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Mudster
5 Posts |
 Posted - 04/20/2011 : 06:17:20
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Hi all. My story is that I've had hip and buttock pain for over a year now, that started out as discomfort and stiffness down my right side and ended up with agonising sciatic nerve pain and cramping, especially at nights.
I thought that the pain was due to my poor posture due to pelvic imbalance, but I'm coming around to the idea that this pain is psychogenic in origin after reading Dr Sarno's book on back pain. However I'm not completely there yet and still clearly haven't convinced my unconscious that the pain is of a phantom nature, so great is it.
In the daytime I can pretty much feel relatively pain free and only have some mild discomfort, at nights my the pain increases and I can only sleep on the floor due to the burning pain and cramps. My nightly ritual is now to sleep on a camping mat and when the pain stops allowing me to turn on my sides I take 10mg amitriptyline and 2 strong painkillers. I think if I didn't take any painkillers I'd not get any sleep at night, but I can probably stop taking the amitriptyline.
The fact that the symptoms are far worse at night strongly suggests that the origin of the pain is not mechanical and so I can only assume that Dr Sarno's theory is correct. The problem for me at the moment is how to put the theory into actions and I'm reading a lot of posts to that end. |
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Darko
Australia
387 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2011 : 16:34:22
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Hey Mudster,
Sciatic pain is definitely TMS related IMO. I have had it many times, it comes and goes as my symptoms move around. You have to start looking at what is going on in your life and more importantly HOW are you thinking about those situations.
I write down on a piece of paper EVERYTHING that is on my mind, the things I can do something about I put in my todo program the rest I drop as best I can. I always look at how I'm thinking about things and start telling myself a different story.
There is likely something that you're having constant negative thoughts about, which is causing your pain.
Also I have found that most of my pain comes from tension in the body, try heating up your body and stretching every night. Yeah I know it's not what Sarno says to do but taking a wedge of drugs everynight aint exactly healthy either. You need to break the cycle and once you see it's tension based you might get more leverage on it, doing the same thing over and over will just keep you stuck...
I also get more back pain at night....
D
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Mudster
5 Posts |
Posted - 04/21/2011 : 06:24:25
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Thanks Darko. I tend to do a fair amount of stretching, but it doesn't really have a great impact. As for negative thoughts, I would say that I have a fair few each day, normally in the form of petty criticisms of how things are in general. I'm sure a more positive outlook would help the healing process, but that is going to take time for me to alter my attitude.
Last night was quite uncomfortable, but more than that, the pain sort of intensified and then lessened a number of times. At one point this morning I felt almost symptom free for a short period of time and could sleep in almost any position, but then the burning sensation came back and I was limited in how long I could lay in one position. This pretty much convinces me that there is no physical cause to this pain, otherwise it would be more consistent when conditions don't vary.
The one thing that does niggle and concern me is that my gait is still unilaterally stiff and causing me to limp still. I will need to really concentrate to try to keep good posture each time I walk any distance.
Each day is getting a tiny bit better though and spending time with a friend yesterday, rather than suffering in silence was a part of my rehabilitation. |
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Mudster
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 07:08:31
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It been quite a few weeks since the worst of the symptoms decreased and I'm now mostly pain free in the day, apart from stiffness and mild pain with some movements. I wouldn't say that I'm 100% accepting of TMS, as I still keep thinking that correcting my pelvic imbalance will help me, but I'm pretty much convinced. For one reason, I still get an marked increase in pain in the night time and I still can't sleep in a bed. I sleep on a mat on the floor and still have great trouble rolling to different sleeping positions. Pain and the occasional muscle 'grab' occur and I've had a least one cramp in my buttocks in recent days.
It seems that i've reached an impasse. I'm meditating more and attempting to follow the presence proceess, by Michael Brown, yet it's slow going. This is probably going to take months. |
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Sciatic pain as TMS?
