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ekman
11 Posts |
 Posted - 06/28/2006 : 20:06:19
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| Have been suffering from butt pain for 2 months. Have not been able to sit for more than 20 minutes. The PT says piroformis syndrome. Can anyone share their experience with this? Did it go away on its own with believing in the TMS theory? Or was trigger point therapy necessary? How long did it take? Do you force yourself to sit longer or don't overdo it? |
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shari
USA
85 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2006 : 21:08:20
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Very interesting you mention piriformis syndrome. I had regular flare ups of this type many years ago until I started having back pains. Now that I have learned about TMS, I'm quite certain that my brain made a strategic shift to my upper back because I've never had these "butt pains" again. I think that, rather than force yourself to sit longer in pain, you should consider sitting only until the pain kicks in. As you make progress in overcoming TMS, and your pain eases, you'll find yourself being able to sit for longer period of times, and at the same time start losing the fear of pain.
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2006 : 23:39:43
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| ekman--I've been having a little of this butt pain (left side) off/on for the past several months. It's usually quite mild, but it also seems to affect the hamstring on the same leg (tight; like someone is squeezing it). I remember having the same thing a few years ago and it took probably 6 mo to go away for good. It's a lot milder this time. A runner-podiatrist at the time told me he thought it was piriformis syndrome and had it himself. I don't really buy that explanation now, espec since it is usually not painful. I notice it is aggravated if I have to sit for very long periods of time, like driving all day. When I drove out to CA last month to run a marathon it hadn't been bothering me at all for several weeks, but it really started acting up on the long drive and by the time I got there, the night before the race, I wondered whether I would even be able to run it. The next morning it had disappeared. |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2006 : 00:40:58
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For Dr. Sarno's opinion on butt pain and pirformis syndrome go to page 17 & 18 of :
THE DIVIDED MIND. |
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Susie
USA
319 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2006 : 08:33:22
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| Tom, How did you make the letters so big? I don't even know how to make a paragraph. |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2006 : 10:35:16
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Hi Susie,
I am taking font therapy with an excellent font therapist. She has me taking taking a homeopathic remedy I get at Whole Foods. It is a derivaiative of a naturally found substance as found in Viagra but a much smaller dose. I take is sub-lingualy.
WARNING:
If the font stays enlarged for more than four hours see a doctor. |
Edited by - tennis tom on 06/29/2006 10:39:43 |
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Singer_Artist
USA
1516 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2006 : 10:56:53
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| Fred Amir talks about this very subject in his book...Rapid Recovery from Back and Neck Pain..He battled wtih it and it was TMS for sure... |
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Susie
USA
319 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2006 : 13:08:03
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| Very good Tom but how do you expain away the color. I'm sure every guy on this forum envies your letters. |
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Shannon
9 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2006 : 11:39:40
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Ekman,
I have a long history of "piriformis" pain. I always knew the diagnosis wasn't quite right - how on earth could I suffer from it for years?? I'm sure there is truly such a thing - BUT - you would recover in a normal amount of time - like a couple of weeks. I had pain in my butt - both sides - a squeezing, burning sensation in the back of both hamstrings (always alternating), numbness in my heels, burning and aching in my feet (again, always alternating and moving around) and just general muscle weakness so that even standing all the time was too hard. My IT band (side of leg from hip to knee) was sooo sensitive. I couldn't sit or even lay on my back. I was so hurt and so very sad and devestated. I did everything the doctors told me. I had neural massage (horrible), I had a nerve test, I had MRIs and x-rays, I had 8 cortisone injections into my piriformis and sacro-illiac joint (yes, 8!!). I was tested for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and cancer etc. I quit my job.
It is ALL BULL!!! It is TMS. Think about it. In order to have ALL those crazy symptoms you would have to have every disc in your back completely wrecked. It doesn't make sense. I remember my doctor saying "did you fall off a horse or did someone kick you in the butt?" Excatly. That would make sense. But sitting in a chair and developed this pain does NOT. Sitting is NOT an olympic sport. :-) I should be able to do it with ease.
I got better the first time without knowing about TMS - but it was a fluke. I took a new exciting job that fulfilled so many parts of my life that were lacking that, psychologically, I had "cured" the life elements that were out of wack in the first place. I felt important, beautiful, powerful, smart and wanted. The pain went away. I did not however, magically cure my "piriformis syndrome." Then years and years later it all comes back - and this time I'm just mad. This "diagnosis" doesn't make sense, I thought. Something isn't right. I don't have this. - so I was very receptive when I picked up Dr. Sarno's first book "Mind over Back Pain." In it, for the first time, I read a description of my piriformis pain that was exactly what I had!! I know that many people will recommend his later books because his ideas are more developed - but in your case (and its a very quick read) I suggest you read that first book because it does a nice job of describing butt pain. Bear in mind that the theory is more developed now but it is a good book to start with.
Get mad at your diagnosis of pririformis syndrome. It's ridiculous. Read the books. Really own the knowledge. Get excited about the FACT that there is a real diagnosis and a powerful effective set of tools for not only preventing TMS and its equivalents, but for also managing your life in general.
You have work ahead of you but you are going to to get better. You are going to get better!!
All the best. |
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ekman
11 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2006 : 11:18:27
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Shannon:
How long did it take to go away after you got your new job? Were you on any antianxiety drugs? |
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Shannon
9 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2006 : 16:30:41
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Ekman,
It was a few months into the new job. No, I wasn't on any drugs. I believed at the time that it was from the pilates I was taking but of course it was not or else I wouldn't have gotten it again. To be clear the pain never totally went away until I started treating it as TMS. I did have trigger point therapy and it didn't work. I also saw a physical therapist 3 times a week for several months. I thought also at the time that the fact that I wasn't sitting as much in the new job was a contributing factor. It wasn't. I hated the previous job and the new job really set me free on many levels-therefore the pain went away (temporarily). The biggest waste of time was the effort I spent reading running message boards that talked about having the piriformis muscle removed or using a tennis ball to sit on to relieve pain. I have a whole folder full of piriformis stretches. What made me better the first time was a sense of personal fulfillment. Unfortunately I never had an accurate diagnosis so I continued to always think of any mild onset of symptoms as piriformis syndrome. My own doctor finally admitted that a structural source of pain didn't really make any sense.
Please take the time to read one of Dr. Sarno's books. I wish that I had had the awareness of TMS during the early onset of pain such as you are experiencing. Go for a run. Do not sit on ice! (I just finally cleaned out my freezer - I had at least 7 of those 3M ice packs!) Stretch if you want to but it won't make much difference. I'm going for a run tonight Please continue to post questions if you like. I really had a long struggle with it and can probably answer a few of your concerns.
Best Regards. |
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mco
Belize
3 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2006 : 16:35:24
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Singer- This is the best post I have ever read on this site and the one that inspired me to take back my life. Don't know this guy, but I owe him huge for this one post.You possess strength that you don't even know you have. REALLY READ IT!!!!!!
I felt like many of you for years. At 18 years old I suffered from a miserable family life, and suddenly developed back pain. Insane fall-on-the-ground pain. I thought I had inherited my fathers 'bad back'. In fact I had been told by my unstable mother that I had.
This went on for my last year of high school, interfering in my athletics, but I still managed 4 varsity letters before graduating. More importantly, I learned to be a ferocious competitor, and to believe I can excel in the most difficult situations.
At this point in my life I was an athlete, but it hurt.
I went away to college, which was very confusing for me, and went out for the Cross country team (long distance running)I had big potential, I was on the best team in our league, and I could be one of the best.
Then the TMS kicked in, in my right IT band. I couldn't run. The trainers worked on it for two weeks, using ultrasound (I think)and it was fine. The next day my LEFT IT band was killing me. Classic TMS. My injury was gone so I needed a new on. I quit the team.
Later I would conclude that this symetric injury symptom was the best indicator of TMS.
For four years I went to college, with limited physical activity. Some days I couldn't get out of bed. 21 years old and I couldn't get out of bed. Total lunacy. I had pain everywhere, every tendon, back, hips (bad) upperback. It sucked. I spent every spare moment (every day) studying massage techniques and trying to heal myself. I never gave up. But I suffered alot and will never forget it.
I had suffered for about 6 years, but I was determined and tough. I had been dealt many bad cards in life but I was going to win.
I had won some really hard races, come from behind countless times.
I heard Howard Stern mention Sarno on the radio. I bought the book that day.
I read the book straight through and got very angry.
This is where you come in.
Sarno says you are angry. I was. I bet we both have really good reasons. There is a part of our personalities that is enraged.
I've been hit, hurt, lied to, betrayed, left alone, tricked, insulted, degraded. We all have in some way, we can't change it but being a victim is a choice.
Don't try to 'undo' or 'let go' the anger. Not yet. Embrace it. In fact, you need it to win.
Beating TMS is YOUR race, you need to decide, BEFORE the race that you are going to win. NOt see how it goes, not 'do your best'.
That plan has failed you if you're here. Take all of the anger, identify your opponent, and kill it.
Punch TMS right in it's face.
Unless you stop being the 'coper' and victim, nothings going to change. Look in the mirror. You have the cure to all your pain, right
here, handed to you by Dr. Sarno. Are you really so helpless that your aren't going to reach out and take it? Do you really 'need' the injury, like I did when my right leg was suddenly fine and then the left hurt?
Talk to your brain. Yell at it.
Hate TMS. Kill TMS. Stop 'coping' and hiding your natural human emotions. Direct them at TMS. Stop being it's pathetic victim.
Don't have sympathy for yourself. YOU are doing this. Hate the part of you that is failing you so much.
If you feel ashamed that you are the cause, good. Stop making everyone think you are suffering, stop making your family worry about you.
I was never afraid to really hate the part of me that was so counter-productive. I accepted my mistake, forgave myself, and fixed it.
This is what worked for me. For the record, (not to sound rude) I'm not interested in others assesment in my tactics. Use it or don't.
I have introduced Sarno to others and changed their lives.
"The important thing is this: to be able to sacrifice at any moment what we are for what we could become." Chinese Proverb
The End.
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Singer_Artist
USA
1516 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2006 : 20:19:19
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WOW MCO, was that post for me...You said "Singer" in it in the beginning, but I didn't write this topic butt pain..I just happened to scroll down and find this by accident...It was amazing...If it was for me, I say thank you very much..I will harder to apply the principles he discusses...Great advice... |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2006 : 23:13:20
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I happened to look at a daily calendar from 4 yrs ago when I last had this butt/hamstring issue. It was not piriformis syndrome the podiatrist say it probably was (and that he himself also had), but "hip joint capsulitis." Not that the specifics make a lot of difference if it is in fact TMS.
Great posts, Shannon and MCO. Shannon, the detail of your symptoms that struck me was the SQUEEZING sensation in the middle of the hamstrings. That's exactly how I would describe it. This time around I've had it off/on for several months. Ironically, it went away completely while I was training for a marathon, but has started up again now that I'm running very little. |
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Butt pain
