Anyone with Spondylolisthesis

Just finished John Sarnos Healing Back Pain, almost through the Great Pain Deception. Also reading Nicole Sachs. Question...anyone out there have spondy at l5 s1 and have had success? I've had the xrays, MRI, do many doctor visits...MRI says Foraminal narrowing. I have tight left hamstring. My Doctor says I have had this a long time. Im an athletic guy, played basketball in High School and College...never over weight etc. Just frustrated ... I'm trying to mentally accept TMS as my issue and move forward to healing.

Anyone that can weigh in ... I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Another thought...I am trying to forget that my doctors have said my nerves are very tight in there. Sometimes I even feel like my left leg is just weak behind my knee at the far end of my hamstring.

Looking for hope like...so many here.

 

Hi Linc

I too have spondyloisthesis L4/5 and little to no cartilage in my right hip. I have known this diagnosis for about 7 years.
I did okay for a few years and then pain worsened. I have been dealing with the increased/reoccuring pain for about three years, including severe sciatica early this year. Lots of negative things happened in my life about this time (within the last 3 years) that I believe increased my pain levels. I decided to reread Sarno, also read a few others including Ovanich. I became diligent re journaling, exploring my mindset. Interestingly, after a few months of VERY intense pain and also very in-depth journaling I awoke one morning and realized that my sciatica was about 90% gone! It is now gone. SO, believe that the sciatica can go away. Also, my right leg/thigh is often tight and makes a cracking noise, although not all the time. I believe this noise is from tendon/muscle tightness and am seeing a very skilled massage practitioner who is doing good things as far as this goes.

It is very frustrating, but my own history tells me that this can be beat. My pains have not only isolated to hips/back/thigh but have moved, seemingly at random, to shoulder(s), tops of feet, calves, and then gone away. I continue to go to a massage therapist who also is skilled in other soothing techniques such as crainial sacral, unwinding, and Chi Nei San. I enjoy it all and do get some relief.

You sound like a healthy man, in spite of the diagnosis. Plug along. It can and will improve. Sarno saw lots of people with these diagnoses and lots of these people were healed. You (and I) are in that category.

Kind regards
Lainey

 

Lainey,
Thanks for your post. Yup...I've been through it all, MRI, Xrays, many many doctors visits...even a surgeon consult who thankfully said I was not a surgery candidate. For some time since my xray and imaging in Aug 2017...i have blamed myself for this spondy thing. This has probably added to my TMS"ing". I had right wrist pain too...so much that I got a neck xray...all clear.

Thanks for your comments ... I am hopeful to see progress as I embark on this journey curing myself of TMS.

 

Hi Lainey,
I was diagnosed with this along with spinal stenosis and a bunch of bulging discs. I am so very athletic and for over a year I was ridden with worsening pain, tightness in my one hip and leg, tingling nerve pain going down both legs, waking me up at night. My PT told me to read Sarno's book and I saw myself for sure. I decided to give the TMS diagnosis a try - what did I have to loose. Within 2 weeks all symptoms were almost gone. I kept reading the book very day and also 'talked to my brain', telling it that these symptoms were only psychological, etc.. As soon as I started slacking off reading the book, it started to come back. Gradually it all went away and I'm now free of the pain and am back to doing my athletic activities. Sometimes the nerve stuff comes creeping in when I am nervous about something, but it soon passes as I ignore it. I know this was posted a while ago and I just now found it. I hope you are doing better and your symptoms are improving or you are healed by now! Don't give up!

 

Sybilk
Thanks so much for your response. I appreciate the call-out, checking in on me by someone like you who has gone through this syndrome with similar pains.
I am happy to hear that you have found such relief. I am still struggling but actually am very determined and tell myself everyday that this pain is TMS. I have had moments of being pain free, but these are short-lived. I am trying to live my life as normally as possible, involving myself in activities, movement (but not as much as prior to the pain), and continue to look towards the totally pain-free days ahead. I too find that when I am under certain stressors that the pain becomes more intense.
Thanks for the cheer! I needed this today!
Kindly
Lainey

 

nicole sachs has your condition

 

Hi Linc,

How are you going with your spondy?

I am a newbie to this site as I was recently diagnosed with grade 2/3 Spondylithesis. L5/S1. Surgeons have recommended surgery and physios passive treatment.

I actually don’t have pain in my back but my right calf and hamstring gets reallly tight with some numbness/tingles on top of the right foot. I don’t know if this is TMS, but after ready Dr Sarno I think it could be!

Hoping to find methods to deal with this!

 

Hello
Have you checked out Nicole Sachs? She has your diagnosis, healed herself using Sarno’s approach, went on to work with him and now has her own podcast (the Cure for Chronic Pain), has written a book and has a website and numerous free videos. She talks about her own story a lot which might be helpful in accepting your own diagnosis as TMS. Good luck! Rx

 

Hi @Norrin Radd ,

I know people who have healed from pain that had been blamed from Spondylolisthesis. There is just this one trick.

If you want to treat your pain as TMS, you cannot call it 'Spondylolisthesis' anymore, you have to call it TMS. The Spondylolisthesis is just an incidental finding that has been blamed for your pain (this is the assumption we make once you've ruled out a direct correlation between your pain and this structural finding).

The thing is, Spondylolisthesis is a structural condition, whereas TMS is an emotional one. So you cannot believe that your pain is from Spondylolisthesis and TMS at the same time, otherwise your brain will just be getting mixed messages and the 'stronger' message will always be the one to win.

Hoping this helps you reflect and reevaluate the nature of your pain again!

Best wishes,

Miriam Gauci Bongiovanni

TMS Coach at PainOutsidetheBox