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tallpaul
15 Posts |
 Posted - 07/28/2006 : 07:46:44
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I am very new to all this TMS stuff and this forum and was wondering if someone could help me out here. I am trying to figure out if what I have is TMS or not. I would like to think that it is, since none of the docs I have seen have found anything wrong, except a slightly bulging disk at L5-S1. I have read Dr. Sarno's book "Healing Back Pain" Here are my symptoms:
Moderate pain in my left hip and upper leg, sometimes in the right and sometimes my calf muscles get very tight.
Pain goes away at night, is alleviated by walking and get worse when I sit.
Pain is alleviated with Advil and prednisone.
I am the conscientious type as described in the book.
I do not have any "tender points", as described in the book and no neck or back pain
My pain started as mild numbness when I laid in bed and gradually built up to pretty much full time pain, except when asleep. I can't think of any injuries or traumatic episodes. We did have a child 10 months ago, but I do not consider that particularly stressful. Sometimes racquetball makes it worse.
I have had a history of irritable bowel for 10 years that I cured with homemade yogurt.
I am the conscientious type, as described in the book.
Does anyone have any thoughts on whether this sounds like TMS or not. Thanks a lot.
paul |
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wolf29
USA
108 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 08:24:01
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Assuming everything else checked out ok and all your doc sees is a slight disc bulge it can very well be TMS. I was diagnosed with 2 herniated discs (L4-L5) and although I have flare ups, I can do things I was told I shouldn't do.
With me, it wasn't until I went on vacations that I noticed a pattern developing. I would be in pain everyday regardless of what I did but as soon as I was on vacation (away from reality) I didn't even have a twinge of pain. Did whatever I wanted with my back. I would come home and the pain would return. It's still sometime hard to believe it's all pyschosomatic but the fact it comes and goes like that tells me it's TMS.
So I've been challenging the pain and lifting weights and the pain came back last night after doing well for a couple of weeks. The hard part is not thinking it's something physical but I will keep lifting weights because I know I have done it before without any pain. It's a certain exercise I'm doing that has the potential to damage your back from what doctors say so in the back of my mind I have that fear that I have to get over.
If you've had moments where you felt no pain, other than sleeping, then it can very well be TMS. If you had structual problems it would not just go away at certain times or in certain situations. Pay attention to how your body reacts to certain situations.
Regards,
Jay |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 10:34:19
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Hi tallpaul,
Sounds like it could be TMS.
How old are you?
How does your hip look in the x-rays?
Congrats on the kid.
Regards,tt |
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Singer_Artist
USA
1516 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 10:56:52
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I am no expert, but it sounds like it could be TMS to me as well...Funny thing, I rarely have pain in the left side of my back, my left hip or leg..but the past 2 days I did, out of the blue...I did a strange movement over a week ago that I thought could have caused it, but why would it start up so long after the incident? My point is that pain can be ANYWHERE from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes...I am quoting Dr. Sarno from his wonderful videos...And numbness, tingling, burning, twitching, etc..can happen too..I have had all except numbness..My primary spot is the neck...but as that is working itself out the pain is moving around..Today it had me in my right foot! The brain, according to DR. Sarno apparantly uses areas where there is something going on at times to start up the pain...BUT...the pain is not coming from anything structural..Instead it is serving as a distraction from the unconscious, undesirable emotions...Hope this helps somehow..
~Karen |
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flyefisher
48 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 11:00:56
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Ha ha. I have a 10 month old and that's when my problems started. I love my girl 100% but that life change is more stressful than I had thought. Actually, the real problems started during my disapproving mother in law's time visiting for 6 weeks after the baby's birth.
I discovered TMS about 10 1/2 months into it and have managed for two weeks to avoid nearly all pain.
I had all the same symptoms including a 5mm bulging L4/L5 disc. Buttocks and SI joints is where my pain comes in.
I think signs point to TMS but you could always find a TMS doctor and get it diagnosed. |
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tallpaul
15 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 12:04:28
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I have had 3 MRIs and a couple of X-rays. The chiropractor did an X-ray and said it was due to a lack of proper curvature in my lower spine, which I thought was possible, but was very skeptical. All of his manipulations just made it worse. Oh, I am 35 years old and in otherwise good health. The three MRIs (2 of back and one of hip) showed the small disk bulge at L5-S1 but all the docs that I talked to didn't seem to think this was the cause. I had a cortisone shot in this disk and it did nothing (I guess that confirms what they thought).
I saw two different physical therapists and all of their stretches and exercises did nothing. Once, though, the PT dug her elbow into my hip at the point where the piriformis muscle crosses the sciatic nerve to make the muscle "let loose" of the sciatic nerve and it really did work for a couple of days. Just due to the location of the hip pain (actually more like deep in my butt muscle) I do think that the sciatic nerve is involved as it seems to me that this is the starting point of the pain.
Anyway, thanks for all the feedback.
Has anyone tried hypnosis? I saw on a TV new segment that hynpno was great for fibromyalgia, which Dr. Sarno says is related to TMS.
Paul |
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Singer_Artist
USA
1516 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 12:14:53
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Dr. Sarno says Fibromyalgia is a TMS equivalent of the worst kind actually...
Watch out for chiropractic adjustments...although I have several that are close friends, I will NEVER EVER let one touch my neck again...The last two times I tried over the years it made it worse...I heard from a TMS expert that just muscle spasms alone can make Xrays 'appear' like there is a problem physically, but there isn't... |
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tallpaul
15 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 12:17:27
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| Does anyone know of a good TMS doctor in SC? I live near Columbia, SC. |
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Scottydog
United Kingdom
330 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 12:21:14
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You and your partner are 100% responsible for the happiness, wellbeing and care of a tiny new scrap of human life - and will be responsible for it for the next 15/20 years and your not stressed!!!
You must be unique.
I have a curved upper spine and have had virtually no pain - except for two very mild and brief episodes - since I read Sarno a year and a half ago so curved does not mean pain or lack of strength so don't be mislead.
Anne |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 12:46:33
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Hi tallpaul,
It's time for t.t.'s chiro x-ray story. Many moons ago when my TMS saga first began, my coach sent me to a chiro who was not only a chiro, but also a kinesilogist and a foreigner to boot.
At that time my pain was in my lower back. He took the mandatory x-ray. He had the machine right there so no waiting for results. His cash register could start ringing on day one. He takes one look at the x-ray, and I could tell by the look on his face that this was not gonna' be good. He said, "This is not good. There is a shadow on your x-ray! You may have a tumor."  I'm thinking, great; I drag myself all the way out to the burbs with a sore back and now I'm gonna die from a tumor. 
He says, "Let's make sure and re-shoot the x-ray." This time he says for me to hold my "privates" over to the side. He looks at the re-do and says, "That's good, you don't have a tumor--the shadow was your left testicle!" 
Hoo-ray ! I don't have cancer. So much for chiros and x-rays. |
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wolf29
USA
108 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 14:11:00
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quote:
He says, "Let's make sure and re-shoot the x-ray." This time he says for me to hold my "privates" over to the side. He looks at the re-do and says, "That's good, you don't have a tumor--the shadow was your left testicle!"
Good thing he didn't want to go in right there and then and take the "tumor" out |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 14:48:14
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"Good thing he didn't want to go in right there and then and take the "tumor" out "
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Yah, wolf29, I got a de-frocked dentist for that kinda' stuff. |
Edited by - tennis tom on 07/28/2006 14:49:20 |
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bigbadpete
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2006 : 19:46:45
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quote:
Originally posted by tallpaul
Once, though, the PT dug her elbow into my hip at the point where the piriformis muscle crosses the sciatic nerve to make the muscle "let loose" of the sciatic nerve and it really did work for a couple of days. Just due to the location of the hip pain (actually more like deep in my butt muscle) I do think that the sciatic nerve is involved as it seems to me that this is the starting point of the pain.
Paul, it is possible that your piriformis muscle is the one cause of your problems. If deep pressure like that relieved the problem for a few days, you could have a trigger point in that muscle. Check out www.triggerpointbook.com . Trigger points in the piriformis muscle supposedly can cause sciatic nerve problems. The short story is, you can learn to massage your piriformis out and get rid of the trigger point more or less permanently, and if that's the only cause of your pain, that should be the end of it.
However, it could be TMS at the same time. I'm rather convinced that my problem, which I'm nearly recovered from, was a combination of trigger points and TMS. My reasoning for this is that once the trigger point therapy started working really well, I started feeling new pain that didn't make any sense; it couldn't have been caused by anything physical. Once I realized it was TMS, it went away, and now the trigger points are nearly gone too (still massaging them, though). I know everyone around here will probably holler at me for suggesting that there *might* be something physical worth investigating, but I'm only suggesting what worked for me. |
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tallpaul
15 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2006 : 18:56:34
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bigbadpete,
Thanks for the info. I will certainly check out the site. It is nice to know that others have had similar issues and have found solutions to them. I haven't yet decided if it is TMS or not, although I find the theory very interesting, but I sure do appreciate the feedback. I'd love to hear from others who have had hip/leg pain and how they solved it - just through TMS methods or through physical methods also.
Paul |
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How do I know if this is TMS?
