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Wind
5 Posts |
 Posted - 08/17/2009 : 14:04:53
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I am in need of some serious support. About one year ago, during a bout with a nasty cold virus, I suddenly came down with severe repetitive strain injuries in my arms. The symptoms were primarily neurological. I was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome caused by typing and rockclimbing. The symptoms in my forearms improved with treatment; later however they spread to my upper arms, chest, neck, and upper back. I also began to have major spinal tension and muscle spasms down my entire spine.
I seem the best people in the country for treating this. my symptoms have responded to treatment, in some cases dramatically well, in some cases dramatically negatively.
Several months ago, I started to read about TMS and examined this forum. My situation did not seem to fit with the mind-body disorder complex -- my symptoms respondent treatment; I had clear indications of pinched nerves, etc. I gave up on the mind-body approach and tried to let my body rest and recover.
Recently, my upper body has experienced great improvement, but about two weeks ago, I began to have severe neurological symptoms in my lower extremity. It started with relatively minor neurological discomfort, but has now turned into severe, burning pain from my buttocks down to my feet.
There does not seem to be a physiological explanation for what is going on. The pain is intense, like nothing I had ever experienced, much worse than anything I experienced in my upper body.
I am getting married on Saturday, so stress level is at a fever pitch.
The only thing that has comforted me to this point is thinking that somehow I can control this and make it go away with my mind.
Some support would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you |
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sarita
130 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2009 : 16:41:46
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wind,
if you have been checked throughly, and the tests show ok, this REEKS of tms. who said tms doesnt respond to treatments? it helps, but doesnt solve the problem.
BEST of luck.
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mala
Hong Kong
774 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2009 : 17:25:03
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Hi there Wind. So sorry to hear that you are having such a lot of pain. Here are my thoughts for what they are worth.
quote:
About one year ago, during a bout with a nasty cold virus, I suddenly came down with severe repetitive strain injuries in my arms.
It strikes me as odd that a cold virus should cause RSI. I think you need to look for some emotional component in your life around that time which may have been the trigger for the pain.
quote:
The symptoms in my forearms improved with treatment; later however they spread to my upper arms, chest, neck, and upper back. I also began to have major spinal tension and muscle spasms down my entire spine.
Sounds very much like TMS which is characterised by some symptoms getting better & the pain moving around. This is because your brain wants you to keep focusing on the pain. What you need to do is to focus more on the psychological to get to the root of the problem.
quote:
My situation did not seem to fit with the mind-body disorder complex -- my symptoms respondent treatment; I had clear indications of pinched nerves, etc. I gave up on the mind-body approach and tried to let my body rest and recover.
quote:
Recently, my upper body has experienced great improvement, but about two weeks ago, I began to have severe neurological symptoms in my lower extremity. It started with relatively minor neurological discomfort, but has now turned into severe, burning pain from my buttocks down to my feet.
It is quite common in TMS for some people to get some relef from treatment only to have the pain appear in other parts of the body. It seems as if this is what is happening to you.
quote:
I am getting married on Saturday, so stress level is at a fever pitch.
Congratulations!
Getting married is a big deal . Even if it is one of the happiest days in one's life it brings with it a huge amount of tension and stress. The whole lead up to the big moment , the planning, the fuss, the worries, expectations of the future etc. etc. can cause huge amounts of conscious & unconscious stress which could manifest itself as physical pain.
I suggest you get hold of Sarno's books at the earlist opportunity and read them thoroughly.
Enjoy your Big day.
Good Luck & Good Health
Mala |
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severson
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2009 : 05:57:09
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Wind - I can totally relate to your situation, the same exact thing happend to me about six months before my wedding, even the cold virus part. Getting over the fixation with a biological cause has been one of the toughest parts for me to overcome. Somewhere deep down, I am still having a really hard time accepting that the psychological and emotional components can have such a profound influence on my physical being. Knowing and accepting are clearly two different things. Here is a link to my original thread.
http://tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5322 |
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crk
124 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2009 : 10:29:15
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I agree with everything Sarita said.
I'll just add this: the desire to "control the tms and make it go away" with your mind may not have the desired effect. My view is that the intense desire to control the pain plays into the hand of TMS, if you will forgive the anthropomorphizing. It is another form of focusing on your pain, and TMS LOVES that.
It's just my 2c, but my advice is to switch all of your efforts to positive, loving thoughts about yourself and your upcoming nuptials. TMS hates positive thoughts and emotions - they are like throwing water on the Wicked Witch of the West.
Think about all of the negative messages that are going through your mind this week and find the counter-message. Make the positive message start with "I..." So, don't say, "My wedding will be perfect." Rather, "I am enjoying everything about my wedding, even the imperfections. I laugh at silly mistakes, I feel my intelligence and strength when I need to solve problems, I do not require perfection." Speak in the present tense.
Everything that caused you to have TMS is a past hurt, and you can journal all you want to dig into those feelings. BUT, it is the self-criticism, self-hatred, and self-doubt - which those past events installed into your belief system - that is causing your pain *today*. You do not have to get all the rage out -in fact, you cannot do so; rather, you have to change the beliefs that the rage caused.
Your beliefs about yourself are crucial. Keep in mind, the ones that are feeding your TMS are not beliefs about the wedding; they are beliefs about yourSELF. If you believe you don't have enough time to get everything done, you must start reprogramming your brain with, "I have enough time to do what is most important, and I have the self-confidence and the flexibility to let go of what I cannot control or complete." If you believe and worry that any person will not be happy with any part of your wedding, you could work on substituting this belief: "I am proud of my wedding plans, and I open myself to expect success. I am enjoying my own wedding, and the most important aspects of it are the most private joys that it brings." Most important belief: "I approve of myself, my life, and my choices. I approve of the way I am running my life."
Keep the positive thoughts focused on yourself, not the situation. TMS is all about YOU. If your B.S. alarm goes off, ignore it. You are countering false negative messages about yourself, and the positive ones - which ARE true in potential - must be given a chance to grow and thrive.
Best wishes! |
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guej
115 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2009 : 15:28:06
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CRK: that was an interesting response. I read it a few times because it seemed to make a lot of sense. I think the focusing on "curing the TMS" is definitely an unintentional way of focusing even more on the pain. I know I'm guilty of it a lot. On the other hand, doing nothing and trying to ignore it doesn't feel right either to me. It feels like I'm doing nothing to help my situation except hoping it will go away if I ignore it.
If there is nothing major going on right now, but the pain has been around for awhile (like you said, old stresses or hurts), what type of messages or reprogramming do you recommend? Do we really need to understand what "the" rage issue is so we can create specific positive messages (such as "I approve of myself") or is it just general messages to counter the pain, like "Every day, and in every way, I'm getting better and better"? I've read a lot of books lately about self-talk, affirmations, and the power of suggestion to the subconcious. I'm just toying with the idea of statements directed towards my personality traits and stressors vs. general affirmations that reinforce feeling good to counter the persistant pain...From all the posts on this site, reprogramming the brain seems to be a critical component in recovery. It's just always helpful to hear what worked for others. Thanks. |
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crk
124 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2009 : 11:36:19
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Hi Guej,
I don't care for the "...I am getting better..." type self-talk. For me, that just brings the focus back onto my body. Moreover, "getting better" implies that there is something wrong. There is nothing wrong, and no "getting better" to do. There is only my beliefs about myself.
If you have seen my positive self talk thread, you will see my complete list of statements. I still listen to a recording of me saying those things (3 times for each statement) every morning. It's a great way to start my day.
This week I am preparing for a visit from my mother-in-law -- very stressful! And right on cue, my ankle has been hurting briefly off and on throughout the day. I can tie it very specifically to thoughts about her upcoming visit, and I am 100% positive this is a TMS trigger. So I'm walking around the house, and every now and then I have to say to myself, "I love you. I approve of you. The fact that your housekeeping is imperfect is just a sign of your fascinating, creative, busy life. I wouldn't want you to be any other way. You are the person I most want to be." And poof - I'm not having pain.
I think it is CRUCIAL to make your self-talk be about you and your feelings about yourself. It's hard to separate them from statements you might like to make about your situation. "My house will be clean enough for my MIL" doesn't begin to tackle the insecurity that lies behind my pain triggers, so why say it?
All the positive messages should be about how wonderful you are and you should invest as much emotional energy into them as you can, rather than a monotone recitation. Saying it in a mirror is good too. I love you. I approve of how you have handled this. I believe in you. I will still love you and stand by you even if things don't work out the way you want. I forgive you for not being perfect. I completely accept your imperfections.
That's the idea. Here is my self-talk thread: http://tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5756 |
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marytabby
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2009 : 13:43:39
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| Your upcoming marriage is the source of all your current pain. Not sure how to stop it quick in its tracks but I'm betting my life savings that it's the stress you're under. Try some deep breathing, meditation tapes, anything you can to relax. Sorry you're going through this. Remember, there is nothing wrong, if all test came back fine. :-) |
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pandamonium
United Kingdom
202 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2009 : 14:25:19
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I also had a rubbish time leading up to my wedding, during the wedding and whilst on honeymoon I was in agony and could hardly walk, it must have been stress as I found it an extremely stressful time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A beginner's guide to psychology: If it's not your mum's fault.... it's your dad's... |
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ANU
India
2 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2009 : 01:49:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Wind
I am in need of some serious support. About one year ago, during a bout with a nasty cold virus, I suddenly came down with severe repetitive strain injuries in my arms. The symptoms were primarily neurological. I was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome caused by typing and rockclimbing. The symptoms in my forearms improved with treatment; later however they spread to my upper arms, chest, neck, and upper back. I also began to have major spinal tension and muscle spasms down my entire spine.
I seem the best people in the country for treating this. my symptoms have responded to treatment, in some cases dramatically well, in some cases dramatically negatively.
Several months ago, I started to read about TMS and examined this forum. My situation did not seem to fit with the mind-body disorder complex -- my symptoms respondent treatment; I had clear indications of pinched nerves, etc. I gave up on the mind-body approach and tried to let my body rest and recover.
Recently, my upper body has experienced great improvement, but about two weeks ago, I began to have severe neurological symptoms in my lower extremity. It started with relatively minor neurological discomfort, but has now turned into severe, burning pain from my buttocks down to my feet.
There does not seem to be a physiological explanation for what is going on. The pain is intense, like nothing I had ever experienced, much worse than anything I experienced in my upper body.
I am getting married on Saturday, so stress level is at a fever pitch.
The only thing that has comforted me to this point is thinking that somehow I can control this and make it go away with my mind.
Some support would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
ANU CHADHURY |
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2009 : 09:41:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Wind
...My situation did not seem to fit with the mind-body disorder complex -- my symptoms respondent treatment; I had clear indications of pinched nerves, etc. I gave up on the mind-body approach and tried to let my body rest and recover.
This statement is completely contradictory to Dr. Sarno's theory so I suggest you re-read the book and truly absorb the concepts.
TMS symptoms often respond to physical treatment; this is a placebo effect.
TMS symptoms often appear as 'pinched nerves' or other structural diagnoses when in fact those structural changes are normal and natural.
Assuming you have seen a neurologist and done all tests necessary to rule out serious structural problems or disease then it seems your symptoms may psychogenic and can be treated according to Dr. Sarno's methods. |
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shamrock62081
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2009 : 10:38:04
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I know with me, I've struggled with expanding on my old stresses and hurts because I don't really have anything major. I just seem to let little stuff bother me and the issues I know I do have, I feel redundant journaling about the same thing every day. I know I'm not going to have that AH HA! moment uncovering a repressed emotion that makes the pain go away immediately. That makes me anxious, but I remind myself that there isn't anything wrong with me and I need to just go with the flow and live my life. I try to be consciously aware of what I am feeling.
I'm definitely going to try and incorporate what crk said about thinking positively about yourself and trying to reinforce that idea subconsciously. It seems like it is a very important part of treatment since TMS thrives in people with low self esteem which drives many of us on this forum's personality traits, whether perfectionism, being a "good guy", etc.
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Excruciating pain -- please help me
