Can tms feel strutural

M

mpucko90

New Member
I just wanted to know if anyone has over come tms with symptoms that feel structural. Has anyone ever had symptoms that felt worse during certain movements? I ask this because my number one symptom is an ulnar nerve entrapment. My right elbow which is the worse, although I also have it in my left too. MRI shows little inflammation and EMG showed right elbow only. If I push on the elbow in the spot where the nerve feels compressed it bugs it. If I turn my arm bent a certain way, or push something at a weird angle it bugs it. If I flex my bicep hard it bugs it. certain movements and stretching it a certain way will bug it. Also jumpers knee, stiff knees, and shin splints when I squat or hike. I have had the ulnar nerve issue for four years now. I have the personality of someone with tms; I have health anxiety and stress easy and have worried my whole life. I saw Dr. Martinez a doctor who would be considered a tms doctor. He said he can't say for sure if my symptoms would be structural or tms. He did say over his years of experience though that he has seen it all. I just really want to get through my ulnar nerve entrapment. I still have my strength , I weight lift about 4 to 5 days a week, but I am afraid to play basketball or get back into martial arts because i'm afraid of bugging the nerve with punches and shooting. I have felt the nerve being bugged this way before. I have also had many other symptoms over the years, from headaches to burning, full body numbness, tmj, joint, etc. I also have a back of the neck numbness in the same spot and if I push on it the vertebra seems to click back and forth which freaks me out and I have a nerve on the top of my left foot that if I push on it gets numb. I am mainly concerned about the ulnar nerve though, because I have yet to hear of anyone with that issue and it being tms. It just feels so structural, if its pushed on or the movement like I said. It feels like someone tied a string in a knot around the nerve, it feels compressed and fatigue. Its more annoying and fatigue than painful. It is also all focused in the elbow area where the nerve is, I don't have much hand numbness unless I hit the funny bone hard. I really don't want to have to get surgery and have the nerve relocated. I have been told many things from different doctors, muscle compression, mylen sheath wear and tear, inflammation from bending the arm, etc. Most specialist say that noone really knows the true reason of the cause. Dr. Martinez also said it seems minor as well as other doctors it just drives me crazy and holds me back from doing certain activities.

Just looking for some feedback and maybe any similar success stories!

Thanks, Matt.
 
TMS physical symptoms always feel structural, that's the reason for their existence. If Dr. Martinez says it's minor, why are you so concerned about it?--although, that's the point of TMS, isn't it! What's going on in your emotional life???--that's necessitating your TMS symptoms. Are you familiar with the Rahe-Holmes list of life stressors? That's a good place to start to find the emotional situations that are causing your unconscious to create structural TMS symptoms for distractions.

You can find the Rahe-Holmes list of life stressors causing TMS by doing a "search" at this site. If it's TMS, then it will help you to discover the issues that are underlying your "structural" pain.
 
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I agree with Tom. TMS imitates structural stuff, and it feels structural. Everything you've read or learned or experienced in the past or had suggested to you about this nerve will be experienced, in all its "real symptoms" including responding to pressures. You have a good doctor contact. I would consult with him to make sure you're not overlooking anything serious (I guess you have already), and proceed with a TMS approach. "What other treatments am I seriously considering, and would it be OK to delay them for 6 months?" is a good question for yourself and your doc. Good luck in this approach. I was headed for nerve surgery, Tarsal Tunnel, and it was TMS. I am very happy to not have had surgery. Now I ski and backpack and do everything, after years on crutches.
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone and sorry it took a while to reply back. I just have trouble telling my mind that it actually could be tms. Especially because lately the ulnar nerve issue seems to be constant in the elbow area where it feels pinched, as well as neck numbness in the same location, where that vertebra clicks. I also notice my knees and shins feel more stiff and ache after a leg workout a couple days later. I have read the book unlearn your pain, I just have not started the program yet because I am afraid of being let down.
 
Schubiner's book worked for me! I needed more like 10 weeks to get through the 4 week program, but I got my life back.
 
Andy B said:
I agree with Tom. TMS imitates structural stuff, and it feels structural. Everything you've read or learned or experienced in the past or had suggested to you about this nerve will be experienced, in all its "real symptoms" including responding to pressures. You have a good doctor contact. I would consult with him to make sure you're not overlooking anything serious (I guess you have already), and proceed with a TMS approach. "What other treatments am I seriously considering, and would it be OK to delay them for 6 months?" is a good question for yourself and your doc. Good luck in this approach. I was headed for nerve surgery, Tarsal Tunnel, and it was TMS. I am very happy to not have had surgery. Now I ski and backpack and do everything, after years on crutches.
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With tarsal tunnel as tms, did you also have a spot where if you touched it sent nerve shooting to a location? If I touch where the nerve feels pinched at the elbow I do.
 
Tennis Tom said:
Yes, PROCRASTINATION is a TMS personality trait, along with PERFECTIONISM, GOODISM, et al.
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I have ALOT of tms personality traits, that I know for sure. I just don't understand why touching/applying pressure on my elbow in the spot bugs the nerve, same with resting my arm on a table or doing planks. That's really the only thing holding me back with the structural stuff.
 
TMs, in all its many forms, is such an effective distraction because it feels real. But the evidence suggests that a pinched nerve cannot cause pain, only numbness.
Pain occurs in the mind. So does healing.
 
Orion2012 said:
TMs, in all its many forms, is such an effective distraction because it feels real. But the evidence suggests that a pinched nerve cannot cause pain, only numbness.
Pain occurs in the mind. So does healing.
Click to expand...
Is numbness from a pinched nerve tms too? Or can it be, I know numbness is a big tms symptom in some of the books. Also just freaks me out, I have had it for 3 years now and get scared of it getting worse someday/nerve damage.
 
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Yes, numbness, tingling, burning, severe pain, all can be TMS. My sciatica was all of the above at different times.

Sounds like you are pretty preoccupied with worrying about and testing your symptoms. Typical TMS loop. Sarno method is all about convincing yourself you have nothing to fear.
 
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