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Faith
United Kingdom
3 Posts |
 Posted - 11/09/2011 : 02:39:16
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Hi, I'm 33 and for the last 10 years I have had the following symptoms:
Painful, stiff neck, shoulders and back
Extreme pressure and dull pain in head
Aching ribs and stomach muscles
Feeling dizzy and uncoordinated
Feeling anxious, jumpy and easily irritated
The above are all 24/7. I've seen various doctors and they helpfully tell me it is 'anxiety'. I've found sertraline takes the edge off the symptoms slightly but apart from that nothing makes a difference, I've tried painkillers, chiropractor, relaxation etc. I remember having neck ache from working at a desk a few days before this all started, and had been having some anxiety for a couple of years.
I don't expect a medical diagnosis on here of course but would be grateful to get some feedback, cheers. |
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Back2-It
USA
438 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2011 : 03:45:13
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Hi Faith,
Sounds like you've made the round of doctors and they have all found nothing organically wrong, correct? If so, then that can be the good news.
Your symptoms listed sure appear to be anxiety related.
I happened to see your aching ribs and stomach muscles, and I was a member of that painful club for a long time. It's not the most common anxiety problem, but it is almost always related to anxiety.The rib and stomach things are terrible and not often addressed in the forums, and seem to take some time to recover from the stress, but they do. I found that it was back muscles that were causing this problem by tightening and pulling and effecting the ribs which effected the abdomen, just like the old song: "rib bone connected to..." 
This one throws a lot of doctors, but yours seem clued in enough to really tell you that it is anxiety. Plus, painkillers, chiro, etc. have not worked...but sertraline takes the edge off. Ativan was the only thing that did for me.
Fear is the word. This is what I've learned from this TMS program and from the posters here, who have outlined it all better than I. You really have to accept that the pains are real but benign. You really have to let that sink in and move and act and do things in a non fearful manner. One poster on here said that for one week he was just going to act as if he had no pain and go about his normal living again. Read/search "balto".
It may take some time, so keep at it. You will get there.
"Bridges Freeze Before Roads" |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2011 : 08:01:58
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Here's a list of TMS practitioners in the U.K. from the TMS Wiki. There's also an active TMS support group that meets in London.
Good Luck,
tt
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Liz Dyde, BACP (SIRPA Practitioner)
Lifeways Complementary Health Centre
30 Albany Road
Stratford upon Avon. Warwickshire, CV37 6PG, UK
phone: 01789 295890
liz@lizdyde.com
Survey Response / Website / Profile Page
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Georgina Oldfield MCSP (SIRPA Practitioner)
Georgie Oldfield is a Physiotherapist who runs the Pain Relief Centre in Yorkshire, UK. She came across the work of Dr John Sarno after becoming increasingly unsettled with the physical explanation for pain. Her work with TMS began in early 2007 and she developed her own TMS Program in the UK after visiting Dr. Sarno that same year. Due to the results she was observing with her patients, she began to focus more and more of her work in this area. She is passionate about developing this work and helping to raise the profile of this little known cause of pain. (Source)
19 Longley Lane,
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK
01484 452500
Georgie is also planning to run occasional clinics in London from March 2010 - contact her for more details.
Profile Page / Survey Response / Q&A Answers / Forum Posts / DVD and CD / Website
Miracles of Mindbody Medicine article
Information on the Stress Illness Recovery Practitioner's Association (SIRPA)
Insurance Accepted: Any plan that covers Physiotherapy costs, except BUPA.
A physiotherapist is very similar to a doctor, in that they can make diagnoses and order medical tests. A physiotherapist in the UK is very similar to a Physical Therapist in the United States.
Testimonials
Lettuce Dance said, "I eventually went to see Georgie Oldfield in Huddersfield in Yorkshire. It was a bit of a slog getting there, but it was well worth it. (Even filling out the pre-appointment assessment on my family, background and past illnesses was very revealing.)
I visited her in February, and felt an immediate improvement. For me, the fact that she comes from a physiotherapy background, and thoroughly understands the mechanics of one's body, was very helpful.
I chose to do her programme, which I followed in a fairly informal fashion, as I was bogged down with a big work project at the time. The programme included a series of follow-up appointments, which we did via Skype: these were really good. She went to great lengths to help
me. I found her sympathetic and professional."
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Nicholas Straiton, MBBS (Physician)
Dr Straiton is an English doctor based in Brighton. He says:
“I am a medical practitioner and registered osteopath who works in the NHS but also has a private practice where I treat patients suffering from musculo-skeletal disorders. For the last ten years I have been working in the NHS for the Back Pain Service at the local hospital. I have always been interested in psychosomatic medicine and a few years ago a psychotherapist colleague introduced me to Dr Sarno's books. His description of the frustration of working in a hospital environment where high tech investigations and treatment strategies fail to alleviate many people suffering from back pain mirrored exactly my own experience . I became fascinated by his approach and eventually went out to New York to sit in at his clinics at the Rusk institute in order to learn first hand the process that he uses to diagnose and treat patients with TMS. This experience was truly valuable and enriching to the degree that I would say that my practice has changed significantly since that time. I believe that many, but not all, of patients suffering with chronic back pain are manifesting emotional distress through a physical symptom and for any long lasting relief to be achieved the factors relevant to this distress need to be recognised and addressed.” (Source)
1, Glover's Yard, 121, Havelock Road
Brighton, East Sussex BN1 6GN
01273 540303
Survey Response
Insurance Accepted: Most major providers
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Louise Levy (Therapist)
SIRPA Trainee
Louise has a Masters degree in Guidance Counselling and diplomas in both clinical advanced hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural hypno-psycotherapy. She says "I have long had an interest in the mind body connection with pain management particularly with stress manifestation and negative emotions." (Source)
Lily House
11/12 The Shrubberies
George Lane
South Woodford
London E18 1BD
Tel: 020 8530 8888
Tel: 07984 011429
Fax: 020 8530 5566
info@louiselevy.co.uk
TMS Wiki Profile / Survey Response / Website / Lily House Website
Main Wiki Page About Louise Levy
Insurance Accepted: NHS Complementary Health Registered Therapist ( Funding through PCT)
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Toireasa McCann, CABP (Therapist)
Integrative Body Psychotherapist
Clinics in London SW2 and NW6
07789 267171
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Debbie Lampon, MSc PGDip, FPC (Therapist)
Edward Road, London E17 6NU
info@walthamstowcounselling.com
0208 520 1714
Website / Survey Response
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Edited by - tennis tom on 11/09/2011 11:27:44 |
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Faith
United Kingdom
3 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2011 : 13:04:06
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Thanks for the replies and information. I forgot to mention that I have had blood tests etc which all came back as normal. So do you guys think that I could have TMS? I have started reading Sarnos' book and can relate to a lot of it but not all eg. painkillers are of no benefit to me whatsoever. Also, I don't really avoid doing anything physically, although I am in constant pain. I know that I haven't got anything seriously wrong with me as after 10 years my symptoms have always stayed the same. My GP is going to refer me to a psychiatrist but it could take a while. |
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Bugbear
United Kingdom
152 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2011 : 14:49:13
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| Faith, I can relate to some of your symptoms although a few of mine have been tagging along with me for well beyond ten years. Glad you found this site. Perhaps now you can start to fight back at these symptoms. You can also have a look at the tmswiki site mentioned in Tom's post. There's loads of useful info, success stories and a free structured educational program which a lot of people have found helpful. Might pass the time while you wait for your appointment to come through. |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2011 : 19:44:05
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| Faith, is there no variation in your symptoms from day to day? You say 24/7, but does that mean equal intensity all the time, day in and day out? If so, that part would not be typical of TMS. TMS is known for extreme variations, even disappearing completely at times only to come back full blown. Or moving around, changing all the time. For example, I have one symptom that has bothered me off and on for at least 10 years, sometimes going away for 1-2 years. |
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Faith
United Kingdom
3 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2011 : 05:40:00
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Sometimes the pain/stiffness seems worse in one place then it'll change to somewhere else but it never completely goes away from anywhere. |
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tmsjptc
USA
124 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2012 : 10:15:14
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| I had pain of some sort 24/7 for 15 years and it was TMS. But, the level of pain wasn't constant. For instance, I would usually have pain upon waking in the morning. I would take a hot shower and some excedrin in order to start my day. Funny thing is, the meds only last for 6 hours or so but I would normally be ok for the rest of the day (in hindsight, I now realize that this was evidence of TMS). The next morning, pain was back and routine started again. |
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Could this be TMS?
