1. Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
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Day 1 Now for the deeper stuff

Discussion in 'Structured Educational Program' started by SB, Feb 2, 2013.

  1. SB

    SB Peer Supporter

    My right scapula started hurting in early 2010, sometimes so much that it affected what I'd do that day or prevented me from sleeping well. Snuggling with my partner was sometimes too painful.

    I broke my knee in late 2011 and had 2 surgeries to fix it. (17 months later, today I ran 3 miles. I'm still not ready for soccer, basketball, or surfing, but at least I was able to run again.)

    Anyway, all the crutching around probably didn't help my scapula. My scapula has still been hurting (in varying degrees, and not every day) since 2010. In 2012, I asked my knee surgeon, my physical therapist, an osteopath, a masseuse, a personal trainer, and a chiropractor about my scapula. Most of them said essentially "Your right scapula is protruding and is called a winged scapula. Your upper body is weak; if you strengthen it, such as through rowing exercises, the pain will go away." The masseuse said, "They're wrong; the problem is that your chest is too tight, and it's pulling your scapula out of position." None of the recommended exercises seemed to help. :(

    In Aug 2012, I woke up one morning thinking my wrist had broken in the night. It hurt a lot. Days later, my other wrist started hurting. The osteopath and chiropractor said I was developing carpal tunnel syndrome and I needed to wear wrist braces 24/7 and do regular stretches, massages, and breaks. My fingertips would also feel bruised, and sometimes I'd feel pain in my elbows (e.g. tendinitis), and sometimes my fingers would have painful bulging veins or just be painful in general. Since I'm on the computer 10+ hours per day, I wasn't completely surprised, since I'd heard of RSI before, but I also couldn't figure out why it was so sudden. I've always spent lots of time on the computer.

    In Sept 2012, I got an Ergotron sit/stand desk at work to see if better posture would help my scapula and wrists.

    In Nov 2012, while trying to rehab my knee with a personal trainer, I started feeling pain in my left hip, like bursitis. I also hurt my left shoulder (I thought) while trying to pick up my partner's nephew. On Nov 27, my partner found out about Sarno, and I started reading The Mindbody Prescription immediately.

    It made a lot of sense to me, and within a week, my wrist/finger/elbow pain was pretty much gone! Any flare-ups would only be temporary. No more wrist braces! What a magical diagnosis! :)

    Unfortunately, my scapula still hurts, and I have more than a dozen other "symptoms" that I'd guess are TMS-related (e.g. nighttime urination). :( I'm almost finished with Divided Mind.

    I'd like to see a therapist in the San Diego area to see if I can finally figure out what unconscious issues are keeping my pain around. I haven't found any therapists online listed in SD who know of TMS, so I figure I ought to do this online program.

    Thanks for organizing it! :D



    -------------------------------------------

    A life without TMS would look like:
    • Playing soccer and basketball every week
    • Sleeping like a rock all the way through the night
    • No nightmares or stress dreams. Either no dreams or pleasant ones.
    • Not needing to urinate frequently
    • Surfing
    • Doing the yoga moves that I used to be able to do
    • Gratitude and relaxation, no anxiety. Just loving my partner and home and job and life.
    • Never getting headaches that last for more than a moment
    • No acne or dandruff
    • No hemorrhoids or diarrhea
     
    JanAtheCPA likes this.
  2. JanAtheCPA

    JanAtheCPA Beloved Grand Eagle

    SB, congratulations on finding Dr Sarno and this great community! Like you, I had almost instant relief from some symptoms upon finishing my first book by Dr Sarno (The Divided Mind), and I've had good success getting others to go away, but there's one or two that I still struggle with. Still, compared to 18 months ago, my life has totally turned around, and I'm so grateful to Dr. Sarno and the wonderful people on this wiki and forum.

    At the bottom of my profile page I've started listing my favorite resources and books, including a number of links here on the forum. So much good stuff!

    Keep posting - we're all in this together!

    Jan
     
  3. SB

    SB Peer Supporter

    Thanks!!
     
  4. Stella

    Stella Well known member

    As I have said to others...role playing in private is invaluable. Think about the person who has caused you so much anguish and pain. Tell them from your heart how much they have hurt you. Hold nothing back.

    Welcome to a wonderful program.
    Sandy
     
  5. Forest

    Forest Beloved Grand Eagle

    It definitively sounds like the masseuse caused a nocebo effect to occur. The worst thing for anyone with TMS is to have a doctor, therapist, or masseuse tell you that you have a serious problem. The archetype that our society has for bodywork specialist is as a healer, which gives them a profound power to influence how we feel. If a healer says a condition is not that big of a deal, it will go away quickly, but if, like your masseuse, they tell you that you have a major problem then you will. I don't know one way the other if it is TMS or not, but I do know that having a masseuse tell you that your chest is too tight will have some sort of effect. If you doctor didn't think it was a serious problem, then I would go with his opinion.

    I am not saying that they are bad people, but I have always have had doubts about combination of physical therapists, chiropractors, and masseuses and their help in a person overcoming TMS. The reason is simply that their work is centered so much around correcting structural issues, that it is difficult for them to understand that these symptoms can be caused by repressed emotions. They are a hammer, and they only see nails. I will note that there are a few TMS practitioners who are also chiropractors, so it can work. But it is really hard to overcome the collective unconscious idea that a person goes to these practitioners to fix a structural problem. For some people this isn't a problem, but I see a lot of wisdom in Dr. Sarno's advice that we should stop these forms of therapy.

    SB, I received a similar RSI diagnosis that you mentioned, and, like you, I also purchased a wide variety of ergonomic devices, so I could position my body in a way that would not cause strain. I had armrests, special mouses and keyboards, and special mirrored glasses so I could read a book without bending my neck. Did these devices do anything to reduce my symptoms? Nope, all they did was reinforce a believe that I needed them because I was damaged. Sure, it was tough to gain the confidence to stop using these devices, but once I did I started to finally make progress. This approach worked for me, and I am confident that it will also work for you.
     
  6. SB

    SB Peer Supporter

    Yep, I was happy to learn that the Healthy Back Store and its overpriced products are a sham and that my posture isn't causing my pain. My wrist pain going away within days of reading the book made me a believer. I think my scapula pain ought to follow.

    Thanks!
     
    veronica73 likes this.
  7. SB

    SB Peer Supporter

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