3+ weeks, no improvement

Hi -- After listening to Healing Back Pain via audio book I'm extremely confident that I have TMS. That was 3+ weeks ago, and since then I've been doing the Structured Educational Program daily, and am wrapping up The Divided Mind via audio book. But so far there hasn't been any change or improvement in my condition whatsoever.

A quick snapshot about me:
- Constant neck/shoulder, upper back pain while sitting or standing for over 2 years. The pain moves around a lot, even minute by minute, but never goes away (unless I lie down)
- No relief from any conventional or alternative therapy. I've tried 5+ rounds of PT, multiple chiropractors, spinal decompression, acupuncture, homeopathy, etc.
- Disc replacement surgery 11/2013. No improvement, pain is basically the same as before surgery. Now that the bad disc is gone, there really isn't anything structurally wrong with my neck
- Started getting pain in my right foot last fall. Doctor gave me a diagnosis of tarsal tunnel syndrome and Morton's neuroma (entrapped nerve)
- I do have an actual and serious orthopedic issue: torn left hip labrum that will require surgery

Is it common in your experience to see no relief even 3+ weeks after accepting TMS as the likely cause? I think I have a decent understanding of the stresses that caused all of this, but am I still missing something? I'd appreciate any perspective you might be able to offer.

Be blessed!
ScottyB

 

Hi, Scotty. You're reading the right books and doing the SEP, but maybe you haven't yet found the repressed emotions you need to find,
and to believe 100 percent that your pains are from TMS repressed emotions. It takes longer for some people to heal, and maybe you're also thinking
too much about the pain. Steve Ozanich says the less we think about the pain or that we even have any, the faster we heal.

That torn hip labrum needing surgery may have your mind focused too much on structural pain.
Doctors can dream up more structural reasons for our pain and that can make us think they're right because they are medical
authority figures. But most doctors don't know about or recognize TMS causing our pains.

Keep at the SEP and thinking positive and try to enjoy your life. It can take your mind off your pain. Good luck and keep us posted about your progress. Any other questions, we'll try to help.

 

You haven't had anytime to learn what you need to know. You have just begun. Your whole post is all structural thoughts. Now if you'd tell me how your not fearing or focusing on the pain anymore then I would know that your learning's are coming along. And you mention nothing of Sarnos 12 daily reminders or any of his work.
Listen you have to learn what speaking psychological means ok. Its about the emotions you don't feel that you should be feeling about pressures in your life other than the body ailments. The body symptoms are just trying to let you know to start thinking about your emotional issues. You have repressed emotional issues your whole life and you cant just read a book and get better although some do, I really am amazed at the ones that do but most all of us have to learn to live again. To smile again and stop putting off the world we want to live in.
There's something that you haven't done in years that you need to get back to so you can heal that area of your life. You have to get in touch with your emotions and learn to feel them again. that's why you feel the pain because you have repressed the emotions that you have too face. You have many things to learn my friend. Visit the SEP and really take your time going over everything you can learn there. http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Week_0 .... Read this intro into the Structural Education Program ok

Then visit here and do 1 day at a time and then day 2. If it takes you 2 days to do 1 day like it did me then your in good company -- http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Educational_Program_Day_1

When Sarno says most or some heal just reading the Book. Hes mostly talking about those that usually understand the whole protocol and immediately adapt it to there lives. I have studied mind and body for 25 years and I got an immediate cure after reading the book for two days but the pain came back after a couple of weeks and I had to go back and get a deeper understanding and apply all the rules.
We are in-hesitant most of our lives and that cant occur if you want to heal. You have to learn how to sooth your sensitized nerves. You have some lessons in front of you that will become very valuable to you as you learn and apply them. Everything we do here is knowledge therapy but you have to also apply that knowledge so it becomes wisdom ok. Be patient and see yourself healed in your minds eye. Always have hope and belief in what you are doing and ask questions after every SEP day ok. Learn and then learn. You will heal. Be patient

Welcome aboard and God bless You

 

Eric gives excellent advice. I had extreme right neck/shoulder/occipital neuralgia that was constant and very painful for many months. I have been working on the TMS for about 10 months. I had constant pain for several months when I first started working on the TMS, then it started to move around a bit and alternated with extreme anxiety. I am just now starting to have real success and be pain free. You probably won't take as long as me, but don't be discouraged! Try if at all possible to stop measuring your success by your pain and focus on your life, how you are feeling emotionally and psychologically as much as possible. You'll get there!

 

Wow, these are some great thoughts.

Walt, Eric -- I do think there is a lot more digging into my emotions that I need to do. I've hit some of the "obvious" items, but even just this morning another important emotional factor just occurred to me. I will keep moving forward with the SEP, books, and lots of prayer (!) to really focus on getting to the bottom of my emotional angst.

Anne: thanks for the encouragement. I guess naively I hoped that I'd be one of the immediate success stories, but ultimately it will just take a little more time.

Thanks for all of your thoughts. Have a blessed day!

 

Scotty, Steve Ozanich, Herbie, and I and others strongly believe in adding prayer and faith to healing.
Herbie and I have written a book together emphasizing this and it will be available soon.
We'll let the forums know when.

 

That's great! I look forward to reading your book. I'm a man of faith, so I'm sure I will find it encouraging. Thanks for advising, and thanks for your work in the TMS community to help bring healing to people.

After two years of constant pain and countless doctors, I know that I'm finally on the right track. I know that healing in my mind, heart, and body is just around the corner. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13)

 

Wow. I need to stick close to this TMSwiki and you gurus! I posted a couple weeks ago about my initial experience; "but as I lay on my floor, night before last, crying in pain, I remembered the name of the man who cured stern of pack pain and OCD. Three youtube videos later I was in my back yard doing dork karate at 2 am, joyful as a clam!! I bought 2 Sarno audio books on Amazon, I found this site(FREE!!!) and I know now life will be good again. Although I did experience low back relief immediately that first night, It hasn't worked so fast on my shoulder(torn labrum) and my back still wants to make pain"... I've gained some insight after reading Eric/Herbie's post above. I really need to involve myself if I want to achieve strong, lasting results( I got to day 3 before going camping then getting lifejacked. I'll be doing day 4 today) Although I still am enjoying immediate low back results after my initial first night of discovery(instant 50% symptom relief regressing into a dull ache, usually while sitting), I am concerned about the shoulder(torn labrum). It is torn. I saw a surgeon, pre Sarno, who said I shouldn't operate(bless him). To me it shows signs of TMS and if it is a "real" injury there's not a lot I can do other then strengthen the muscle around the rotator cuff.... My main concern and the reason for my pain is the state of my life. I'm an emotional wreck and very over burdened at home and soon to be work, where I endure many grueling 12 hour days. Every minute I'm not doing something requiring my attention I start to get anxious so I always put my own needs last causing HUGE amount of hardly repressed anger( I'm sure it pools into both sides of my consciousness) mixed with an unhealthy dose of fear and anxiety. I receive little emotional support from those close to me. I'm a pleaser and a do'er . I have a great sence of humor which means an amazing amount of repressed anger(my theory) I wonder if I should do some therapy of if I can find some support somewhere in this forum? Just the last 3 lines of bitching has lowered the low back ache I still get while sitting. Garsh! I need a live in maid and someone to talk to!