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Wind
5 Posts |
 Posted - 05/03/2009 : 12:31:44
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This is my first substantive post on this form, but I have been lingering for some time and have read MBP and Fred Amir's book.
Like many who have recovered using the mind-body approach, I have been diagnosed with "RSI" (specifically, nerve entrapment in the chest area). I have many reasons to believe that my condition is mind-body in origin, but I still have some doubts.
I am looking for some encouragement and advice as I undertake this journey to healing.
As I said, I have many reasons to believe in the mind-body diagnosis:
-- I fit the Sarno profile almost exactly. When my symptoms came up about a year ago, I was ranked first in my Law school class and had recently overcome a rather serious anxiety condition.
-- I have experienced psychosomatic illness in the past. When I was a child, I had a full body rash for a while. Medical doctors could not explain it. As soon as my mom started staying home rather than working, it went away almost immediately.
-- my symptoms move around a lot. For example, I will experience discomfort in my median nerve on my left arm but a minute later it will feel fine and my median nerve in my right arm will start hurting. This "back and forth" will continue over and over again, involving many different nerves. Sometimes my arms will feel completely fine but my upper back or neck will bother me.
-- recently I have become aware that my "nerve irritation" has spread to other parts of my body. For example, my paraspinal muscles (from my neck down to my pelvis) are tight and, in some cases, spasming. I also have nerve irritation in my upper buttocks that sometimes spreads down my legs into my feet. I'm not sure how this can be explained physiologically.
When the sensations start up in my lower extremities, my upper extremities basically feel fine.
-- I have experienced some bizarre nerve sensations that can only be explained by sympathetic activity.
Anyway, as I stated above, I also have some lingering doubts:
my primary hang up has to do with the changes that have occurred to the nerves in my arms. The nerves in both arms have tightened considerably. It is possible to simply touch my bicep or tricep and feel this tightness. Because of this tightness, I experience intermittent pain and am unable to stretch my chest without pulling on my nerves.
I think it is entirely possible (probable even) that these physiological changes to my nerves are simply caused by an inappropriate sympathetic response (reduced bloodflow etc.), much like TMS can cause muscles to spasm and, thus, experience temporary physiological changes.
However, I have not read about anyone else who has experienced symptoms like these and recovered using the mind-body approach.
Any advice? |
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2009 : 13:16:42
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Hi Wind,
Welcome to the forum.
It's not a good idea to dwell too much on the specifics of the physical symptoms. While it's encouraging to read success stories of people who have the same symptoms, focussing too much on the physical can hinder your recovery.
Much better to focus on the emotional.
All the best,
Hilary N |
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Wind
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2009 : 13:48:32
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Thank you for your advice. I guess my focus on the physical symptoms reflects some doubt on my part as to whether Sarno's explanation of how TMS works (i.e. mild oxygen deprivation) adequately explains my situation. Sarno's books do not mention that TMS can cause such easily observable changes to nerves.
In any event, I am fully open to the idea that the brain, via the sympathetic nervous system, can cause chronic but ultimately harmless physical conditions through a variety of mechanisms. I think the sympathetic nervous system could indeed cause such changes to my nerves, and that such changes are reversible as long as I adopt the right beliefs. |
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sarita
130 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2009 : 14:08:25
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When I was a child, I had a full body rash for a while. Medical doctors could not explain it.
me too.
my symptoms move around a lot. For example, I will experience discomfort in my median nerve on my left arm but a minute later it will feel fine and my median nerve in my right arm will start hurting. This "back and forth" will continue over and over again, involving many different nerves. Sometimes my arms will feel completely fine but my upper back or neck will bother me.
again me too.
When the sensations start up in my lower extremities, my upper extremities basically feel fine.
I have experienced some bizarre nerve sensations that can only be explained by sympathetic activity.
ME TOO
in the divided mind, sarno does say that the peripheral nerves can be affected (temporarly, not damaged) somehow by the lack of oxygen where the nerves peel off the spine. (i am not being very specific, ill look it up maybe, and obviously i am no doctor).
and dont forget he now calls it tension myoneural syndrome. i heard him say in an interview that it appears it is the nerves that are mostly involved.
i say dont assume too many changes in the nerves in your arms: would they feel fine sometimes if there were real changes? i am not sure. btw i am a musician.
i am really learning some stuff here.
i want to tell you also the line that really jumped at me: When my symptoms came up about a year ago I had recently overcome a rather serious anxiety condition.
for me this is very very significant; i also thought i had overcome bad depression with tremendous anxiety and fear...and thats when the pain started, it slowly crept in, than just setteled. now i am getting rid of it, and i feel again anxious, a mental malaise.
sarnos theory is sound, for me (actually quite life saving). but do also read some other posts with people having different and new thoughts. i have profited from it.
good luck.
you mention that
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Sky
USA
96 Posts |
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forestfortrees
393 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2009 : 19:50:27
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Hi Wind,
There's a page on the TMS Wiki that has a collection of a whopping 28 success stories:
http://tmswiki.wetpaint.com/page/Repetitive+Strain+Injuries+-+RSI
Mine is one of them. The way that I healed my own TMS (18 years of it!) was by reading success stories like those, so I decided to start a wiki to help collect success stories and other info. It's hard to believe that we are at 240 pages already. We are even working on a section where well known doctors (and therapists and a physiotherapist) will answer questions about TMS from TMS sufferers (coming soon! --the doctors have been very supportive of the wiki).
Anyway, I think that going through and reading one success story every day in addition to reading one of Dr. Sarno's books is a great way to heal. Many thanks to HilaryN (the lady who is organizing the London meetup) for helping to collect many of those stories.
I look forward to adding your success story to the list some day. 
tmswiki.org |
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alexis
USA
596 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2009 : 05:23:00
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Get a full vitamin panel if you haven't already...before you change anything at all in your diet. Then, if this comes back normal I'm guessing you are fine. This sounds very similar to what everyone else with "RSI" had, especially if you've had all the tests.
Do you do stretching? If you've been avoiding exercise tightness would be normal. |
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drziggles
USA
292 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2009 : 07:36:29
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For starters, nerves don't "tighten"! You may feel muscle tightness, lack of flexibility, or tension, but I think you are envisioning things that don't actually happen and that make you feel more anxious about what is going on. Sounds like you know your problem, now start working on it!
Of course, you should consult with your medical doctor before making any decisions. |
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Jorgen_C
8 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2009 : 14:10:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Wind
Anyway, as I stated above, I also have some lingering doubts:
my primary hang up has to do with the changes that have occurred to the nerves in my arms. The nerves in both arms have tightened considerably. It is possible to simply touch my bicep or tricep and feel this tightness. Because of this tightness, I experience intermittent pain and am unable to stretch my chest without pulling on my nerves.
I think it is entirely possible (probable even) that these physiological changes to my nerves are simply caused by an inappropriate sympathetic response (reduced bloodflow etc.), much like TMS can cause muscles to spasm and, thus, experience temporary physiological changes.
However, I have not read about anyone else who has experienced symptoms like these and recovered using the mind-body approach.
Any advice?
One of the nerves that go from around my neck out to my left arm is tight, making stretching uncomfortable. I can actually see it jumping around at my eblow when I flex it! Who said that pinched nerves couldn't be a party trick?
This is all TMS. Just the fact that you obsess about it (just like I did once) pretty much proves it. That's your brain putting focus where it's not helping you! I walked around thinking -- obsessing -- like that for so many years.
I have now reduced nerve tightness due to more relaxes musculature, again due to a process that has happened in my brain. My brain has especially let more go of my scalenes so they no longer press down hard at my throat. Silly head. |
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Conquering RSI -- advice and encouragement
