A physio is cured, and can lift 400lbs!

It all started in 2008 when I thought that I’d “injured” my lower back while deadlifting. After that I always had a lingering pain in my lower back and even a bit of numbness down the buttock. Squatting or heavy lifting with my back instantly exacerbated symptoms. I decided I’d permanently injured my back and just “couldn't do those lifts anymore.”


Fast forward to 2012 when I first read “Healing Back Pain” and my back pain of 4 years vanished almost instantaneously. Even though the idea of TMS was different than all of the orthopedic training as a physio I received, I had no difficulty accepting the diagnosis.


I regained confidence in my back again and began training seriously as a powerlifter. I now hold provincial records in squat and a national deadlift record, pulling up 441lbs at a body weight of 129lbs. My back has never felt better. I enjoy lifting heavy to show my patients that the spine is incredibly strong and not fragile as is commonly believed.


I have found that once my back pain disappeared other areas tried to take its place: nerve pain in the right arm, shoulder pain, and bilateral elbow pain (golfers elbow). My brain is very tricky in that it uses my knowledge of anatomy to specifically target muscles and tendons related to a certain movement. And my personality type fits very strongly with TMS. But it is all a distraction. Any setbacks have been minor and I am able to eliminate the pain. Every time.


If you struggle with certain activities or movements that exacerbate your pain, I know how frustrating it can be. Keeping reading, stick with it, and ask questions. Freedom to move and play without pain is possible!

 

This is great- thanks so much for sharing! I too am a PT/physio. You hit the nail on the head when you mention how your brain uses your anatomy knowledge to trick you! I've experienced that same thing- and it also uses that to create a lot of fear. It's an additional hurdle to overcome and I find that I have to put on my "non-PT brain" to be able to blow things off rather than catastrophize them into some new disorder/injury. It's hard to basically undo our structural way of thinking! But you prove that it can be done

 

I'm glad to find another physio! I always feel SO ALONE in this!

I find that it's easy to keep some of the structural way of thinking and simply classify the pain syndrome as one of the manifestations of TMS. For example I was very frustrated with golfer's elbow for a long time. The pain was SO specific to the insertion point and it only hurt with certain finger flexing movements. I kept thinking THIS HAS TO BE STRUCTURAL, this has to be from working out! When I suddenly started looking at it like this "my brain has decreased blood flow to my FDP tendon, and that's why it hurts when I rope climb, do dumbbell rows etc" as soon as I looked at it like that, BAM, my pain dropped 90% instantly after over a YEAR, and I could rope climb without trouble." So I think it's OK to label yourself with an "impingement" or CTS" but you have to know HOW that anatomy is being targeted. As we've noticed, TMS is extremely tricky and I have a theory that it may be even trickier to people who know their bodies well and are active.

 

I like the way you frame whatever symptom it is. It's another way to take the fear away from whatever it is we're experiencing. Yea, another tool!

I found out about Sarno from another PT. It's a miracle that I did- I don't think I would have taken it seriously if it had not been from another PT. She also told me about this site.

Did you have any structural diagnoses with your back that you had to get over before you could heal? I am just curious how it was so easy for you to accept the diagnosis, especially after 4 years!

 

Only self diagnosis. I figured I'd injured a disc because I had some numbness. And then once I was a PT i diagnosed it has SIJ pain. The back did last a very long time, but it wasn't ever that severe, although it was starting to get worse. I actually suffered more from intermittent ITB syndrome, tennis elbow, shoulder pain, golfer's elbow and intense median nerve pain, but were non-issues after realizing it was all TMS.


Along with my own relief, probably the biggest "convincer" of the diagnosis was the patients I'd see. So many with chronic pain, tried everything with little to no success. Whereas someone with a major trauma would heal in a matter of weeks or months. Looking through book reviews and even this website you see hundreds and hundreds of people who had CHRONIC PAIN saying "My pain is gone." When have you EVER heard of someone with fibromyalgia calming to be "cured" except through TMS?--it just doesn't happen. That's when I knew this was real. It's a pretty major paradime shift, but that is all. It comes down to results. Physio has many great tools to offer people, especially for post surgery/trauma, mobility, strength etc but it has its limitations for pain relief. (And that is coming from someone with some of highest certifications you can get: MSc, Fellowship in Manual Therapy (FCAMPT), ACU, GUNN IMS (dry needling). In other words I think of myself as an excellent physio, but I can't compete with the results from a little book called "Healing Back Pain."

TMS will never gain traction with PTs because they have put too much time and money into something only to realize that they're barking up the wrong tree 50% of the time. Either their ego or fear of loosing a reputation/clients/money will prevent it.

 

amazing Physioguy! thats incredible.

Deadlifting is a super exercise for strength

 

Thats great ..

 

Hello Physio Guy.. How are you. Its been a long time since I contacted you. I have question for you in PM.. nothing regarding TMS but need an answer with your medical knowledge. I wish you see this message and reply me.

 

Along with my own relief, probably the biggest "convincer" of the diagnosis was the patients I'd see. So many with chronic pain, tried everything with little to no success. Whereas someone with a major trauma would heal in a matter of weeks or months.

Thanks for sharing your story. Especially, since you see so many people with chronic pain. I'm still pretty new to this but the more I learn about TMS the more I look around and see it everywhere.

 

This is such an inspiring story, for a couple reasons. First, I love that I get to read of your healing and transformation. It was really strengthening for me. Also its great to hear from you as a Physio. Also great from hoolie - also a physio. I am a chiropractor and an acupuncturist in into my journey of TMS healing. It has completely rocked my world and paradigm, and I am 100% open to it, going with it, and sharing it with clients. The symptom imperative has been powerful in my healing, and I am so glad to hear you share your experience with that. I have had some major symptom swings. Your attitude is great, I sometimes finding myself doubting TMS when something new comes up. Easy to accept when I am feeling better or great, harder to swallow when my inner doctor is like "Oh that's the SI joint, oh that's a piraformis syndrome, thats a facet, thats a disc, etc." I'm learning to unlearn in this process. Its amazing, as my TMS therapist says, "getting a PhD has not taken my TMS away". And yes, struggling with feeling alone is also big for me.....all the different disciplines have the appropriate pigeonhole to shove symptoms into, just as aI was trained to do, and its tough. So, I keep to myself, work with my therapist, do the TMS work, and I am now mostly doing mind/body work - awareness, breathwork, neuro/emotional type work. This was great to hear. So great to hear. And hoolie, thanks for chiming in, too.

 

Inspiring. I hurt my low back in '09 squatting and have delt with a lingering tightness/pain/uncomfortable feeling since. Like you, I was huge into weightlifting and I hope I can return to it without fear. I have just focused on strength/bodyweight calisthenics in the meantime. ALSO like you, I am aspiring to get into physical therapy school soon and just really want to put this behind me. My MRI shows the typical disc herniations in the lumbar region and I am having a hard time accepting my problem isn't structural.