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mountain_hare
9 Posts |
 Posted - 03/04/2007 : 07:35:35
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I've been reluctant to post here, as I'm rather skeptical about TMS. However, desperation and the testimonials from chronic RSI sufferers have made me decide that I have nothing to lose.
For the record, I'm 20 years old, a suffering of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and am suffering from chronic pain in my hands, which is localized in the knuckles.
I began suffering from some slight pain in my hands last year, during the school semester, after excessive typing. I also suffered from excruciating pain in the knuckles of my right hand after sleeping on top of them for the night!
However, the pain wouldn't last more than a few hours.
At the end of the school semester, I ended up going home for my holidays, which resulted in some boredom. This resulted in me reverting back to computer games. I would engage in some gaming. My mouse hand began to hurt in the knuckles which connect with my palm, so I stopped. Resting overnight cured any pain.
However, further gaming caused the pain in my right hand to come back, and remain. "Oh well", I thought "At least I don't have that pain in my left hand, which I need to write with!". Several days later, the pain was almost as bad (and quite as chronic!) in my left hand. ****. I also got the occasional sharp pain in my funny bone nerve.
During the next month, the pain spread to my next set of knuckles. My wrists are weak (although not in chronic pain, thank god!), and my hands cannot be used for even simple tasks, such as unscrewing a bottle top.
Oddly enough, the pain tends to 'jump' between knuckles of different fingers, and between different hands. The pain increases in severity as the day progresses. It's not so bad when I wake up in the morning, or even after a short nap.
The pain resulted in me ceasing all gaming and typing on msn for the rest of the holidays (over two months), with very little effect. In fact, I'd argue that my condition has worsened, and I have suffered from 'flare-ups'. I'd always find an excuse for the flare ups. After all, it's IMPOSSIBLE to stop using your hands entirely. Obviously some everyday action I performed had re-damaged my hands!
I saw a GP. Rheumatoid arthritis tests came up negative. He suspected soft tissue injury, and advised rest and anti-inflammatories. No improvement. However, I'm very thankful, because he was both understanding and compassionate.
That's more than I can say for my rheumatologist. Again, he advised rest and anti-inflammatories. This is despite the fact that I had BABIED my hands for 2.5 months, and taken numerous types of anti-inflammatories. I asked him if I could get a disability form, as I find it painful to type and write. He responded with the claim that I don't have a disability, as I don't have an inflammatory disease, and I have normal limb movement.
He then told me that I should get someone to type all of my essays/reports for me, and then in the same breathe claimed that I couldn't let my 'overuse' injury effect my life. What a contradiction!
Ironically, just last week I thought "Oh well, at least I don't have pain in my thumbs!" Bam, pain develops in my thumbs (although not as severe as my fingers). **** ****. That's the last time I try to be an optomist.
Now I'm back at university, and my pain is chronic! It is constantly in the background. I find it hard to sit still and concentrate, because the pain nibbles at my resolve. I find it hard to type or write due to a flare up in pain. The power is gone from my hands. A 9 year old girl could beat me in an arm wresttle at the moment.
It's a nightmare. I had dreams of transferring to dentistry. Now my dreams seem to be unreachable, which upsets me. Added to which, the chronic pain just wears me down, and prevents me from doing anything to relieve my stress (ergo. computer gaming!). Over a year ago, I deferred my studies for 6 months due to chronic nausea caused my IBS, and after managing to conquer (ie. manage) it, I've hit another setback!
It's depressing to think that I'm 20, in the prime of my life, and I'm a cripple!
I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'm not satisfied with the advice I have been given by specialists. I'm told to rest my hands, despite the fact that I've done so for months with no result, and that the advice isn't the slightest bit practical for a uni student.
So the question here is, do I have TMS? Can I be cured of my chronic pain? If so, how do I go about it?
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Edited by - mountain_hare on 03/04/2007 07:37:46 |
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ndb
209 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2007 : 07:40:04
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I recovered from RSI as have many others. Read through the archives, search for RSI for their stories and how to recover. Read the Mindbody Prescription or The Divided Mind by John Sarno.
Your condition definitely sounds like TMS to me. |
Edited by - ndb on 03/04/2007 07:41:26 |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2007 : 09:53:45
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quote:
Originally posted by mountain_hare
I've been reluctant to post here, as I'm rather skeptical about TMS. However, desperation and the testimonials from chronic RSI sufferers have made me decide that I have nothing to lose.
MH, That's the right attitude to have regarding anything that involves your bodymind health. TMS is a conservative medical approach. You don't spend any money accept to buy a book, the best one is the Good Doctor's latest, Dr. John Sarno's THE DIVIDED MIND. You don't injest anything like supplements or rx meds, only TMS "knowledge penicillin", and no surgery.
... suffering of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and am suffering from chronic pain in my hands...
IBS is ofen a TMS symptom reported by TMS sufferers as part of the TMS personality syndrome history.
...during the school semester, after excessive typing.
For over a century typests used manual typewriters for eight or more hours a day and we had no epedmeic of RSI.
...the pain tends to 'jump' between knuckles of different fingers,
and between different hands.
This phenomenon is called the "symptom imperative" it is explained fully in the book.
... Rheumatoid arthritis tests came up negative. He suspected soft tissue injury, and advised rest and anti-inflammatories. No improvement.
That's good, it helps prove that their is nothing legitimately/structuraly/anatomicly amiss. The advice to rest is contrary to TMS advice which is to return gradually to normal activity. Soft tissue injury is a catch-all because it is difficult to prove or disprove with imaging. Pain meds are ok as a temporary way to overcome excruciating pain and transition you to doing the real TMS work.
...I'm very thankful, because he was both understanding and compassionate.
A caring compassionate doctor is a good thing for a placebo effect rather than a nocebo effect which can be very deleterious to recovery.
...I have normal limb movement.
That's another plus in favor of you having TMS, once again nothing wrong dx'ed with conventional medicine testing.
...Ironically, just last week I thought "Oh well, at least I don't have pain in my thumbs!" Bam, pain develops in my thumbs
Proof of the power of the unconscious on creating psychogenic pain.
...Now I'm back at university, and my pain is chronic!
The university environment is a great cauldorn for the creation of TMS symptoms.
...prevents me from doing anything to relieve my stress (ergo. computer gaming!).
To really help relieve stress, you need a minimum of 30 minutes a day about five days a week of aerobic exercise. Are you getting any physical exercise?
...It's depressing to think that I'm 20, in the prime of my life, and I'm a cripple!
Depression goes hand in hand with chronic pain syndromes. You are also in the PRIME of your life that harbors TMS pressures You are not a cripple, you probably have TMS, part of the human condition, non-degenerative and relatively repairable by YOU.
...I'm told to rest my hands, despite the fact that I've done so for months with no result,
TMS theory advises to return gradually to normal activity. The latest back-pain (another symptom variant of TMS) studies no longer advise bed-rest and traction but to remain active.
...So the question here is, do I have TMS? Can I be cured of my chronic pain? If so, how do I go about it?
From your post you exhibit the classic symptoms. YES you most defintiely can be cured of your chronic pain and gain a new insight into preventing future mindbody pain.
All you need to do is read Dr. John Sarno's book THE DIVIDED MIND. . If you are fortunate enough to have a TMS doctor in your vicinity, it helps to get a white-coat impramature for a powerful kick-start. The handful of TMS trained doctors are listed on this sites HOME PAGE or at a site called www.tarpityoga.com
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Edited by - tennis tom on 03/04/2007 10:07:46 |
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2007 : 10:30:47
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Hi mountain_hare,
Do read one of Sarno's books if you haven't already. As you say, not much to lose except the price of the book.
Hilary N |
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alexis
USA
596 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2007 : 10:41:56
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| And if you get the book at the library, not even that. Though I see hints in your post that you may not be in the US, so I don't know availability. |
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mountain_hare
9 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2007 : 14:15:44
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Yeah, I don't live in the US. I'm an Aussie, Oy oy oy!
I'm definitely going to try and get my hands on those books.
I also find the 'soft tissue injury' to be a bit of a cop out. You should have seen my face at the rheumatologist, when he said "It's just soft tissue/overuse injury. MORE REST, MORE ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES", and I replied with an outraged "That's what I've been doing for two months!" LOL.
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sonora sky
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2007 : 16:07:50
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quote:
Originally posted by tennis tom
[quote]Originally posted by mountain_hare
...during the school semester, after excessive typing.
For over a century typests used manual typewriters for eight or more hours a day and we had no epedmeic of RSI.
TT makes a good point here. I also wanted to add my thoughts about the "timing" of your pain. You experienced an increase in pain after a period of excessive typing (physical), but this was likely a time that also included many emotional/mental pressures: it sounds like you had several papers/assignments/projects due at the same time (which is often the case--the end of semester crunch), and were under pressure to recall and synthesize what you had learned and create something brilliant from it. As a perfectionist (as many TMSers are), this sounds so familiar to me. The end of the semester was always the worst, and all those pressures brought on several TMS symptoms at once (frequent colds (compromised immune system), IBS, migraines, back pain, itchy skin, etc.)--it was really insane.
Also, you mentioned that after the semester was over (and all those papers turned in, exams taken, etc.) you experienced a relapse of pain during your vacation at home. Bells went off for me when I read this, because it has happened to me more than once. I always think, after a pressure-filled period of time, "now I can finally take some time to RELAX." But my body always seems to have other plans... I have two possible explanations for this (and they have nothing to do with video gaming!). (I can't recall if Sarno has anything to say on this, but I have read about it in other books on the topic of mindbody healing.) The first is that there seems to be a mindbody disconnect that occurs when the period of self-imposed pressure/stress ends. It's like you've been standing behind yourself with a whip for X days or weeks, telling yourself, "you must get these [projects] done in time and they must be done well; if you don't get them done, it will be the end of the world..." So your body was working as hard as it could in a state of heightened auto-pilot to meet those demands. All the mental and emotional anguish that built up over that period can't just disappear when the stressor all of a sudden does (when the papers are turned in). It's like the stress makes its way out through the body, and you get a backlash of all the crap you just put yourself through. It really sucks. One of the ways to avoid or lessen this reaction is to try to better manage the stress, to cultivate a different mindset during the initial period of crisis.
Another possible reason for your relapse during vacation could be from additional pressures that you experienced at home. Spending extended periods with family (especially after being away, on your own) can be difficult, even for those who have relatively "normal" family relationships. Reconnecting with family can trigger old, repressed feelings from childhood or stimulate new conflicts based on your changing relationship with your parents (becoming an independent adult, but not quite fully yet..it's such an awkward period).
These are just a few suggestions to get you thinking about possible emotional/mental causes for your pain rather than physical ones. This is the key to healing your TMS pain.
good luck,
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Do I have TMS
