Guarding?

I had a hamstring injury a few years ago that created chronic pain. Before I discovered TMS I genuinely thought there was something wrong with my body, so I spent years altering my movements and guarding the pain and symptoms. Now that I’m making progress and getting back to moving and exercising, I notice that the gluteal upper hamstring muscles on the right side where I had the injury are incredibly knotted and seem to twinge against the nerve or something. So when I do dance classes or go to the gym and do certain movements I feel these strange twinges only on injured side.

Do I assume these muscles will return to normal and it will all work itself out as I keep moving now that I’m doing less guarding and getting exercise? It feels structural in the body and really freaks me out! Thanks.

 

I’d say yes, keep moving and keep mindful. I used to dance and one of the most beautiful things I remember is how it attunes your mind with your body. Your fear is a protective mechanism so I suggest working gently and respectfully with your body.

TMS can piggyback on injuries so if you’re fully healed it’s worth exploring the psychological element. I had an Achilles’ tendon injury that became chronic. It only began to resolve when I started practicing yin yoga which has helped foster a healthy relationship with my body while engaging in some gloriously deep stretching.

There are athletes on the forum who have successfully tussled with TMS, off the top of my head is @Enrique. Explore some of his posts for a start.

Plum x

 

Thanks plum. This is where I get confused - the injury definitely healed, and I’ve had imaging done to be sure. But the knots or scar tissue or whatever it is and subsequent symptoms really throw me, and then I think it’s too late in the healing process because I guarded for so long.
I am definitely a TMS personality in many ways and went through some really traumatic stuff throughout my life, especially around injury time.
So if yin yoga helped you, is it ok to assume that movement is a form of healing for this? I know TMS treatment says not to rely on the physical...

 

It’s never too late to heal my darling. The body is wonderfully forgiving so put those fears to rest.

Movement is a form of healing. Sarno reached the point where he had to discourage the physical element because so many people refused to enter the psychological realm. He was also referring more to conventional treatments such as physiotherapy. Any of the mind~body practices like yoga tend towards mindfulness and such inherently so they really are different. This too, some of us are more body~oriented and it makes sense that a wholistic approach centred around the body and movement makes sense and gives us great pleasure and joy. I’ve long been an advocate for this on the forum and have written about it a lot of the years.

Here’s an post where I mention my inclinations, just to give you a flavour:

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/dance-movement-therapy.12450/ (Dance Movement Therapy)

Plum x

 

Thank you. I guess I just feel lost. I’ve read on google that some hamstring injuries create fibrosis and scar tissue if not treated extremely tenderly during the healing process (I did not tend to my injury well at all) and that this tissue can only be removed through surgery. (I tried all the massage, injection, physical therapy stuff.)

Can TMS work really soften the body to make this sort of tissue release? I feel it rub on the muscles and twinge the nerves when I do certain movements and it’s stiff there and weaker. - it’s very frustrating.
My hunch is to just plow forward anyway - I know movement can’t hurt me. I’m just angry it’s there to begin with and that I had this injury that has left such residual issue.

I don’t want surgery, but if fibrosis is there, maybe it needs to be removed?

 

Sweetheart, Googling your symptoms is quite possibly the worst thing to do. Google is a fear-mongering, catastrophising demon that deals in generics and a purely physical belief based system. It’s the complete opposite of TMS healing. It’s understandable but shows that you don’t yet get what TMS is and how it creates the mayhem it does, and that’s ok. This is a learning process.

I didn’t tend to my Achilles injury at all. I kept dancing on it for hours a week, week in and week out for months.

I also didn’t tend to my emotional state and the awful things that were happening at the time. My partner was incredibly ill and in the years to come would be diagnosed with Parkinson’s. His dad had died after suffering from Alzheimer’s. My grandmother died. My favourite aunt died. We were repossessed and had to move out and find a new place to live in the week before Christmas. And the girl I idolised and who inspired me to become a dancer humiliated me on stage and then in the car journey home took the piss out of me to the point where I shut down and could barely speak for a week.

That’s a lot of stress.
Oh yes, and my best friend (at the time), told me I should “get a grip”.

I stopped dancing completely within weeks. I couldn’t walk at all. I could barely even stand. I didn’t know about TMS back then but looking back, how could it not be?

You need to look at your own circumstances and see what kind of stress is playing out.

TMS is tension. End of.
So yes, it does soften the body. And the mind. And the heart.

Lots of people on this forum have had surgery which hasn’t worked. Only you can make that call. I’d suggest working to remove any psychological knots and emotional scar tissue first.

Plum x

 

This is very helpful and kind. Thank you plum. Thank you for responding to my fears.im grateful

 

And I’m sorry for those losses you endured during that time period.

 

@Stevielawrence You should check out the Mind and Fitness Podcast. The host, Eddie, is an athlete (weightlifter) and has overcome injuries. I have also. So much of the reason that people don't heal from injuries is fear and doubt. You've got to over come that. There are techniques. You can find info here in the forum for sure. Try searching for overcoming fear and doubt.

 

I too have had chronic hamstring pain from probably not stretching enough and getting on the treadmill and doing power walking on inclines with Orange Theory. I had tms with my back and Dr. Sarno's book really helped but I can't help but think that the lack of stretching caused it. And I went dancing last night, and I could hardly do it it hurt so bad. How do I know this is tms and not just do to overworking it? Also, I heard Dr. Sarno had a book that talks about the hamstrings. Can someone tell me what book that is please? Thanks all comments are welcome.