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Toronto
25 Posts |
 Posted - 12/02/2004 : 09:29:07
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I fully believe in TMS theory and know that when the pain comes I should think psychologically, not physically, which is fine if the pain is not so bad.
If it is very bad it is hard to concentrate on anything then pain. In order to manage the pain and then be able to concentrate on psychological, sometimes I need to decrease the pain first. I know that Dr.Sarno prescribes the painkillers to his patients.
Can any of the following be used instead of painkillers?
- Visualization
- Deep breathing
- Hot tub
- Aromatherapy
- Other?
What helps you?
Once the pain become manageable, I can work on the cause of the pain (psychological factors).
Thanks ALL
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2004 : 10:34:27
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- Toronto, sorry you are in so much pain. I think due to the pain you are not recieving all the information I have posted to you, (or more likely due to my longwindedness). I am copying two of my posts to you from yesterday, my apologies for taking up so much bandwith but no one is forced to read them and they do me a lot of good. IMHO, all the therapies you list will possibly give you some temporary soothing, placebo effect or if you're lucky, a "miracle" cure. But, what happens when the next body part or emotional equivalent takes root--then the pain process starts all over again, just in a new inscrutable location.
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repeated from yesterday:
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Sorry Toronto, in my longwindedness I didn't relpy to part of your question: what was most helpful with the battle with pain? Pain is not the opponent, the battle is for BELIEF. When you believe in TMS theory, the pain can vanish, as has occured to a lucky few, or in my experience, it may slowly go away.
Pain can be temporarily amelioratd with the A to Z list of treatments including: meds, snake-oils, new-age therapies, alcohol, massages, TV evangelists, voo-doo, balms, patches, soakings, ad infinitum as long as your wallet can bare. They will all have some circulatory, soothing or placebo effect. The proof is in the pudding, DOES THE PAIN GO AWAY FOREVER? If it comes back the aforementioned modalities didn't do the job.
I also had, what I term a TMS eppiphany, within the past year or so. I got a pain in my neck for a week for no physical reason and my butt pain subsided. I posted in more detail about this and maybe you could do a search if you cared to.
The most helpful thing to me was studying Sarno's books as if I was cramming for a college final and trying to ace it--word for word, rote memorization--If you can't do it in practice, you can't do it under pressure--How you do something, is how you do everything.
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Thanks for the kind words Toronto. I noticed recently that I am in the lead with most posts. This fact snuck up on me and, IMHO, is a dubious distinction. Maybe there is a correlation to number of posts (as well as length), to TMS "healing".
As far as, where I stand with pain, I stand very well thank you, and walk, swim, drive, sleep, sit and fleetingly, sprint. On a numeric scale I score myself at 95-99%. The only limitation on "normal" activity is running on the tennis court. Under competitive pressure my right hip locks up and it gets dragged along for the ride.
I hope someday to forget to look at this board because I am so distracted with other pursuits in a positive direction. I am already starting to stray to a Jeep board in contemplation of, the new freedom machine, I will purchase, in order to explore the good old USA. I plan on resting my hip, on long cross-country drives, between playing in Senior Tennis Tournaments, far and wide.
I overcame my fear of movement, several years ago, when I started walking 45 minutes a day in January. My limp would go away after about 20 minutes. These proved to me that I could walk normally and that it was probably TMS. The butt muscles were locked up due to a TMS bad habit but they would melt and break loose if gently and attentively used.
I am now putting my attention onto being able to run on the tennis court. I just visualize the court experience as a walk-about. Fortunately, I've got good enough stroke technique that I can get away with it against my practice partners in my coach's clinics. My coach has suggested that I not run hard after balls that are hit obviously out of my reach and just let them go. He even mentioned the word muscle "tension" yesterday and understands anatomicaly the holding or locking that occurs, due to the TMS struggle. He does not accept TMS on it's face but understands it intrinsicaly having been a touring pro athlete in tennis and soccer;(I gave him MBP years ago and I'm sure he has never read it).
I am hanging onto some of my pain because you can learn a lot from pain, (but it would not be my future first choice for transformation), and prefer the pain I know to the one I don't. As my hip improves, I am starting to see other TMS emotional equivalents, starting to stir up, such as depression, sleeplessness, overeating and anxiety. The gremlin seems always lurking with a ready excuse in hand for extending our suffering.
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Kavita
USA
47 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2004 : 11:47:34
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Tom-
I found your last post very helpful. The most encouraging thing you said is that the battle is for the belief in TMS. I can now say that I truly believe the pain is TMS, and much of that is due to the fact that I have manifestations of the equivalents - gastritis, leg cramps, anxiety, perhaps too much concern over what I eat... I am actually amazed that I did not have back pain sooner, considering my personality traits and the existence of all these equivalents!
You are also right on with MBP. As much as I saw myself in Sarno's HBP book, I saw even more in MBP. It was like being hit over the head with a big "DUH!"
I will continue to read, journal, and live my life as I want, with the hope that the pain will diminish gradually. Unfortunately, my recovery has been in plateau for...two months? If I have faith that I will get better, I tend to do OK - emotionally, at least. However, if I get to caught up in "battling" TMS, then I get frustrated when the techniques don't produce results (i.e. imagery, Schecter's workbook)- and obsession with getting better in turn creates more stress.
Where is the balance of working towards recovery without the danger of being too lax or too preoccupied with it? If you can share from your experience, I would much appreciate it.
Thanks again!
Kavita |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2004 : 13:06:50
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Thanks Kavita for your feedback. Nothing wrong with plateaus. They're great places to get a view from. Progress is not linear and consistent. It comes at it's own pace, in fits and spurts, overnight--maybe TMS progress is the "good gremlin".
My latest, in the "now" thoughts, after a very post filled morning:
DO WHAT YOU WANT-SAY WHAT YOU NEED TO-GOD/DARWIN GAVE US SUPER STRONG, RESILIENT, SELF HEALING BODIES-GRAVITY WILL LET YOU KNOW WHERE THE BALANCE POINT IS- TRY TO DO THINGS WITH ENOUGH ATTENTION AND CALM SO YOU CAN FEEL THE BALANCE AND LEARN FROM IT-DO WHAT YOU WANT-SAY WHAT YOU NEED TO-LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MIGHT-LIFE'S TOO SHORT NOT TO LIVE IT-AMEN. |
Edited by - tennis tom on 12/02/2004 13:14:04 |
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Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2004 : 22:07:48
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Hi Toronto,
I bet you are fighting the pain. You mind is at war with it. You think about it all the time. "How do I do battle with it? Why can't I figure this out?? Oh my gosh, I'm trapped!"
Been there. Try this.
Don't fight it. Accept it. Let the pain hurt. Its only pain, it can't damage your body.
Stop fighting it and that will give you a wedge of relief to get busy on your TMS work.
Hope this helps, -Stryder |
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Baseball65
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 06:22:44
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I just heard Sarno the other day on CD,and I had a "refresher course" though I've had no TMS symptoms.
I always got angry...literally raving..I'd work myself into a frenzy like someone with tourettes cussing and swinging...drop and do 20 pushups,swing a Baseball bat and pretend my bosses head was on a tee.
If you're waiting for some "clear" time,it might never come.The more you try to relax,the more you'll focus on what's not letting you.
My wifes been having Migraines and sciatica,and finally listened to sarno(hence my refresher course)...she's sort of the same way...she's waiting for that moment of clarity...problem is,SHE's the one generating all the anger/symptoms.....gotta let it rip some itme.
Peace
marc
Baseball65 |
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Kavita
USA
47 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 06:24:37
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Stryder,
Thank you for your post. I find I do better (emotionally) when I tell myself, "It's only pain." However, sometimes it is frustrating when one has experienced pain every day for months. So, I have tried imagining myself defeating the pain - with no alleviation in pain, which is even more frustrating. Is there a next step after accepting ignoring the pain? I know that the pain is a manifestation of my repressed anger. According to Sarno, this is enough to bring an end to the TMS. However, I am still in as much pain as ever; I just don't let it interfere with my life. Being as young as I am, I do not want to accept that I will be in pain for the rest of my life. I know it's important to be optimistic, but the dissapointment is heartbreaking.
Any guidance/comments/suggestions? |
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Toronto
25 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 07:27:05
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Thanks Tom, I just had a chance to read you posts. It is of big help for me. I feel better today and don't fight the pain any more, just accepting it. It helps a lot. And looking for the emotion which stands behind the pain.
Also, thank you all, it really helps to read your posts!! |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 09:34:47
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Dear Kavita,
I re-read one of your earlier posts, from when you had one PT session left that was paid for. I see much progress in your thinking from that one to your latest. I would advise you to continue in the track you are in. Continue doing what YOU want to do. Most people on the planet would listen to the mumbo-jumbo and given up long ago to the Lazy-Boy. A few years ago you would perhaps be in traction. That's how they treated back pain. They now acknowledge that the med/industrial complex was wrong then--so why can't they be wrong again?
In order for them to make obscene amounts of money off of us through the insurance game, ($25,000 for 3 days in a hospital!), they must control our minds. They do this through the age-old psychological weapon of FEAR. Hitler and Stalin referred to their loyal followers as "useful idiots". Don't allow yourself to become a useful idiot to the "only I can heal you industry".
You made the correct assesement of that PT--he was "nuts" and was trying to make you nuts, too! He could have told you "you are overall in EXCELLENT, health you just have a little injury and we'll fix it, and you'll be back to normal in a few weeks". Instead he gave you a list of "normal anatomical anomalies" that would make you a lifetime prisoner of his therapy chamber. He tried to convince you that you had congenital deformities that needed expert care for a very long time, (until he could retire off your wallet).
You have made a lot of progress by discovering Sarno's view of the strength of the human body. Most pains are the equivalent of "gray hair". Aging is only a crime in California.
I rid myself of pain by thinking and doing things that bannish it from my mind. When I have negative thoughts I can feel the pain in my hip, it takes about three seconds for the neuro-chemical signal to go from my brain to my hip. I now try to intercept the signal before it shuts off the tiny capilaries im my butt region. I have found that this occurs for me on the tennis court when I have a negative thought running trough my head about myself or my opponent.
I think you have to deal with life head on. The TMS gremlin wants us to not go foreward. It uses FEAR to hold us back--an excuse, a crutch. I feel good when I acccomplish things successfully or give it my best shot.
So my advice is to keep doing and listen to your body with a positive attitude. Use the pain as a guide to learning correct technique from a physical aspect. When you move your body with gravity and anatomicaly corectly pain will go away or not occur.
The main point that Sarno teaches is don't fear pain. For more inspiration re-read his suggestions on returning to physical activity. |
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menvert
Australia
133 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2004 : 20:29:01
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ill just add that for me as I probably mentioned several times already.
For me thinking psychologically can be dwelling on the pain a bit too much . and the technique she mentioned, probably only help you to dwell...
For me, when the pain is so bad I just have to find a distracting activity... go out watch a movie play computer game run, whatever it is for you... any activity which you get so involved in you don't think about anything else.
Yoga, meditation any of those sort of things would be counterproductive for me. |
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