Burning pain in arm with stiff neck and upper back pain

I thought I had a really good handle on my TMS symptoms, but the last couple weeks I've felt like I was back at the beginning. What first brought me to Sarno's books was debilitating lower back pain. I got through it and was cured so quickly. I've maybe had an episode twice in 10 years and it came with none of the fear. I also dealt with lots of UTI pain, which I found out was TMS as well.

However, none of my usual symptoms are hitting this time. Instead I felt a pop in my neck about a week ago, and couldn't turn my head left or right. At first I dismissed it as TMS, but then the pain moved and lodged into my upper back near my shoulder blade. Even that wasn't really getting to me, so I was ignoring it, but the last couple of days although my neck seems to have gotten better, I've had burning in the inside of my elbow and my arm aches and my shoulder blade still feels sore. For some reason the arm sensations and pain came with so much fear. I never had that kind of sensation before and my mind immediately went to the scariest scenario. I'm sure it doesn't help that my friend's mom died from a type of ALS and her symptoms started in her neck/shoulder/arm.

I'm about 90% sure this is TMS, but there's about 10% that is gnawing at me. And in the current COVD-19 crisis, I shouldn't be going to a doctor for something like this right now anyway. I live with my two senior parents who cannot afford to get this virus, so we have been isolating as much as possible. But not being able to go to a doctor to rule things out is making my symptoms so much worse and I just can't shake them.

Has anyone else felt burning pain and numbness/tingling in the arm that seemed to come from the upper back? Are any of the hypochondriacs out there struggling with not going to doctors during this crisis?

 

Yes, I sure had those symptoms, tingling, pain, numbness and more. Your scare crow is ALS, mine was what I thought was Parkinson's but in fact was CRPS. Check it out, it is not terminal like ALS but pretty bad. I literally scared myself into CRPS. Took 2 years to pull myself out of it.

As for coronavirus, I now wake up in the middle of the night almost every night and talk to my scared inner child about symptoms.

Here is a typical dialog:

Me: look, you just had a little trouble with your stomach, and yes, abdominal problems can occur with COVID, but it is atypical. Your chances to pick up the virus are not that high: you work from home. you rarely leave the house, you wash your hands 75 times a day, you don't have additional health issues, you are not 70 yet, what are you freaked out about?

Inner Child: you don't understand, I saw it online, such-and-such died from coronavirus and they had diahhrea!

Me: what you have isn't really a diahhrea, it is just a rambling stomach.

Inner Child: but it MAY turn into diahhrea!!!!!

And it goes on and on for couple hours. When I wake up in the morning, my Inner Child is small and quiet, and I don't understand how she can keep me awake for three hours with her pathetic anxiety and panic. Sounds familiar?

 

You mean since the national scare media/24/7/losing-their-mind-stuff-started?

The Nocebo. Has happened to all of us at some time or another

Yeah... that's no pressure. That certainly isn't rage inducing (LOL) to the unconscious
Like to gamble? I'll bet you any amount you want that it is 101% TMS

But seriously folks. That pain you describe was the first TMS symptom I ever remember having..I was 6. For the remainder of my life (until I read Sarno) it bothered me many mornings on the way to work (5am... Rage at having to work before the sun was up to support a lifestyle I didn't want). When my back got better in '99 it went away. It has only come back marginally whenever I have some undealt with emotional stuff, usually regarding FAMILY and HOME.

TG957 pretty much outlined it. There is that 6 year old inside of us that never matures. The harder I pretend to myself he's not there, the harder he pushes back (symptoms). I thoroughly review my fears when I am alone (in prayer for me). It takes some dressing down of my Ego which is substantial...

I too took care of my Sick Mom for about two or three years ending about a year ago. I had to remain super-vigilant about stuff and there were many attempted incursions by TMS. Teeth, shoulder, fingers, feet, Middle back (guilt).None of them got much traction due to the preventative self-evaluations I did.
I can't think of anything more enraging to the child than having to nurse/care for an aging parent. You got both AND you have this scare shit going on too!!! Sarno talked about that particular situation extensively, many times over and over in every book he wrote.

I was reflecting the other day on how much more I would be stressed out if my Mom was still here... and here you are, doing the responsible , good guy thing. My hat is off to you. The Good news is the symptoms can go away without any change in your situation.... Just hit the book(s) again , do the daily reminders and anything else you did to get better last time. It is amazing how our 'responsible adult' drowns out that inner voice no matter HOW many times we have reviewed it. One of life's great mysteries.

TL;DR YES. I have had that and it sucks. YES, there is a hypochondriac hidden in all of us. and you already have a Dr. to go to... Dr. Sarno... he's in your book. Check with him first !

peace

 

Thank you for pointing this out. I hated myself for being mean about taking care of my parents in their last years, but I now understand that it is natural. I missed it in the Sarno's book.

This is just brilliant!

 

I’ll see your ageing parent and raise you a 92 year old narcissistic mother-in-law. Anybody have any idea why my jaw hurts...anyone

yeah.
this.