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northwest
USA
2 Posts |
 Posted - 04/29/2006 : 12:08:09
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Hi everyone,
I am new to the board and have been reading Dr. Sarno's books on and off religiously for the last 6 months. I know that I have TMS concentrated in the neck/shoulders and buttock. Also, I have interstitial cystitis of the bladder, allergies, migraines and IBD.
Does anyone know of a good doctor and therapist that resides locally here in Portland?
I am starting a new job and I am slowly starting to see the effects that anxiety is having on my body.
I am thinking of scheduling an appointment with Dr. Schechter in the future. Does anyone have experiences with him and his level of care?
Thanks |
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vikki
95 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2006 : 12:41:51
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Hi northwest,
I had a good experience with Dr. Schechter. He really looked for ways to reassure me that I couldn't hurt myself by increasing my activity. He discussed with me the previous diagnoses I'd been given and why they didn't make sense. His materials were pretty helpful -- I especially liked hearing success stories from others, and there are several of these on the DVD. (But you can order these without actually seeing him.) I saw him for the initial consultation (45 minutes) and a couple of follow ups. |
Edited by - vikki on 04/29/2006 15:21:53 |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2006 : 13:36:06
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Hi Northwest,
I don't know about the Northwest, but you might check the Home page of this site for help and links to TMS practioners. Also a Yoga site called Tarpit Yoga has information on TMS doctors and therapists.
I took the journey from Friscotown to La-La Land a few years ago. I saw doctor Schechter and consulted with Donald Dubin, a therapist who appears on his tapes.
There were framed pictures of famous athletes decorating the walls. I filled out the usual forms and also a TMS questioanire. I had my vitals checked by an assistant.
The exam was perfunctory and professional. Palpation of the TMS hot-spots, range of motion of my hip joint and viewing of the various sets of x-rays and MRI that I had collected over the years from various doctors and chiro.
The diagnosis was, that, what I had was arthritis, and NOT TMS. He advised to get hip-replacement, sooner rather than later.
I gave the receptionist my Blue Cross card and it paid for some of it.
I talked with Donald Dubin afterwards and he was not as sure of the DX.
Good luck,
tt |
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vikki
95 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2006 : 15:21:42
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Hi tennis tom,
Do you think Schechter got it wrong in the case of your hip? Did you treat it as TMS and find that it improved?
Thanks,
Vikki |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2006 : 10:14:38
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Hi Vikki,
I don't know. My mind is "divided" on it. I went to Los Angeles hoping to have him say it was TMS. Another poster saw him for a hip problem at the same time and she was told her's was due to TMS.
When I am in a positive mental state, I feel it is TMS--when I am in a negative state, I feel I should have a hip-replacement.
In the meantime, I continue working on my tennis. I've stopped playing tournaments but hope someday to take them up again.
I was walking for a while and my limp would go away. I got bored with it and now walk in the pool and find this really helpful. My right leg definitely shows visible atrophy. I hope to build it back up again.
My "problem" started about ten years ago. I had two injuries to my hip in yoga classes due to overstretching. Coinciding with this was a "big" relationship breakup causing extreme emotional anguish.
I believe what I have is traumatic osteo-arthritis, (caused by injury). My mantra is, "I've never had an injury I couldn't fix".
I don't want to have a hip-replacemet, as much as everyone around me wants me to.
Dr. Schechter aluded to there being differences between Dr. Sarno and other TMS doctors in regard to my issue. I am hoping that Sarno is right.
In the meantime, I continue playing tennis up to five hours a day, do my pool work and get in the hot-tub to fix it for the next day.
I've started reading Dr. Sarno's new book in hopes of resolving my "divided" mind as to where to go from here.
Regards,
tt |
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vikki
95 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2006 : 14:02:14
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Tennis Tom -- thanks for the explanation.
I also got the impression that Schechter disagrees with Sarno on some issues. One of my problems had previously been diagnosed as "piriformis syndrome" -- where the piriformis muscle supposedly irritates the sciatic nerve. Sarno completely dismisses this diagnosis -- he doesn't seem to think that this problem can occur. Schechter, on the other hand, thinks that piriformis syndrome exists -- he focused on explaining to me how my symptoms were not consistent with piriformis syndrome. (For example, my symptoms were on both sides, and he explained that piriformis syndrome is unlikely to occur on both sides.)
Sarno has a section on osteoarthritis of the hip in HBP. From what I remember, he says that TMS is often misdiagnosed as osteoarthritis. However, not all cases of osteoarthritis are TMS.
Best,
Vikki |
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Pendoreille
USA
23 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2006 : 11:53:34
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Not sure if you've already seen a doctor, but I just found out about a TMS doctor in Seattle. He trained with Sarno last year. Here's his contact info:
Mark G. Strom MD
integrative health
medical acupuncture
1370 Stewart Street, Suite 202
Seattle, WA 98109
425-922-7576
425-669-7500 fax
www.integrativehealthmd.com
mark@integrativehealthmd.com
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2006 : 13:08:58
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"Sarno has a section on osteoarthritis of the hip in HBP. From what I remember, he says that TMS is often misdiagnosed as osteoarthritis. However, not all cases of osteoarthritis are TMS."
Hi Vikki,
Thanks for the reply. I'm stuck in TMS limbo. Schechter said I have arthritis, get a new hip. I'm a continent away from Sarno and he doesn't see patients outside NY.
At this juncture, I don't want to see anymore docs, TMS, or otherwise.
I'm returning to "normal activity", as Sarno reccommends. I'm playing as much tennis as I can without locking-up my hip joint. This can be up to five hours a day, mostly doubles. In doubles, I can play well at the club level, shuffling around the court without sprinting. I can work on technique, strategy and other aspects of the game that don't require speed. My hope is that with better footwork, in time, my hip will "heal".
I've recently started running in the pool a half hour to an hour a day, with an Aguajogger belt and the footie things that create more resistance. In the past, I've fixed any "real" injuries, such as sprained ankles, and muscle tears with two weeks to a month of rest and re-hab. I layed off tennis for six months, (my doctors orders), and it didn't help--but did put me into a severe depression.
So now, I'm playing again, doing rehab-de-conditioning in the pool and cracking The Good Doctor's latest book. |
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Need TMS help in Portland Oregon
