Hello,
I often experience stiffness/tension in my muscles. For example, after strength fitness, sexual intercourse or after sitting in a position for a while. I oftenfeel the urge to crack my muscles or joints because they hurt and feel stiff. After that it feels comfortable for a while (until I need to do the next stretch, which might be within the next 5 minutes). Also, my body does not like those postures which I initially caused my complaints. In that case, the stiffness is there very quickly. Sometimes I can feel (internally and externally) that there are some short muscles contractions, like spasms, before the stiffness/pain kicks in (a sort of pre state of continous stiffness).
Some background info: My RSI/CANS started in my arms and after continuing computer work it went to my elbows (the tendons were hurting). I found out that stretching my muscles to make a cracking/popping noise brings relief and then the pain and stiffness is gone for a while. This is what I have been doing now for years. It is in my fingers, arms, elbows and neck (each has its own cause of doing to much repetitions in a constant posture). Now it varies. Sometimes I feel pain in my elbows, but then when I stretch my neck or fingers the pain in my elbows is gone (as if they were connected by single rope). It also works the other way around (finger pain relief by cracking my neck, for example).
I was wondering whether this is a symptom of TMS? I also think it might be some compulsive behaviour (like in OCD) which also points to something mentally. Could it be that TMS causes this? Can this be the result of what Dr. Sarno suggests, oxygen deprivation due to limited blood supply? Dr. Sarno also mentions tender points, but I cannot detect one or more on my muscles (or I am doing it wrong, that is possible too).
Maybe TMS creates some trigger points that needs to be stretched / dissolved (I have not been checked for trigger points by a professional)? I read something about the trigger point theory, but could TMS be causing these trigger points as well (if there are any)? Or is this theory completely different from TMS?
I have been putting Dr. Sarno's theory in practice for 3 months now but I do not make the progress I hoped for. Sometimes it works to ignore or face the pain rationally, but often I fall back into the cracking muscles behaviour since it sometimes gives me the best relief. Also, it gets colder now (my hands are cold very quickly) so I get the stifness more frequent (and I revert back to cracking joints more often).
BTW: I am suffering from the perfectionist and goodism traits, how are these tackled in those therapy sessions?
Thank you |
Cracking/popping joints/muscles a TMS symptom?
Posted - 09/06/2011 : 09:40:27
