This question was submitted via our Ask a TMS Therapist program. To submit your question, click here.
Question
Hi. First, thanks for offering this service. I can't afford to visit a TMS therapist.
There are two issues that I'd like to address.
I spent 3 years in bed with chronic pain. I started to get out of bed when my Vit D levels were normalized with supplements in 2011. I have been making very slow progress with lots of setbacks since then. I was able walk four miles every other day in July. One day, I walked two miles. Later that same day, I did "calf lifts" on a stair. I lifted and lowered my entire body weight on one leg. I was going to do this until 15 reps, or until fatigue made it impossible. At the top of rep 12, I felt a sharp pain in the region of the tendon/muscle junction of my calf. Thereafter, I had quite a bit of pain throughout my calves, with pain especially problematic where I felt the original pain. The muscle in the area has a "knot". A physiatrist, who actually met DR Sarno at one time, said that I have microtearing. The calves are much better, but this region is still knotted. Furthermore, my calves are very weak from a lack of standing in the 13 weeks since the "injury". I was making fine progress, and only did this much excercise since, after reading Sarno, I thought that if something (in this case, my body weight) wsere too heavy to lift, I simply would not be able to lift it, and would't cause myself harm by pushing to maximum. In running forums and articles, it seems like these sorts of microtears are very common. Is this sort of calf "tearing" real, or do all of these runners have TMS? I want to push myself hard to get my strength back, but I don't want to sit on my butt for an additional 13 weeks.
Secondly, a few weeks ago, I was in a strange position where I was squatting on one leg tucked under my butt to the point that my heal was touching my butt. I raised myself to standing, and felt pain as I was rising. It was 150 lbs on one leg, a lot of weight. I don't know if this is a real injury either. I am very deconditioned, but am only 38. Is this sort of injury even possible?
Sorry for the long post. I wanted to ask both questions at once. These answers will really help me. thanks.
There are two issues that I'd like to address.
I spent 3 years in bed with chronic pain. I started to get out of bed when my Vit D levels were normalized with supplements in 2011. I have been making very slow progress with lots of setbacks since then. I was able walk four miles every other day in July. One day, I walked two miles. Later that same day, I did "calf lifts" on a stair. I lifted and lowered my entire body weight on one leg. I was going to do this until 15 reps, or until fatigue made it impossible. At the top of rep 12, I felt a sharp pain in the region of the tendon/muscle junction of my calf. Thereafter, I had quite a bit of pain throughout my calves, with pain especially problematic where I felt the original pain. The muscle in the area has a "knot". A physiatrist, who actually met DR Sarno at one time, said that I have microtearing. The calves are much better, but this region is still knotted. Furthermore, my calves are very weak from a lack of standing in the 13 weeks since the "injury". I was making fine progress, and only did this much excercise since, after reading Sarno, I thought that if something (in this case, my body weight) wsere too heavy to lift, I simply would not be able to lift it, and would't cause myself harm by pushing to maximum. In running forums and articles, it seems like these sorts of microtears are very common. Is this sort of calf "tearing" real, or do all of these runners have TMS? I want to push myself hard to get my strength back, but I don't want to sit on my butt for an additional 13 weeks.
Secondly, a few weeks ago, I was in a strange position where I was squatting on one leg tucked under my butt to the point that my heal was touching my butt. I raised myself to standing, and felt pain as I was rising. It was 150 lbs on one leg, a lot of weight. I don't know if this is a real injury either. I am very deconditioned, but am only 38. Is this sort of injury even possible?
Sorry for the long post. I wanted to ask both questions at once. These answers will really help me. thanks.
Last edited by a moderator:
