A Physician's TMS story - RSI, Hyperacusis and much more.....

[Carly]

Hello,

Can you please tell me how to find a therapist. I am in Scotland. Thank you.

 

[Misha]

Hello,

Can you please tell me how to find a therapist. I am in Scotland. Thank you.

There are some UK practitioners listed here if that helps.

http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Find_a_TMS_Doctor_or_Therapist (Find a TMS Doctor or Therapist)

 

[nelsonaj]

I am often asked what “my story” is. Everyone who has suffered from Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) or a Psychophysiologic Disorder (PPD) has a long, tortuous story to tell - that is, if they are lucking enough to have found a TMS-trained physician or therapist who has helped them step off the Merry-Go-Round Epidemic of Chronic Pain in the 21st Century.

So, I’m posting “My Story” today. My goal in posting such an honest account of my experience is to allow others who suffer from TMS/PPD a window into another’s experience, so that they may see themselves and find hope that they too can recover. PPD is a trickster. It can make you believe you will never get better, that every one will get better but you. Often, it helps to see that someone else had the very same symptom and recovered.

I can’t say when my story began. As I look back, there were signs in my childhood that my body was crying out. But, the big problems that I could no longer ignore started in 2003 while working in a fast-paced, high stress medical practice - too little time with patients, too much time at the computer and doing paper work, too little sleep. I developed pain in my elbows which quickly blossomed into disabling “repetitive strain injury” which resulted in my having to stop work. For the next 10 years, I stumbled from treatment to treatment trying to figure out what was wrong with my arms and meanwhile, collecting more symptoms as time went on. Well-intentioned practitioners offered me their expert treatments, doing their best to help me, to no avail. Some treatments would help for awhile, but the symptoms would always return - or would go away only to make way for another, new symptom to appear. I was only able to return to work for brief stents, ultimately being brought to my knees again by the intense computer usage - or so I believed. I spent a great deal of money trying to find the answer since most of my care occurred in the alternative medicine world. It was exhausting. It was devastating. It was terrifying. It affected every aspect of my life - my work, my family, my marriage, my social life, my health. I could list all the things the pain prevented me from doing, but just know that every aspect of my life was adversely affected. Eventually, one of my physical therapist referred me to Dr. Howard Schubiner’s website, www.unlearnyourpain.com . I am eternally grateful for this. I knew immediately that this was my problem - my mind was causing all of these physical symptoms. Even with 9 years of medical training in both psychiatry and internal medicine, this never occurred to me. What a huge relief it was for me to find someone who knew the truth, to tell me the truth ! This affirmed my experience and gave me a way forward - a way home. Considering what I had gone through the prior ten years, the treatment was a cake walk. Though it took time to undo all the fear and autonomic nervous system activation I had built up over a lifetime, recovery was steady. In a year, I began training for my first triathlon which for me, was a celebratory marker for my healing.

Below are the TMS symptoms I had and the treatments I underwent. The quotes contain diagnoses I was given.


My TMS Symptoms:

Bilateral forearm pain, tingling, numbness, subjective weakness (“repetitive strain injury”)
Trapezius/neck muscle tightness, swelling, tingling, sensitivity to touch (“long neck syndrome”)
Tinnitus
Hyperacusis (sound sensitivity)
Ear pain, popping, pressure changes
Temporomandibular Joint pain (“TMJ”)
Teeth sensitivity
Jaw clinching resulting in multiple cracked teeth
Tension headaches
Upper back muscle spasm
Lower back muscle tightness
Buttock Pain (“sacroiliac joint pain” and “pyriformis syndrome”)
Lower back and leg pain (“sciatica”)
Ankle pain (“peroneal tendonitis”)
Knee pain (“chondromalacia patella”)
Femoral Muscle strain
Ham string strain
Achilles tendonitis
Plantar Fasciitis
Rectal muscle spasm (“endometriosis”)
Constipation
Nighttime urinary frequency
Skin Rashes
Multiple food sensitivities
Eye twitches
Bilateral hand tremor
Chronic cough
Dizziness
Generalized Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Insomnia


Workups, specialists and treatments I underwent:

Orthopedic Surgeon - normal lab work, nerve conduction studies, and cervical MRI
Neurologist
Ear, Nose and Throat specialist
Psychiatry
Dentistry - retainer
Acupuncture x 3 different practitioners
Alternative medicine physician x 2 - prescribed bio-identical hormones, vitamins, supplements and herbs
Physical Therapy x 4 different practitioners
Massage - several practitioners over the years
Myofascial Release x 2 different practitioners
Non-TMS Psychotherapy
EMDR
Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga
Food Sensitivity Antibody Testing - I was told I was sensitive to 13 different foods. My diet became impossible.

What I find most concerning about this experience is that it not unusual. Many people suffer from chronic pain today and they are all on the Chronic Pain Merry-Go-Around - cycling through the hope and disappointment over and over again with each attempt at a new treatment.

My goal is to reach as many chronic pain sufferers as possible - to help them step out of the pain-hope-disappointment cycle and get back to the lives they left behind.

Alicia B. Batson MD
Center for the Treatment of Psychophysiologic Disorders, PLLC
2021 Richard Jones Road, 340B
Nashville, TN 37215
615-788-3557

http://aliciabatsonmd.com/ (Center for the Treatment of Psychophysiologic Disorders -)

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Connect on LinkedIn

Hi Alicia,
It's very interesting to see the list of symptoms you've experienced. I am new to the TMS recovery process (on day 8 of the educational program). I believe my first symptom was clogged ears/feeling of fullness in the ears, which started over 5 years ago..my neck pain developed in the last 2-3 years and then brain fog/imbalance, pressure in the head and occipital area started about 5 months ago. Along with anxiety/panic attacks sprinkled throughout. I have been to ENTs, allergists, chiropractors, physical therapists, cardiologists, pulminologist, accupuncturist, yoga, and therapy. Throughout my endless search for information, you are the first i've seen that has listed all these seemingly unrelated symptons that i feel are similar to mine. It's just encouraging to hear. I recently met with a doctor who treats TMS and will be attending his lecture next week. Although I just started seeing a CBT, I am looking into Switching to a TMS therapist to fully tackle this beast.

Since reading Dr. Sarno's Mindbody Prescription, I am cautiously optimistic, and feeling a little better, but some days are better than others. I have been through a lot in the last few years which is why TMS makes so much sense to me. I'm hoping a therapist will help me with coping mechanisms.

Thanks for your encouraging story, it's always nice to hear validation from a medical professional.

Amanda

 

[kara]

Thank you Alicia for your testimony. I know it can really help others suffering with tms by sharing your success in overcoming the many pain issues that it can cause. I myself am so thankful everyday that someone mentioned tms to me. I can't imagine where I would be without this knowledge. I was so resistant at first. Someone gave me the book "healing back pain" by Dr John Sarno and it took me 10 years to finally think to pull it out to read it. It was then that I realized that I had donated it to goodwill. I then ordered it off of amazon. I suffered for at least 12 years with chronic back pain.It started in my late teens and didn't really pick up in intensity until my mid 30's. I also had many spells of vertigo, as well as carpel tunnel in both hands. In addition, the twitching of the eyes, and food sensitivites that were so random. I could eat the same thing the next day and have no problem at all. When the food issues started I would have stomach pains so bad I couldn't move and could only talk in a whisper. That was true agony. As time went on the stomach pain subsided and then i would get hives all over.I am sure I have left something out but what I am getting at is I am now 90% pain free. I was not one of those people that was cured quickly. It has taken me a couple of years to get to where I am now. I no longer take pain pills, (I was on them for over 4 years) and it was very hard to stop them. Havent had them in over a year!!!! and hardly ever a muscle relaxer. I also was able to cut out the cymbalta for my pain..All the things I never thought I would be able to do I am doing. I now have 2 grandchildren I carry around all day when I watch them. I walk a lot, and far. That would have never been possible a few years back.I can even sleep on a soft bed when I travel. My life revolved around my pain. In addition I tried every therapy that I could find but nothing kept the pain away.That is no longer true. I want to end by saying that tms is real and it can be cured.Don't ever give up and remember you might be one of those people that can cure very fast or you could take more time like I did. Either way it can be cured.

 

[Mala]

@kara , yours is a wonderful story too. Why don't u write it in the success stories forum. I'm sure many ppl would benefit greatly from reading it.

Mala

 

[kld03c]

Thank you Alicia for your testimony. I know it can really help others suffering with tms by sharing your success in overcoming the many pain issues that it can cause. I myself am so thankful everyday that someone mentioned tms to me. I can't imagine where I would be without this knowledge. I was so resistant at first. Someone gave me the book "healing back pain" by Dr John Sarno and it took me 10 years to finally think to pull it out to read it. It was then that I realized that I had donated it to goodwill. I then ordered it off of amazon. I suffered for at least 12 years with chronic back pain.It started in my late teens and didn't really pick up in intensity until my mid 30's. I also had many spells of vertigo, as well as carpel tunnel in both hands. In addition, the twitching of the eyes, and food sensitivites that were so random. I could eat the same thing the next day and have no problem at all. When the food issues started I would have stomach pains so bad I couldn't move and could only talk in a whisper. That was true agony. As time went on the stomach pain subsided and then i would get hives all over.I am sure I have left something out but what I am getting at is I am now 90% pain free. I was not one of those people that was cured quickly. It has taken me a couple of years to get to where I am now. I no longer take pain pills, (I was on them for over 4 years) and it was very hard to stop them. Havent had them in over a year!!!! and hardly ever a muscle relaxer. I also was able to cut out the cymbalta for my pain..All the things I never thought I would be able to do I am doing. I now have 2 grandchildren I carry around all day when I watch them. I walk a lot, and far. That would have never been possible a few years back.I can even sleep on a soft bed when I travel. My life revolved around my pain. In addition I tried every therapy that I could find but nothing kept the pain away.That is no longer true. I want to end by saying that tms is real and it can be cured.Don't ever give up and remember you might be one of those people that can cure very fast or you could take more time like I did. Either way it can be cured.

Thank you for sharing your story. It's encouraging to know that you have found healing after a couple of years. I've been at it for about a year and a half and have made some great progress while I've also had some intense set backs with the back pain and new pains. Sometimes it seems like it's never going to stop. I struggle to quiet my nervous system while having a high stress job and would pretty much bet money that if I didn't work in this particular position I would likely not have back pain. Maybe I'm setting myself up by saying that, lol.

 

[honey badger]

Hi Alicia,
Thanks for sharing your story and for continuing to help so many as a holistic physician. I wonder if, as a doctor, you have any ideas about PMS and/or menopausal symptoms being a part of TMS at all. I have recently read that women in different cultures experience menopause differently, and that got me thinking that maybe there is a cultural influence in how we view these symptoms. Just like carpal tunnel syndrome is experienced only in some Western cultures, eventhough so many cultures use keyboards (a point Dr. Sarno talks about in his book Healing Back Pain), I wonder then if it's similar with monthly hormonal symptoms, or with menopausal symptoms. Do you have any theories on this?
Thanks again!

 

[MigraineSky]

Wow! Great story. Thank you for posting!!

By the way, after I found out about TMS and was healed from all my own pains, I also trained for a triathlon.

Keep up the great work!

 

[jimmylaw9]

excellent post and means so much to me that you are a medic and did not see that you had TMS. Makes me feel less stupid after about ten years and finding Dr Sarno im 80 % better already. Wish i had found this years ago.

 

[sacolucci23]

Thank you for posting this. In addition to all of my symptoms, I have developed hyperacusis. All of my ear and balance testing has been normal and so, I was diagnosed with a migraine disorder, specifically, Vestibular Migraine.

This gives me hope that I can overcome and desensitize the nervous system.

 

[westb]

I've been around the forum for a little while but I've only just read your story. So helpful. My main symptom is IBS plus anxiety and I'm particularly grateful that you listed all your symptoms (and incorrect diagnoses) , and in particular rectal muscular spasm, since I have this condition and I haven't come across anyone else till now who mentions that. Your whole story has inspired me to keep doing the work and eventually to come out the other side.

 

[Dfw]

I've been around the forum for a little while but I've only just read your story. So helpful. My main symptom is IBS plus anxiety and I'm particularly grateful that you listed all your symptoms (and incorrect diagnoses) , and in particular rectal muscular spasm, since I have this condition and I haven't come across anyone else till now who mentions that. Your whole story has inspired me to keep doing the work and eventually to come out the other side.

There is a pill that a gastro doc gave me for relief from these while i was having them. Life saver, until you get those muscles to calm down.

 

[onetruedog]

I am often asked what “my story” is. Everyone who has suffered from Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) or a Psychophysiologic Disorder (PPD) has a long, tortuous story to tell - that is, if they are lucking enough to have found a TMS-trained physician or therapist who has helped them step off the Merry-Go-Round Epidemic of Chronic Pain in the 21st Century.

So, I’m posting “My Story” today. My goal in posting such an honest account of my experience is to allow others who suffer from TMS/PPD a window into another’s experience, so that they may see themselves and find hope that they too can recover. PPD is a trickster. It can make you believe you will never get better, that every one will get better but you. Often, it helps to see that someone else had the very same symptom and recovered.

I can’t say when my story began. As I look back, there were signs in my childhood that my body was crying out. But, the big problems that I could no longer ignore started in 2003 while working in a fast-paced, high stress medical practice - too little time with patients, too much time at the computer and doing paper work, too little sleep. I developed pain in my elbows which quickly blossomed into disabling “repetitive strain injury” which resulted in my having to stop work. For the next 10 years, I stumbled from treatment to treatment trying to figure out what was wrong with my arms and meanwhile, collecting more symptoms as time went on. Well-intentioned practitioners offered me their expert treatments, doing their best to help me, to no avail. Some treatments would help for awhile, but the symptoms would always return - or would go away only to make way for another, new symptom to appear. I was only able to return to work for brief stents, ultimately being brought to my knees again by the intense computer usage - or so I believed. I spent a great deal of money trying to find the answer since most of my care occurred in the alternative medicine world. It was exhausting. It was devastating. It was terrifying. It affected every aspect of my life - my work, my family, my marriage, my social life, my health. I could list all the things the pain prevented me from doing, but just know that every aspect of my life was adversely affected. Eventually, one of my physical therapist referred me to Dr. Howard Schubiner’s website, www.unlearnyourpain.com . I am eternally grateful for this. I knew immediately that this was my problem - my mind was causing all of these physical symptoms. Even with 9 years of medical training in both psychiatry and internal medicine, this never occurred to me. What a huge relief it was for me to find someone who knew the truth, to tell me the truth ! This affirmed my experience and gave me a way forward - a way home. Considering what I had gone through the prior ten years, the treatment was a cake walk. Though it took time to undo all the fear and autonomic nervous system activation I had built up over a lifetime, recovery was steady. In a year, I began training for my first triathlon which for me, was a celebratory marker for my healing.

Below are the TMS symptoms I had and the treatments I underwent. The quotes contain diagnoses I was given.


My TMS Symptoms:

Bilateral forearm pain, tingling, numbness, subjective weakness (“repetitive strain injury”)
Trapezius/neck muscle tightness, swelling, tingling, sensitivity to touch (“long neck syndrome”)
Tinnitus
Hyperacusis (sound sensitivity)
Ear pain, popping, pressure changes
Temporomandibular Joint pain (“TMJ”)
Teeth sensitivity
Jaw clinching resulting in multiple cracked teeth
Tension headaches
Upper back muscle spasm
Lower back muscle tightness
Buttock Pain (“sacroiliac joint pain” and “pyriformis syndrome”)
Lower back and leg pain (“sciatica”)
Ankle pain (“peroneal tendonitis”)
Knee pain (“chondromalacia patella”)
Femoral Muscle strain
Ham string strain
Achilles tendonitis
Plantar Fasciitis
Rectal muscle spasm (“endometriosis”)
Constipation
Nighttime urinary frequency
Skin Rashes
Multiple food sensitivities
Eye twitches
Bilateral hand tremor
Chronic cough
Dizziness
Generalized Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Insomnia


Workups, specialists and treatments I underwent:

Orthopedic Surgeon - normal lab work, nerve conduction studies, and cervical MRI
Neurologist
Ear, Nose and Throat specialist
Psychiatry
Dentistry - retainer
Acupuncture x 3 different practitioners
Alternative medicine physician x 2 - prescribed bio-identical hormones, vitamins, supplements and herbs
Physical Therapy x 4 different practitioners
Massage - several practitioners over the years
Myofascial Release x 2 different practitioners
Non-TMS Psychotherapy
EMDR
Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga
Food Sensitivity Antibody Testing - I was told I was sensitive to 13 different foods. My diet became impossible.

What I find most concerning about this experience is that it not unusual. Many people suffer from chronic pain today and they are all on the Chronic Pain Merry-Go-Around - cycling through the hope and disappointment over and over again with each attempt at a new treatment.

My goal is to reach as many chronic pain sufferers as possible - to help them step out of the pain-hope-disappointment cycle and get back to the lives they left behind.

Alicia B. Batson MD
Center for the Treatment of Psychophysiologic Disorders, PLLC
2021 Richard Jones Road, 340B
Nashville, TN 37215
615-788-3557

http://aliciabatsonmd.com/ (Center for the Treatment of Psychophysiologic Disorders -)

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Follow on Twitter
Connect on LinkedIn

 

[Kozas]

Did all of your symptoms went away? I struggle with abdominal pain, and ibs after using antibiotics but I have also teeth sensitivity/teeth pain which I'm pretty sure is tms(I mean how can low dose of tetracyclines damage my teeth so much?). I'm not sure about abdominal pain, but it's already 7 years and even with ibs people don't have CONSTANT pain like mine(that's why I think that abdominal pain can be a TMS too[had already gastroscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound, tons of other tests and it looks like structurally I'm perfectly fine], but I'm sure about teeth). I can see that struggled with teeth sensitivity too, did it went away?

 

[Gigalos]

Teeth sensitivity is often mentioned here on the forum. I had it and it went away. Use the search function to find threads that talk about this issue.

 

[Balsa11]

Did all of your symptoms went away? I struggle with abdominal pain, and ibs after using antibiotics but I have also teeth sensitivity/teeth pain which I'm pretty sure is tms(I mean how can low dose of tetracyclines damage my teeth so much?). I'm not sure about abdominal pain, but it's already 7 years and even with ibs people don't have CONSTANT pain like mine(that's why I think that abdominal pain can be a TMS too[had already gastroscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound, tons of other tests and it looks like structurally I'm perfectly fine], but I'm sure about teeth). I can see that struggled with teeth sensitivity too, did it went away?

Doing too many structural things can make it worse.

 

[Krmzydn]

I am often asked what “my story” is. Everyone who has suffered from Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) or a Psychophysiologic Disorder (PPD) has a long, tortuous story to tell - that is, if they are lucking enough to have found a TMS-trained physician or therapist who has helped them step off the Merry-Go-Round Epidemic of Chronic Pain in the 21st Century.

So, I’m posting “My Story” today. My goal in posting such an honest account of my experience is to allow others who suffer from TMS/PPD a window into another’s experience, so that they may see themselves and find hope that they too can recover. PPD is a trickster. It can make you believe you will never get better, that every one will get better but you. Often, it helps to see that someone else had the very same symptom and recovered.

I can’t say when my story began. As I look back, there were signs in my childhood that my body was crying out. But, the big problems that I could no longer ignore started in 2003 while working in a fast-paced, high stress medical practice - too little time with patients, too much time at the computer and doing paper work, too little sleep. I developed pain in my elbows which quickly blossomed into disabling “repetitive strain injury” which resulted in my having to stop work. For the next 10 years, I stumbled from treatment to treatment trying to figure out what was wrong with my arms and meanwhile, collecting more symptoms as time went on. Well-intentioned practitioners offered me their expert treatments, doing their best to help me, to no avail. Some treatments would help for awhile, but the symptoms would always return - or would go away only to make way for another, new symptom to appear. I was only able to return to work for brief stents, ultimately being brought to my knees again by the intense computer usage - or so I believed. I spent a great deal of money trying to find the answer since most of my care occurred in the alternative medicine world. It was exhausting. It was devastating. It was terrifying. It affected every aspect of my life - my work, my family, my marriage, my social life, my health. I could list all the things the pain prevented me from doing, but just know that every aspect of my life was adversely affected. Eventually, one of my physical therapist referred me to Dr. Howard Schubiner’s website, www.unlearnyourpain.com . I am eternally grateful for this. I knew immediately that this was my problem - my mind was causing all of these physical symptoms. Even with 9 years of medical training in both psychiatry and internal medicine, this never occurred to me. What a huge relief it was for me to find someone who knew the truth, to tell me the truth ! This affirmed my experience and gave me a way forward - a way home. Considering what I had gone through the prior ten years, the treatment was a cake walk. Though it took time to undo all the fear and autonomic nervous system activation I had built up over a lifetime, recovery was steady. In a year, I began training for my first triathlon which for me, was a celebratory marker for my healing.

Below are the TMS symptoms I had and the treatments I underwent. The quotes contain diagnoses I was given.


My TMS Symptoms:

Bilateral forearm pain, tingling, numbness, subjective weakness (“repetitive strain injury”)
Trapezius/neck muscle tightness, swelling, tingling, sensitivity to touch (“long neck syndrome”)
Tinnitus
Hyperacusis (sound sensitivity)
Ear pain, popping, pressure changes
Temporomandibular Joint pain (“TMJ”)
Teeth sensitivity
Jaw clinching resulting in multiple cracked teeth
Tension headaches
Upper back muscle spasm
Lower back muscle tightness
Buttock Pain (“sacroiliac joint pain” and “pyriformis syndrome”)
Lower back and leg pain (“sciatica”)
Ankle pain (“peroneal tendonitis”)
Knee pain (“chondromalacia patella”)
Femoral Muscle strain
Ham string strain
Achilles tendonitis
Plantar Fasciitis
Rectal muscle spasm (“endometriosis”)
Constipation
Nighttime urinary frequency
Skin Rashes
Multiple food sensitivities
Eye twitches
Bilateral hand tremor
Chronic cough
Dizziness
Generalized Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Insomnia


Workups, specialists and treatments I underwent:

Orthopedic Surgeon - normal lab work, nerve conduction studies, and cervical MRI
Neurologist
Ear, Nose and Throat specialist
Psychiatry
Dentistry - retainer
Acupuncture x 3 different practitioners
Alternative medicine physician x 2 - prescribed bio-identical hormones, vitamins, supplements and herbs
Physical Therapy x 4 different practitioners
Massage - several practitioners over the years
Myofascial Release x 2 different practitioners
Non-TMS Psychotherapy
EMDR
Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga
Food Sensitivity Antibody Testing - I was told I was sensitive to 13 different foods. My diet became impossible.

What I find most concerning about this experience is that it not unusual. Many people suffer from chronic pain today and they are all on the Chronic Pain Merry-Go-Around - cycling through the hope and disappointment over and over again with each attempt at a new treatment.

My goal is to reach as many chronic pain sufferers as possible - to help them step out of the pain-hope-disappointment cycle and get back to the lives they left behind.

Alicia B. Batson MD
Center for the Treatment of Psychophysiologic Disorders, PLLC
2021 Richard Jones Road, 340B
Nashville, TN 37215
615-788-3557

http://aliciabatsonmd.com/ (Center for the Treatment of Psychophysiologic Disorders -)

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Follow on Twitter
Connect on LinkedIn

hello, i'm new here. I am experiencing many symptoms. Pain, dizziness, stinging, burning, joint muscle pain, skin contact and the hardest thing for me is tinnitus and hyperacusis... It's been 2 months since I started TMS application. The pressure and ringing in my ears and head increased a lot and this caused me to stay at home again. Do you have any advice?

 

[deny]

I am often asked what “my story” is. Everyone who has suffered from Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) or a Psychophysiologic Disorder (PPD) has a long, tortuous story to tell - that is, if they are lucking enough to have found a TMS-trained physician or therapist who has helped them step off the Merry-Go-Round Epidemic of Chronic Pain in the 21st Century.

So, I’m posting “My Story” today. My goal in posting such an honest account of my experience is to allow others who suffer from TMS/PPD a window into another’s experience, so that they may see themselves and find hope that they too can recover. PPD is a trickster. It can make you believe you will never get better, that every one will get better but you. Often, it helps to see that someone else had the very same symptom and recovered.

I can’t say when my story began. As I look back, there were signs in my childhood that my body was crying out. But, the big problems that I could no longer ignore started in 2003 while working in a fast-paced, high stress medical practice - too little time with patients, too much time at the computer and doing paper work, too little sleep. I developed pain in my elbows which quickly blossomed into disabling “repetitive strain injury” which resulted in my having to stop work. For the next 10 years, I stumbled from treatment to treatment trying to figure out what was wrong with my arms and meanwhile, collecting more symptoms as time went on. Well-intentioned practitioners offered me their expert treatments, doing their best to help me, to no avail. Some treatments would help for awhile, but the symptoms would always return - or would go away only to make way for another, new symptom to appear. I was only able to return to work for brief stents, ultimately being brought to my knees again by the intense computer usage - or so I believed. I spent a great deal of money trying to find the answer since most of my care occurred in the alternative medicine world. It was exhausting. It was devastating. It was terrifying. It affected every aspect of my life - my work, my family, my marriage, my social life, my health. I could list all the things the pain prevented me from doing, but just know that every aspect of my life was adversely affected. Eventually, one of my physical therapist referred me to Dr. Howard Schubiner’s website, www.unlearnyourpain.com . I am eternally grateful for this. I knew immediately that this was my problem - my mind was causing all of these physical symptoms. Even with 9 years of medical training in both psychiatry and internal medicine, this never occurred to me. What a huge relief it was for me to find someone who knew the truth, to tell me the truth ! This affirmed my experience and gave me a way forward - a way home. Considering what I had gone through the prior ten years, the treatment was a cake walk. Though it took time to undo all the fear and autonomic nervous system activation I had built up over a lifetime, recovery was steady. In a year, I began training for my first triathlon which for me, was a celebratory marker for my healing.

Below are the TMS symptoms I had and the treatments I underwent. The quotes contain diagnoses I was given.


My TMS Symptoms:

Bilateral forearm pain, tingling, numbness, subjective weakness (“repetitive strain injury”)
Trapezius/neck muscle tightness, swelling, tingling, sensitivity to touch (“long neck syndrome”)
Tinnitus
Hyperacusis (sound sensitivity)
Ear pain, popping, pressure changes
Temporomandibular Joint pain (“TMJ”)
Teeth sensitivity
Jaw clinching resulting in multiple cracked teeth
Tension headaches
Upper back muscle spasm
Lower back muscle tightness
Buttock Pain (“sacroiliac joint pain” and “pyriformis syndrome”)
Lower back and leg pain (“sciatica”)
Ankle pain (“peroneal tendonitis”)
Knee pain (“chondromalacia patella”)
Femoral Muscle strain
Ham string strain
Achilles tendonitis
Plantar Fasciitis
Rectal muscle spasm (“endometriosis”)
Constipation
Nighttime urinary frequency
Skin Rashes
Multiple food sensitivities
Eye twitches
Bilateral hand tremor
Chronic cough
Dizziness
Generalized Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Insomnia


Workups, specialists and treatments I underwent:

Orthopedic Surgeon - normal lab work, nerve conduction studies, and cervical MRI
Neurologist
Ear, Nose and Throat specialist
Psychiatry
Dentistry - retainer
Acupuncture x 3 different practitioners
Alternative medicine physician x 2 - prescribed bio-identical hormones, vitamins, supplements and herbs
Physical Therapy x 4 different practitioners
Massage - several practitioners over the years
Myofascial Release x 2 different practitioners
Non-TMS Psychotherapy
EMDR
Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga
Food Sensitivity Antibody Testing - I was told I was sensitive to 13 different foods. My diet became impossible.

What I find most concerning about this experience is that it not unusual. Many people suffer from chronic pain today and they are all on the Chronic Pain Merry-Go-Around - cycling through the hope and disappointment over and over again with each attempt at a new treatment.

My goal is to reach as many chronic pain sufferers as possible - to help them step out of the pain-hope-disappointment cycle and get back to the lives they left behind.

Alicia B. Batson MD
Center for the Treatment of Psychophysiologic Disorders, PLLC
2021 Richard Jones Road, 340B
Nashville, TN 37215
615-788-3557

http://aliciabatsonmd.com/ (Treating Primary Chronic Pain and Other Psychophysiologic Disorders -)

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What about ear popping, pain, clogged feeling after a sinus and ear infection? Its the tubes then damage?

 

[CharlieEvans180]

I am often asked what “my story” is. Everyone who has suffered from Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) or a Psychophysiologic Disorder (PPD) has a long, tortuous story to tell - that is, if they are lucking enough to have found a TMS-trained physician or therapist who has helped them step off the Merry-Go-Round Epidemic of Chronic Pain in the 21st Century.

So, I’m posting “My Story” today. My goal in posting such an honest account of my experience is to allow others who suffer from TMS/PPD a window into another’s experience, so that they may see themselves and find hope that they too can recover. PPD is a trickster. It can make you believe you will never get better, that every one will get better but you. Often, it helps to see that someone else had the very same symptom and recovered.

I can’t say when my story began. As I look back, there were signs in my childhood that my body was crying out. But, the big problems that I could no longer ignore started in 2003 while working in a fast-paced, high stress medical practice - too little time with patients, too much time at the computer and doing paper work, too little sleep. I developed pain in my elbows which quickly blossomed into disabling “repetitive strain injury” which resulted in my having to stop work. For the next 10 years, I stumbled from treatment to treatment trying to figure out what was wrong with my arms and meanwhile, collecting more symptoms as time went on. Well-intentioned practitioners offered me their expert treatments, doing their best to help me, to no avail. Some treatments would help for awhile, but the symptoms would always return - or would go away only to make way for another, new symptom to appear. I was only able to return to work for brief stents, ultimately being brought to my knees again by the intense computer usage - or so I believed. I spent a great deal of money trying to find the answer since most of my care occurred in the alternative medicine world. It was exhausting. It was devastating. It was terrifying. It affected every aspect of my life - my work, my family, my marriage, my social life, my health. I could list all the things the pain prevented me from doing, but just know that every aspect of my life was adversely affected. Eventually, one of my physical therapist referred me to Dr. Howard Schubiner’s website, www.unlearnyourpain.com . I am eternally grateful for this. I knew immediately that this was my problem - my mind was causing all of these physical symptoms. Even with 9 years of medical training in both psychiatry and internal medicine, this never occurred to me. What a huge relief it was for me to find someone who knew the truth, to tell me the truth ! This affirmed my experience and gave me a way forward - a way home. Considering what I had gone through the prior ten years, the treatment was a cake walk. Though it took time to undo all the fear and autonomic nervous system activation I had built up over a lifetime, recovery was steady. In a year, I began training for my first triathlon which for me, was a celebratory marker for my healing.

Below are the TMS symptoms I had and the treatments I underwent. The quotes contain diagnoses I was given.


My TMS Symptoms:

Bilateral forearm pain, tingling, numbness, subjective weakness (“repetitive strain injury”)
Trapezius/neck muscle tightness, swelling, tingling, sensitivity to touch (“long neck syndrome”)
Tinnitus
Hyperacusis (sound sensitivity)
Ear pain, popping, pressure changes
Temporomandibular Joint pain (“TMJ”)
Teeth sensitivity
Jaw clinching resulting in multiple cracked teeth
Tension headaches
Upper back muscle spasm
Lower back muscle tightness
Buttock Pain (“sacroiliac joint pain” and “pyriformis syndrome”)
Lower back and leg pain (“sciatica”)
Ankle pain (“peroneal tendonitis”)
Knee pain (“chondromalacia patella”)
Femoral Muscle strain
Ham string strain
Achilles tendonitis
Plantar Fasciitis
Rectal muscle spasm (“endometriosis”)
Constipation
Nighttime urinary frequency
Skin Rashes
Multiple food sensitivities
Eye twitches
Bilateral hand tremor
Chronic cough
Dizziness
Generalized Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Insomnia


Workups, specialists and treatments I underwent:

Orthopedic Surgeon - normal lab work, nerve conduction studies, and cervical MRI
Neurologist
Ear, Nose and Throat specialist
Psychiatry
Dentistry - retainer
Acupuncture x 3 different practitioners
Alternative medicine physician x 2 - prescribed bio-identical hormones, vitamins, supplements and herbs
Physical Therapy x 4 different practitioners
Massage - several practitioners over the years
Myofascial Release x 2 different practitioners
Non-TMS Psychotherapy
EMDR
Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga
Food Sensitivity Antibody Testing - I was told I was sensitive to 13 different foods. My diet became impossible.

What I find most concerning about this experience is that it not unusual. Many people suffer from chronic pain today and they are all on the Chronic Pain Merry-Go-Around - cycling through the hope and disappointment over and over again with each attempt at a new treatment.

My goal is to reach as many chronic pain sufferers as possible - to help them step out of the pain-hope-disappointment cycle and get back to the lives they left behind.

Alicia B. Batson MD
Center for the Treatment of Psychophysiologic Disorders, PLLC
2021 Richard Jones Road, 340B
Nashville, TN 37215
615-788-3557

http://aliciabatsonmd.com/ (Treating Primary Chronic Pain and Other Psychophysiologic Disorders -)

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This is always the most hopeful testimony I come across because it's me. When I'm feeling pessimistic I always come back to Dr Alicia Batson. If she can get better so can I

 

[Alicia Batson MD]

This is always the most hopeful testimony I come across because it's me. When I'm feeling pessimistic I always come back to Dr Alicia Batson. If she can get better so can I

Hi Charlie,
I'm really glad my story is inspiring for you. We can all heal!
Alicia