| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
brandy76
USA
8 Posts |
 Posted - 09/28/2007 : 11:41:49
|
I ready Dr. Sarno's book & my outburst of back pain stopped - been pain free for over a year. Now out of the blue I have horrible mid-back pain that goes into spasms, causing major pain.
I re-read some of the book & repeated the mantra of how it's not physical but psychological. But it is SO HARD to keep thinking it's not physical when I'm in so much pain.
I still continue to go to the gym since that's what the book says, & I'm acknoledging the stressors in my life instead of ignoring them, but the pain isn't going away. I had to breakdown & take some Advil.
HELP!!! |
|
|
jmburns
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2007 : 13:08:48
|
brandy,
i know its hard, and i went through the same thing. it moves around and manifests itself the more you fight it.
I am fully recovered from TMS and am very greatful for being exposed to Dr. Sarno's information. I went through the gammet of treatments and had the pain/disorder manifest itself in probably 10 different physical ailments ranging from backpain to sciatica, nose bleeds, swollen gums, acne, knee pain, hip flexor issues, rsi, and eczema.
you can do it....stay strong
you will want to try to find the underlying reason as to the pain. is it anger, fear, anxiety, is there something in your mind that you dont want to remember or face.
take a look a www.focusing.org my psychotherpist gave this to me and it works hand in hand at resolving the different manifestations. not a quick fix, but def a help for m.
i would be happy to explain my experience more in depth if you need more confirmation.
justin |
 |
|
|
jmburns
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2007 : 13:11:41
|
dont try to ignore your stressors....you must face them and not beat yourself up about them. as focusing shows you, just look at them with ambivilence and then just set them to the side. ignoring them is what the pain wants you to do. the pain is the minds way of distracting you from your anger, anxiety, fear, stress etc.
justin |
|
|
|
lidge
USA
184 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2007 : 14:20:52
|
PLEASE HELP!
How in the world do you really know if its TMS or real pathology causing pain if you have serious findings? My neck shows
such severe degeneration every dr. thinks I've been in car accident.
More puzzling, five months of wrenching lower back pain with no relief after epidural. Assumption it was herniated disc.
Discovered today that none of the MRIS imaged where the pain is-
the sacrum! Now another MRI.
I am in tears and pain and want to believe the TMS theory as it fits-
however my pain never abates even after reading the books.
My rage increases as I realize one doctor after another has not
done his job properly thus prolonging my hell.
I don't even know why i'm posting- just wondering HOW BAD most of your back pain is. When I see people talking about going to the gym I do wonder whether I am in the right place.
Brandy I feel the same HELP!!!
|
|
|
|
la_kevin
USA
351 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2007 : 19:26:34
|
Brandy and Lidge,
I was one of the most severe TMS cases that I have heard of. I had a real injury followed by excruciating pain down both legs, front and back, buttocks to feet. So severe that my legs felt like they were on fire. I had pain in my groin too, mid back stomach.My old massage therapists told me that my hold body was in spasm. There were point when I couldn't even drive for two months because I couldn't sit for 10 minutes.
I'm telling you this because I was in pain for 5 years straight, with no easing of symptoms. My doctors couldn't figure it out. I saw about 12 different ones who all gave me different diagnoses. My MRI's showed nothing worth mentioning, in fact I had what they called a perfect spine and disc height.
I only recently started "serious" TMS work and see a therapist every week(Tms therapist)I hardly have any pain anymore. Now I'm working on the "get back into regular exercise" phase.
So my point is TMS can be life changing if it is serious enough. and the pain can be major and broad throughout your body. I ended up in ER rooms asking for morphine plenty times. I cried and cried for onths when the pain was bad. Almost committed suicide a few times too. All the doctors seemed like idiots who had no idea how to "fix me".
TMS has been the only approach method that gave me an end to my pain. Sometimes there are not many severe TMS cases on this board. Mostly because they are fighting pain so bad they're not on the internet. I call them our "fallen brethren of TMS". Don't measure your TMS by what people on this board might say about their pain.
There are a few people here that think if they aren't able to golf 18 holes, they have a "problem". I have no kind words for those people at the moment so I will end it there. Just know that you are not alone in having REAL and major pain. |
|
|
|
lidge
USA
184 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2007 : 08:57:21
|
Kevin-
I appreciate your post. But part of my problem is that unlike you,
I don't have perfect spine on mri. I have issues with my neck that
makes me a candidate for spinal fusion. However I did not have pain till after a period of anxiety and depression. After that one symptom after another. Yesterday after seeing another dr. and getting upset I have had nonstop headache and nausea to boot. I am never well anymore and I want to believe TMS. I wish doctors found nothing because then I could safely assume it is TMS and go that route. It seems you must reject doctors and physical findings to
do TMS- am I wrong? I feel as if I have been traumatized by doctors and this has increased my feelings of sickness and pain- does that make sense?
|
|
|
|
la_kevin
USA
351 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2007 : 15:09:36
|
No I was in the same boat with doctors. I know it can be frustrating and cause severe depression and a feeling of hopelessness. They all seem to do a lot of guess work while people suffer. I don't know your history or exact circumstances so I really don't know how to respond.
And I don't think the "treat it like it's TMS automatically" approach always works. Things I would ask you would be.
1) Are there moments the pain isn't there?
2)Do you feel a mental connection to your pain going up in intensity in bad times?
3) Does your pain subside when you sleep and aren't really "thinking" about it?
4) Warm water or baths make it feel better or subside?
5)What happened? Injury or some small event? If it was an injury, how long has the pain been hanging around? If it was a non-event, have you thought of the possibility of it triggering a reaction of pain that exceeds logic?
6)Do you fit a TMS personality? Fear , anxiety, people pleaser, angry, suppress rage for past or present events, worrier, obsessive, self critical,etc.
7)Does your pain subside in strange situations(walking,keeping busy,being active)and get worse when you have time to think about it?
8)Do your muscles tense for no reason and feel like you're a "tin man" all day?
9)Have all treatments failed? And what were those treatments?
10)HAVE ALL SERIOUS MEDICAL PROBLEMS BEEN RULED OUT? (most important)
I'm not attempting a diagnosis either. I'm not a medical Doctor, just very experienced with TMS. I think maybe you should visit or talk to a TMS doctor if you can and tell them your story. There are many resources out the to see if this fits you.
|
Edited by - la_kevin on 10/03/2007 15:14:48 |
|
|
|
jmburns
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2007 : 15:39:26
|
kevin,
your description of your lower body sounds like my sister that i wrote about in the thread "helping others". she had the burning, tingling sensations. so much pain that she cannot hardly get out of bed. the pain is so bad that it actually weakens her. the doctors have determined that the muscles are there, not atrophied and working properly as well as the nerve conduction being healthy. but nonetheless she has excrutiating pain.
you seem as experienced as i am and everythign you said is correct about the profile of the pain.
glad to hear that you are doing better, keep up the good work here and stay healthy.
jburns |
|
|
|
la_kevin
USA
351 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2007 : 16:22:48
|
Thanks jmburns,
At one point my pain was so bad that my nerves were into overdrive and caused fire to go down both legs and made my sweat glands pump water out of my foot. One time I actually witnessed water come out of my leg because the nerve impulse was so strong and had to stand in the shower under cold water just to get the heat out.
Yes, I believe TMS can do this, and did do this. Yet there was nothing "wrong" on nerve conduction studies. I believe it was some SUPER Autonomic response that was rare. And at my worst in the beginning, I had muscle spasms that would feel like knives in my butt and my hamstring. There was about a year where my right hamstring was so in spasm that I couldn't straighten my leg and walked with a limp. Worst pain I have ever felt. The body isn't meant to be in spasm that long and I honestly think it was chronic daily TMS. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
back pain returned
