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Michele
249 Posts |
 Posted - 01/20/2005 : 10:32:08
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Anyone have some pointers on de-conditioning?
My problem is being so stiff after sitting that I can barely move or walk. As Sarno says, sitting is such a benign activity there's no reason for pain. I don't have pain while sitting, just getting up and having to move! I try to get up and move every 15-20 minutes, but I'm sure I've conditioned myself with that too.
I have a sit-down job, so this is annoying. When I get up, I usually stand for a moment, shake my legs, then try and move on. It's really upsetting when I'm in a restaurant, or church, places like that.
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2scoops
USA
386 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2005 : 12:08:23
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Well, I had my first bout of TMS back pain 15, I am now 28. I got it playing basketball. I could barely walk. Sitting relieved my pain. I took pain killers, muscle relaxers which helped, but I still had symptoms, p.t,etc. I didn't realize it back then but I got better being active. Resuming bball, softball, etc. Cause I feltmore normal. I didn't know about discs, vertebrae and etc, just muscles so I wasn't conditioned as I was. I was treating TMS back then and I didn't even realize it. When I turned 25, that when I got my diagnosis and things went downhill from there.
My advice as far as getting rid of the conditioning is, don't read about your so called condition, do things that make you feel normal(little by little), if serious disease has been ruled out, stay away from any treatment that is focused on your back, start exercising for your general health. Keep a list as your doing these exercises, make notes that, hey this didn't hurt when I did it, or it didn't make me feel worse. Weeks ago I shovled snow for over 6 hours and that was big for me. You will start to gain confidence. Read Sarno everyday, he difentely gave me more confidence. Baseball 65 posted the 12 reminders, go over those every day, they are also listed on pg. 81 or 82 of Healing Back Pain. Remeber, you are retraining your mind, it takes time to re-train the brain. The mind doesn't want to give up. But don't beat yourself up, be patient and it takes work. But you will get better and with time you will be normal. Read the board, we know what you are going through, we have been there or are there, so feel free to find support here. |
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Michele
249 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2005 : 12:20:02
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Well I am reading the book (I have several different ones), listening to the CD, I have the 12 reminders laminated and carry them around with me and read them every day (sometimes several times a day), and I'm running, biking, exercising, walking, journaling, and things have improved 100% over the months.
However, I'm still stiff as concrete after sitting. When I stand up, I usually say, "Oh no, we're not going to do this now!" Do I just keep talking to myself? |
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Laura
USA
655 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2005 : 12:35:54
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Michelle,
Yes! Keep talking to yourself, and reminding yourself you are okay. The ONLY thing that's worked for me in this regard (deconditioning), and it's easier said than done believe me, is to somehow, some way forget about it. I know! Like I said, easier said than done. The "forgetting about it" is something that you don't make happen, it just does happen. For example, for the longest time my husband told me to "forget about" my dizziness. I would say to him, "You don't understand. It's in my head. How do I forget about having it?" I actually conditioned myself to feel dizzy when I turned the corner up the street on my walk. Every day, same location on the walk, I'd get dizzy. That's when I really knew it was TMS by the way. I mean, thoughts must be pretty powerful when they can invoke a feeling, a learned response, like Pavlov's dogs salivating when they hear the bell. Your body has been trained that when it sits down for any length of time, it's going to be stiff standing up. If you were to be distracted somehow, while you were standing up, you might become so engrossed in some other thought or some conversation that you would actually forget your "learned response" of feeling stiff.
I used to get dizzy while sitting on the potty. I read about someone who said their dizziness was worse on the potty and then it happened to me. Somehow, it stopped happening to me and it never happens anymore (well, it might today since I'm talking about it now!!!) I always got dizzy when I bent over to get clothes out of the dryer. I stopped expecting it and anticipating it. I stopped giving it any attention and guess what? It stopped too. You can do this. It's all within you. Your mind is very powerful. Try to figure out a way to outsmart your brain. Good luck!!!
Laura
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Scout
USA
20 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2005 : 15:54:03
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I use the following technique in order to de-condition my difficulty with standing after sitting:
As I stand up I think of something that is emotionally bothering me. I repeat that over and over in my head until the moment has passed and I am up and pain free.
This takes the focus off of the physical and onto the emotional. It seems simple but I have found it to be effective. Sometimes it is the simple tactics that work.
Scout |
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Albert
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2005 : 16:20:37
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| I also have the tendency to feel stiffness when I stand up, even if I feel ok while sitting down. This morning before going to work I was sitting in a chair thinking really hard about an issue that seems to be a source of rage, and while doing so, without really thinking about, and without taking my mind off the issue I was thinking about, I got up from my chair so I could go to the restroom. After doing so I realized that I felt absolutely no pain or stiffness when I got up. It used to be that I used to be really carefull when I got into and out of my car. I've noticed that I often now get into it without thinking about it, and I don't feel pain. I'm still a bit to carefull when I get out. Usually when I stand up I tell my mind it's psychological with the hope of feeling no pain or stiffness. No significant luck yet, but I'll keep trying. |
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Need help de-conditioning
