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brantross
4 Posts |
 Posted - 01/05/2010 : 21:14:38
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Hello Everyone,
I used Dr. Sarno's method for pain in my neck, upper back, arms, and hands that had persisted for years. The pain is gone, but the muscles in my upper back and the tendons in my hands are still very tight and stiff. I know Dr. Sarno says that you do not need stretching to improve and that stretching would focus the mind on the physical which is not a good thing.
If I applied Sarno's method to the stiffness, would it go away? Should I try to stretch out the stiffness throughout my upper body? Any have personal stories relating to lingering stiffness in upper back and hands?
Many Thanks! |
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Hillbilly
USA
385 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2010 : 06:29:29
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My story is not typical, so forgive me. I used movement therapy along the way to my recovery as a way to provide a safe framework for re-introducing movement to muscles long held in constriction. You can search for my posts on the site, but just so you are aware, the thought that you had better not do something because of the fear of consequences is exactly the type of thinking that starts and perpetuates this issue to begin with. Throw away all of the fear, and use a common sense approach and give yourself time to do it, say, a few months, and add a little at a time.
Many do yoga in one form or another, which is dually helpful in that it teaches mindfulness, and helps bring blood to affected tissues, which is the problem. I couldn't lift my arms above my head without shaking and quaking from the pain three years ago. I coach football and basketball at my son's school, and I run and throw like a kid now. Just don't get discouraged and focus on your goal of moving and not "getting rid of stiffness." I believe that many problems people run into is trying to "make" the issue go away instead of "letting" it. The body knows what to do.
I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.
Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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winnieboo
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2010 : 08:03:12
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Push through it. The stiffness will go away when you begin using your arms and hands again. Listen to your body and take it slowly, stretch a little at a time every day, either at home, at the gym, or doing whatever physical activity you were used to that made you happy.
I had neck, upper back, arm and hand issues two years ago. My diagnosis was a bulging cervical disc, but I also ended up with a "frozen shoulder" and my hands were so stiff I couldn't write or type. I currently have none of these symptoms. I wake up without stiffness, go to the gym, lift (light) weights (I'm a small 110 lb woman!) and do pilates. I also cook a lot, which was great therapy for my hands. You just have to get yourself moving.
As Hillbilly says, it's the fear that's maintaining the stiffness in your body. This is why Sarno would theoretically say that you don't need stretching to improve (i.e., if you let go of the fear, the tension will release). Unfortunately, for most of us, getting our body back to normal is more of a process. |
Edited by - winnieboo on 01/06/2010 08:08:31 |
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Capn Spanky
112 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2010 : 15:06:23
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Like you, my pain went away but I started experiencing stiffness and soreness. Especially after I started exercising more heavily. I was actually so happy to be rid of the pain I haven't worried much about the stiffness. Just figured it was part of being an old fart.
Also like you, I shied away from stretching because of Dr. Sarno's advice. And I think it was good advice for me because stretching was so closely tied to "focusing on the physical". (Back when I was in pain, I stretched for 45 minutes every morning before I even attempted to walk upright). After discovering Sarno, I quit stretching cold turkey and the pain soon went away.
But now that I've been at this a while I'm pretty comfortable with idea of stretching. In fact, I probably need to start doing it more. Yoga IS very cool. 
I think it all depends on you and where you're at. If stretching is closely linked in your mind to a "physical problem" like it was with me, then maybe you should wait. But if stretching is just stretching and nothing else, then its probably fine and good. |
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brantross
4 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2010 : 23:09:11
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Capn Spanky, winnieboo, and Hillbilly,
Thank you for telling me about your experiences and giving me your advice! Hearing from people that have gone through this really helps.
I can believe that muscles loosen spontaneously due to movement, but do the tendons in the fingers? I've been living a relatively normal life, but my fingers have been stiff since 2004 when I had my first bout of TMS. I'm afraid that I don't even know what normal is for them anymore. Should I do activities that demand stretching/moving the fingers like playing the piano, or would that just keep my mind focused on the physical?
Brantross
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scd1833
USA
124 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2010 : 11:03:45
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Hi
I do yoga postures, but they DO aggravate the pain and stiffness of TMS.
I think that as long as you know that you are doing the stretching for good health and to overcome the fear of activity and not to "fix" anything, it's ok.
If you try to stretch to rid yourself of the pain, it won't work, if you do it for the "right" reasons it MAY help. |
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Monte
USA
125 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2010 : 08:52:36
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Brantross,
treat the soreness and stiffness with the same acceptance, confidence and conviction that you would with a big huge pain symptom.
Acknowledge it, talk to it, tell it you don't need it, then get out of any distraction around it.
If you are thinking about it, it has you. Use big time conviction here that you don't need it anymore!
Also if you are avoiding moving a certain way or doing certain things because of the stiffness, it has you, so as was mentioned push through those.
Stretching helps as long as you are not using it as a treatment and are not always depending on it or focused on it. When you stretch, try putting all of your attention in the breath -- make it a breathing exercise and not a stretching one.
Monte Hueftle
www.runningpain.com |
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Pain Gone, Still Very Stiff (Advice Wanted)
