. There was obviously something different about the way I sat in front of a computer or if I sat and sewed.
I read Sarno’s book, but my pains didn’t go away, so I gave up on it. I managed to build back up to full-time working (using voice recognition) over a year and a half using pain management techniques. Shortly after that I met someone who was very enthusiastic about Sarno, so I decided to give it another try. Eventually it worked (my account is elsewhere on this forum), and I was able to give up the voice recognition and go back to typing and mousing. I’ve also been able to slowly go back to eating the things I couldn’t eat before. I think if you tackled TMS you would be able to sleep with your arm above your head. (Obviously not such a big lifestyle change as not being able to type  )
Sarno talks about these placebo cures. Someone could have an operation on their back and their pain could go away. But some time later they would get pain in a different place. The fact that you are getting pain, finding an apparent cure (luckily a nice simple one, not a horrible operation)… but then later on getting a different pain suggests strongly to me that you have TMS and that your previous conditions were also TMS. You may go out and get a better chair and your current pain may well go away. If it does, then great. But if something else comes along later on, have a good think and look at the bigger picture.
Gosh, I sound like the voice of doom here – sorry!
Anyway, getting an ergonomic chair is much easier than confronting repressed emotions, so I don’t blame you if you prefer that option. But if you decide to go for Sarno’s option I do recommend having a good read through the old posts on this forum – there is lots of good information. Incidentally, Dave is the forum moderator.
All the best, and sorry if I offended you – thanks for taking it in good part.
Hilary N |
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john
6 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2006 : 09:08:48
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Hilary, thank you for your follow up post. I was not offended at your first response (I like to think I have thicker skin than that) I just felt compelled to explain myself more fully. I know your comments were made only with the best of intentions. Acquiring knowledge from this site is the best thing this forum offers. I beleive I increase me knowledge base every time I read a thoughtful post or response. I think you've raised a number of good clarifying points in your most recent post and I thank you for taking the time to provide your thoughts to someone you don't even know. Have a great, and happy, holiday weekend!
Thanks for the heads up on Dave's role as well.
Anne, I appreciate the comments about having patience as I believe that is an important element of this treatment. Have you been able to mitigate your pain by applying Dr. Sarno's theories? To what percentage? Just curious. |
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Scottydog
United Kingdom
330 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2006 : 11:31:49
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I read Mindbody Prescription for an insomnia problem which I'd had all my life. I'd also had niggling mid-thoracic backache after standing for long periods for about as long - but I have a scoliosis so was resigned to it. Also hip and knee pain associated with driving.
As I read (think I read it in just over a day) I thought "wouldn't it be funny if my backache was fixed by this" and luckily for me it was (after 30 years!) so I believed completely in his theories from then on.
The knee and hip pain took a few weeks to go.
I'm cautious about saying the insomnia is cured because I have had a couple of relapses but it is vastly improved. In fact I feel like a different person - so keep working at it - you'll get there in the end.
Anne |
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2006 : 11:44:16
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John,
You are clearly very intelligent and analytical, a trait shared by many with TMS. Unfortunately since TMS is a primitive and irrational process, these traits can work against recovery. First, it makes it more difficult to take a "leap of faith" and disregard long standing medical explanations for the symptoms. Second, it can serve as a defense from your emotions -- for analytical people, it is far easier to think than to feel.
I have found success embracing the TMS theory and resisting any urge to think about structural explanations for pain. Basically, I don't think too much about it. I just ignore the symptoms, and whenever I am aware of them, turn my thoughts towards what might be bothering me; something that has happened recently that I have brushed aside or not appreciated the full emotional consequences of.
I cannot say that I am "cured" because I still experience mild pain on occasion. But for me it's not about finding a permanent cure, to be pain free forever. I prefer to take a long-term view, and accept the pain when it comes, as a benign signal to take care of my emotional state. Over time, there are fewer flare-ups, of lower intensity and shorter duration. There is no fear of structural problems, just an annoying sensation from time to time to which I do not pay any attention. It no longer serves as a distraction from my emotional issues, but as a reminder to avoid repression. |
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john
6 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2006 : 13:19:31
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Dave, thanks. I think your response was very well stated. Your observation of my analytical nature is certainly accurate, and I agree with the potential for that nature to detract from the TMS concepts. Somewhat surprising to me is that I have very quickly concluded that Dr. Sarno's theories are quite plausible. I fit the profile to almost exactly and would by quite confident that Sarno would quickly diagnose TMS if I told him my story. Perhaps its a credit to Sarno's well researched and analyzed theory that I've climbed aboard so quickly. Reading accounts in his book from people saying they were so skeptical, I've found myself saying "I'm not, I believe this is possible." So much evidence points to TMS for me.
The only evidence which seemingly points away from TMS is that I have had no reprieve on vacations (which I would have expected), exercise makes it worse and one out of 3 steroid epidural injections actually did work for a about a month (suggesting that an anti-inflammatory medication reduced the symptoms). Maybe this is explained by the placebo effect or some other explanation. Finally, I guess I'm trying to grasp the general sense that "it's too good to be true" hindrance. I am in such constant pain. I am managing, very reluctantly with Vicodin equivalent Hydrocordone. I take one or two a day only when I absolutely cannot tolerate the stabbing pain anymore. Part of me feels that I'm at the end of my rope at the end of two years. Most of my family thinks I'm nuts for not trying surgery. I have 5 young boys and cannot afford to be hobbling around forever. But, I've been following the little voice inside my head all along that has told me that this thing is not a surgical problem. I wish I discovered Sarno 2 years ago. That said, I know if his theory has any chance I must not be giving surgery any thought whatsoever, which is tougher to do after suffering for 2 straight years. What is the general view on treating the pain with pain killers (but not anti-inflammatories)? I guess I've felt that using these to get by are not detracting as they are only numbing the pain that Sarno acknowledges we all have. I don't think this feeds into the notion that there is anything structurally wrong with my back. I am just numbing the pain caused by my brain's oxygen deprivation. Just wondered what the general concensus was on this. Thanks for all of your good words Dave.
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atg
USA
50 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2006 : 13:42:22
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John,
When you changed the way you slept, and took the wallet out your pocket, your corresponding pain went away. Any logical and rational person would conclude that it was cause and effect; that altering your positioning was the cause of your pain disappearing.
I had almost an identical experience: I changed the way I bent and my left knee stopped hurting, when I'd sit up straight with my shoulders back my upper back pain went away.
You seem very intelligent and evidence-based, so I am going to ask you a question: Is it possible, just possible, that these changes acted as a placebo? All you need is just to allow a tiny percent of possibility. Then at least the prospect can enter your mind.
When this was put forth to me 6 months ago, I was sincerely offended at the mention of it. A placebo? I didn't believe it was possible. I had the evidence! Certain changes were implemented, my pain went away. It made sense! In fact, it took me 6 months to fully accept that it was even a possibility.
Intellectually I was always able to appreciate the concept of a placebo cure, but I couldn't internalize it. I had little reason to believe it applied to me. It was not until a health improvement was actually exposed as a placebo that I even entertained the thought, and realized that I was as susceptible to it as some of the mental health patients I treat. I had a whole new respect for the unconscious.
The responses thus far to your assertions are not unusual. People on this board have looked at certain improvements of condition as a placebo for so long, it's almost offensive to think otherwise.
The bottom line is you made physical changes and your pain went away, and you drew the only conclusions that a normal, mentally balanced person could draw. Asking you to do otherwise would be asking you to abandon your entire foundation of how the body works. That is something that is not easily done (I often think of it as analogous to how, thanks to Einstein, people were forced to change their entire concept of time in the early 20th century).
Keep checking the board, and check out Sarno's books, and you'll be in for one hell of a ride.
There's no TMS physician in Chicago, but I did see one in Minnesota:
Doug Hoffman, MD
SMDC Sports Medicine and Orthopedics
400 E. Third St.
Duluth, MN 55805
(218) 786-3520
Good Luck!
Alan
P.S. After reading your last post, I want to offer a couple more things. According to Sarno, steroid injections are not necessarily placebos. In "Healing Back Pain" (I can't remember what page) he wrote that the only medical treatment that he's seen work beyond the excpected placebo effect is steroids. A steroid injection worked for me also. 50% reduction in pain. A week later I started getting headaches.
In regard to pain killers, Sarno occasionally prescribes them in extreme cases. The pain is real and pain killers can help. He looks at them as a temporary treatment until the patient advances in their TMS work and no longer needs them.
Reduction in pain on vacations is not a requirement. I had no reduction of pain on vacations either. If I did, evidence-based as I am, I probably would have caught on earlier. It seems my unconscious mind knew what I needed to be convinced that it was structural. Perhaps you are the same way. |
Edited by - atg on 04/13/2006 23:14:33 |
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2006 : 08:36:59
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quote:
Originally posted by john
What is the general view on treating the pain with pain killers (but not anti-inflammatories)?
Dr. Sarno prescribes narcotic pain killers for people with severe pain. There is no harm in taking pain killers provided you acknowledge it is strictly for relief from the symptoms.
As for inflammation, that's one place where I'm not so sure I agree with Dr. Sarno. I believe TMS can cause inflammation. Dr. Sarno acknowledges that the immune system can be a target of TMS, and hypothesizes that some auto-immune diseases could be psychogenic. Since inflammation is an unconscious reaction of our immune system, it seems logical to me that inflammation can be a TMS manifestation, in addition to plain old oxygen deprivation. |
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n/a
560 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2006 : 19:14:57
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Dave, you are misreading Dr. Sarno when you state: "As for inflammation, that's one place where I'm not so sure I agree with Dr. Sarno. I believe TMS can cause inflammation."
Dr. Sarno is saying that many times inflammation is blamed for the pain when in fact thee is no evidence inflammation exists. This is a lot different than what you wrote. TMS, or its equivalents, can bring about many changes in the body, even infections and the production of bacteria as Dr. Sarno writes about in his books. These have to be treated but they are not the origonal source of the problem. |
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Jim1999
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2006 : 22:55:27
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quote:
Originally posted by john
The only evidence which seemingly points away from TMS is that I have had no reprieve on vacations (which I would have expected), exercise makes it worse and one out of 3 steroid epidural injections actually did work for a about a month (suggesting that an anti-inflammatory medication reduced the symptoms).
John,
I think that Dr. Sarno says that many TMS patients are conditioned to have their pain get worse when they exercise, especially if the exercise is vigorous. That was certainly true for me. By the time I heard about Sarno, I couldn't walk much without aggravating my TMS. Now, I can exercise as much as I want.
It may seem like vacations should be less stressful than other times, but Dr. Sarno says the opposite. This is covered on pages 18-19 of Healing Back Pain. I was very surprised by this when I first heard it, but now I know that it is true for me. Vacations have a lot of pressure: Only a small percentage of my time is spent on vacation, so there's pressure to make the most of it. There's pressure to make the most of the money I'm spending and the places I'll go. Vacations will be remembered and talked about for years to come. If something goes wrong, I'll be reminded of it over and over. This is not true of the typical day at work. Even though I've been recovered for close to 7 years, vacations are still are problematic time for me, a time when it's harder than usual to keep my repressed emotions from causing significant problems again.
Hope this helps,
Jim |
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Any wisdom appreciated!
