Pain that gets progressively worse?

Hello Everyone, hope you are having a good week

I am still having real trouble with RSI in my wrist and elbow. Trying my best to tackle it each time I work, but it follows the same patterns and I cant seem to break the cycle at all.

My question this time is: How do you approach pain that gets worse with a certain activity, to the point where you have to stop? My wrist pain is triggered by drawing (I am an artist so this affects my job and my hobby) and usually gets to a point where not only is it sore for the whole evening, but it will be painful for the next day and maybe even the day after that. It really feels like I've made something physically irritated and sore, and it needs those extra days to 'heal'. At my worst it will be all up in my elbow and hurt to do any kind of movement around the joint. It can change from burning to shooting pains, etc. No numbness but it definitely feels like its all along my Ulnar nerve.

After its 'healed' it can feel as good as new, but the cycle begins the next time I try drawing. Usually after a couple of hours I'll feel it hurt and then it will just get worse the more I push through, until I'm forced to stop and rest it. This is very problematic when I have to work two days in a row. Because this certain activity makes it worse, sometimes its hard to believe its not a physical problem I am aggravating.

Can anyone else relate to this? I know I shouldnt constantly be comparing my pain to others, but it feels like a lot of TMS stories talk about pain that comes and goes really quickly, whereas mine is very consistent with this one activity and can linger for days with absolutely no way to relieve it other than rest.

Thanks very much for your time~
-Shaz

 

Hi Shaz,

Your experience is common with TMS. While some have symptoms which change and move, many or most have symptoms which "worsen with use." This type of pattern reenforces our belief that "it is all physical."
My foot pain worsened with use.

Or so I thought until I began to question this assumption. It may be helpful to observe your fear around the symptoms worsening, and begin to "see through" this implicit assumption. Although there is a "history to prove it," this in fact can simply confirm that you're conditioned to expect symptoms, and to expect how long and how bad they'll be. Good luck!

Andy B

 

Hi Andy!

Thank you for your reply. This correlation has really bothered me all the way through my TMS healing. I keep doing my best to try and see through the pain whenever it starts, but ive never managed to get it to vanish with the power of the mind. Its always just there to stay and will linger and get worse even when I'm doing my best to consider it as TMS while working. All i've done is gotten really good at working through pain, but the pain has never diminished. Slightly disheartening...

I hope it is just a serious case of conditioned pain but nothing so far has helped me break the pattern. I'll continue trying to observe my fears but sometimes I feel a little powerless to stop it coming on.

thanks again
-Shaz

 

Hi Shaz,
Your way in is likely to be to recognize one incidence of an exception to the pattern, even a minor one, which you might not notice otherwise. Then the lie begins to fall away. So be open to this, and keep your eyes and heart open!
Andy B

 

Hi Shaz,

Might you look at reasons this might not be physical, rather than reasons it is TMS? If it was physical after you rest you would be "healed." However, that isn't the case.
If you were a farmer 150 years ago, or presently in a third world country, every winter you would get out of shape, come spring you are out in the field again and you drag yourself into bed every night and wake up stiff and sore the next morning. This lasts for a week, then we adapt. That's why we must change it up when weight lifting. Thousands of years of this, for literal survival. Looking at why symptoms don't make sense might help convince yourself.

Good luck,
Lizzy

 

Hi Lizzy, ever so sorry for the late reply! I didnt realise I had a new reply until today

Thanks so much for the input. Whenever my arm plays up badly, I do try to tell myself that it just doesnt make sense. A common thought is 'I shouldnt be hurting this much from just drawing', but I've never really managed to communicate that to my body to get the pain to stop. I love drawing so much that I simply tolerate the pain now, but even accepting that its there doesnt give me any kind of relief in the long run. My arm really shouldnt be this weak considering all my years of drawing and the days when I could draw for 10 hours no problem back in university (tight deadlines!). It absolutely doesnt make sense but I still find myself in so much pain regardless of any thought patterns or how much I tell myself its TMS. I feel convinced in my mind. Whether I'm convinced in my heart I cant tell, but I dont think I've ever had a moment where I've managed to break the cycle or stop it progressing or feeling bad the next day. The fact that its so consistent has always worried me. I have never, for example, felt a twinge of pain when I'm really stressed about something. Likewise my pain has never vanished in an instant in one of those 'aha' moments that other people have experienced. Mine will always be caused by drawing, be a gentle progression until I am forced to stop, and then hurt for a few days after.

I refuse to accept that things will always be this way, but at this current moment in time, it really just seems to be the norm and I'm not sure I'm making any kind of progress at all.

Thanks so much for listening
-Shaz

 

Shaz,

Do you live where you can see a TMS physician? If not maybe you could video chat with someone?

If you've done straight Sarno then maybe learn about some of the other theories from Alan Gordon or Gabor Mate?

My husband draws and I find it amazing because I can't draw anything. TMS really knows how to hit us where it matters the most.

Wishing you health,
Lizzy