Chiropractic Adjustment & TMS

[BruceMC]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this chiropractic patient's 4 disk bulges/herniations don't seem to bother him as much as the tension in his muscles and tendons that are creating his posture and pain problems. You'll notice that the standard leg raise test doesn't seem to make him hurt:

Seems to me is that he has internalized a bunch of tension in his muscles due to TMS. Now, the chiropractic adjustments return his posture to a more normal configuration. The laying on of hands, the warm, joking bedside manner and the air of confidence on the part of the chiropractor himself must elicit the placebo response on the part of the patient. What I don't see here is a follow up to show if the patient returns to his old painful posture a few days after these adjustments. Tennis Tom may have it right when he asserts that a good massage would do just as much as acupuncture or chiropractic sessions.

IMHO, the patient is suffering from stress induced TMS symptoms. See what you think!

Wonder what percentage of people who sleep on their sides DON'T have LBP? Is sleeping on your side a blanket catch all that chiros blame their patients' pain on?

 

[BruceMC]

And does anyone notice that 16 year old Abby is an extremely competitive softball player who besides being wicked cute is putting a great deal of pressure on herself as a shortstop?

Not to say that the chiropractor's adjustments don't provide some temporary relief, but most of her aches and pains seem to be the result of her softball playing. Just look at her BP: 60/90! Nothing too physically wrong with this young lady.

 

[BruceMC]

Notice how at the very beginning of this video, how the chiro mentions that the young lady's sacroiliac pain, which has been recurring since 2016, came back shortly after the Houston floods. TMS knowledge would suggest that the floods were a life stress event that triggered this particular recurrence and send her running back to the chiro for an adjustment:

You'll notice that this particular patient is not only Miss Houston, but Miss Texas as well. This chiro is a lucky dog no doubt!

If you look at the whole series of chiropractic adjustments on YouTube you'll notice all kinds of other little hints about the true causes of these patients' pain symptoms I think. Take a look at the series and see what you think?

 

[andy64tms]

Hi Bruce,

The amount dollars that TT has spent on chiropractors, acupuncturist, masseurs and many other “off the wall specialists” is amazing, he could have brought a new Ferrari. I wonder if he harbors any anger because of this. I am interested in the psychology that makes each of us very different from each other in our views. Chiros are convincing, nice people, I went one time, he was my neighbor and immediately started talking about regular adjustments and setting up an account. Where is TT lately, I wonder what car he's driving?

Last August I had hands on PT treatment however, that really helped my neck, basically stretching the muscle further than ever before. I do Yoga and considered this stretch way pass my max. This was my first ever having PT hands touch my body. The visit also had the effect of eliminating the fear associated that something was seriously wrong. Mindbody PT helped at the time.

A windsurfing professional that I know had his body destroyed going to a chiro. His lung became disabled and in error he got treated for lung cancer. After the max dose of chemo he couldn’t walk three feet. SteveO’s faulty medicine no less. He couldn’t prove anything, but a new doctor asked him suspiciously: “Have you been to a chiropractor lately?’ He had.

BP 60/90, are you sure? 90/60 is considered the lowest.

 

[BruceMC]

BP 60/90, are you sure? 90/60 is considered the lowest.

Listen to the chiro in the video. He may have had it backwards.

I think a chiro adjustment or a PT session might "teach" your mind-body about a greater potential range of motion, which is good as far as TMS healing is concerned. But that doesn't really correct the underlying problem of muscle tension generated by the stress response in the brain. Hence, more and more PT and chiro sessions that cost more and more money when what you really gotta do buddy is "chill out"!

What about all that advice the chiro gives about not sleeping on your side or sleeping on your back with your knees bent and raised up with a pillow? Do you think early homo sapiens slept that way? Seems like advice like that instills in the back pain patient the false belief that there's something physically or structurally wrong with him, thus intensifying and perpetuating the pain syndrome.

 

[Neil]

I had tried Gonstead chiro regarded as the mother of all chiros. It gave me 50% pain relief which lasted for 3 months & a bubblebutt which lasted for 6 months which i enjoyed more than the pain relief.

 

[Idearealist]

I think going to a chiropractor is counterproductive.

 

[TG957]

Bruce, thank you for the great post! I used to have full faith in chiropractors - until I learned about TMS and gained some substantial understanding of my body through practicing yoga and Qi gong.

I still have my full respect for the chiropractor who saved me from a very painful Morton's neuroma - but that was when I did not know any better and 7 years before I learned about TMS. She pointed out, rightfully so, that the problem with my foot was due to the problem with my gait and imbalance in my skeleton and muscles. What she could not point out (as she was not aware of TMS), was a reason for my muscles to stubbornly go back into misalignment within few days of her adjustment.

I know now that maniestations of TMS for me include not only pain, but also stiffness and spasms in my muscles throughout the body. Yes, chiropractors provide temporary relief as they help to stretch and release the muscles, but they do not address the root cause. Mainstream medicine and chiropractic with it confuse the cause and effect. The cause is that brain sends a stress signal to the muscles causing them to contract, which results in joints being misaligned and subsequently causing doctors to conclude that the problem is in the misaligned spine. I used to go to a chiropractor monthly. Since I recovered from a very scary outbreak of TMS, I have not been to one, it has been almost 5 years and I am doing OK.

I would not exclude going to a chiropractor for a temporary relief if I am in severe pain due to the flair up of TMS, but I would never see it as an endgame. It is no more than supportive temporary procedure that makes you feel better but does not solve your fundamental problems. But as far as supporting my body in shape, I prefer yoga as an excellent exercise routine and at the same time a powerful meditation and mindfulness practice. Needless to say, it is much cheaper than chiropractic adjustments.

 

[Matt Moore]

I was also skeptical about seeing a chiropractor. I went in to try it and my back pain felt better almost immediately. Now, I'm a full believer. I saw Dr. Tim at infinity wellness center btw.

 

[Gojab]

I have mixed feelings about my Chiropractor. I am going to end the sessions next week, I should have done it yesterday but due to my "Goodism" I feel bad about firing people. I am indebted to the Chiropractor because she gave me an honest assessment about my body. She said that structurally I looked really good for a 59 year old male who has participated in sports my whole life. That's what drove me to re-read Sarno and double down on TMS belief. Where the Chiro though loses my trust is that even with her comment that I look good, her next comment is "we are going to have to spend a lot of time together to fix you alignment issues, that have been there for a long time, probably due to some long ago accident. Bear with me and we'll have you straightened out". I never had "alignment" issues before my back, and hips, and SI Joint, and butt, started hurting 2 years ago. It seems like a made up diagnosis. And Sarno calls it out. There is no reason why a misalignment, or even scoliosis, should cause pain. And certainly not pain that moves around. So, I need to fire the Chiropractor. Believe me when I share that it take courage to do this, and also to throw away my Magnesium spray, Fish Oil Pills, and Turmeric pills. Oh, and I'm changing the name of my core exercise program from "back exercises" to "pilates" on my Seconds App. It's liberating, so say the least. But, yes, scary.

 

[TG957]

I have mixed feelings about my Chiropractor. I am going to end the sessions next week, I should have done it yesterday but due to my "Goodism" I feel bad about firing people. I am indebted to the Chiropractor because she gave me an honest assessment about my body. She said that structurally I looked really good for a 59 year old male who has participated in sports my whole life. That's what drove me to re-read Sarno and double down on TMS belief. Where the Chiro though loses my trust is that even with her comment that I look good, her next comment is "we are going to have to spend a lot of time together to fix you alignment issues, that have been there for a long time, probably due to some long ago accident. Bear with me and we'll have you straightened out". I never had "alignment" issues before my back, and hips, and SI Joint, and butt, started hurting 2 years ago. It seems like a made up diagnosis. And Sarno calls it out. There is no reason why a misalignment, or even scoliosis, should cause pain. And certainly not pain that moves around. So, I need to fire the Chiropractor. Believe me when I share that it take courage to do this, and also to throw away my Magnesium spray, Fish Oil Pills, and Turmeric pills. Oh, and I'm changing the name of my core exercise program from "back exercises" to "pilates" on my Seconds App. It's liberating, so say the least. But, yes, scary.

You don't have to quit everything cold turkey - unless you are a personality type that likes pulling the band-aid fast :=). Turmeric and fish oil are good for you. As long as you don't view them as a treatment for your pain, you can continue taking them as immune system boosters. Changing your exercise program name is a great idea. You still need exercise, as long as you view it as a general body strengthening routine, but not a way to fix a specific pain in your body. I would go even farther: don't "fire" your chiropractor, save her phone number in case you actually pull a muscle and need a good massage!

A lot of the change you need is not about changing your environment, it is about mental adjustment. You are shifting your attitude and that alone should help a lot!

 

[mugwump]

It is a mental attitude that sees the good and the accomplishments in your life, rather than the negative and the failures.

 

[Gojab]

You don't have to quit everything cold turkey - unless you are a personality type that likes pulling the band-aid fast :=). Turmeric and fish oil are good for you. As long as you don't view them as a treatment for your pain, you can continue taking them as immune system boosters. Changing your exercise program name is a great idea. You still need exercise, as long as you view it as a general body strengthening routine, but not a way to fix a specific pain in your body. I would go even farther: don't "fire" your chiropractor, save her phone number in case you actually pull a muscle and need a good massage!

A lot of the change you need is not about changing your environment, it is about mental adjustment. You are shifting your attitude and that alone should help a lot!

Great advice. Thanks. I guess I am the "rip the band aid off" type of guy, I also don't like spending gozillions on all this stuff. It is difficult for me to view these crutches as for "health" since I bought/adopted all them in anxious time to fix my back. I think I will be better to rid everything I bought during my anxious period, then rethink what my body needs for health. But I love the reframing.

 

[TG957]

Great advice. Thanks. I guess I am the "rip the band aid off" type of guy, I also don't like spending gozillions on all this stuff. It is difficult for me to view these crutches as for "health" since I bought/adopted all them in anxious time to fix my back. I think I will be better to rid everything I bought during my anxious period, then rethink what my body needs for health. But I love the reframing.

I can relate to that. At the peak of my misery, I was taking couple hundred dollars (weekly!!!) worth of "the cleanest, most organic" Chinese herbs from my acupuncturist, about 6 or 7 of them, each on it's own schedule. My estimate is that the total herbs bill was at least $2k. What a relief it was to stop taking all of that!

 

[saturn_nights]

It was a really interesting experience going to a chiropractor after 2 years of applying TMS. The only reason I even went in the first place is because this person also tests for allergies and for some reason, they wanted to do a checkup to rule any "structural issues out".

I found myself feeling no conscious pain or tension at the start of the session. But immediately, they started identifying points of tension/discomfort that hadn't affected me at all recently. Of course I didn't feel tension in those areas post-session. But that doesn't address any underlying issues for me. I know that no massage or chiropractice has maintained its effects after a couple of days. And besides, I felt TMS in a couple of areas of my body after the session anyway.

Unfortunately the chiropractor doesn't actually test for allergies on its own. It's just a part of their process alongside their adjustments. So I won't be going back there again. I'm gonna have to look elsewhere to explore that area of TMS.

 

[Tmswarrior32]

Bruce, thank you for the great post! I used to have full faith in chiropractors - until I learned about TMS and gained some substantial understanding of my body through practicing yoga and Qi gong.

I still have my full respect for the chiropractor who saved me from a very painful Morton's neuroma - but that was when I did not know any better and 7 years before I learned about TMS. She pointed out, rightfully so, that the problem with my foot was due to the problem with my gait and imbalance in my skeleton and muscles. What she could not point out (as she was not aware of TMS), was a reason for my muscles to stubbornly go back into misalignment within few days of her adjustment.

I know now that maniestations of TMS for me include not only pain, but also stiffness and spasms in my muscles throughout the body. Yes, chiropractors provide temporary relief as they help to stretch and release the muscles, but they do not address the root cause. Mainstream medicine and chiropractic with it confuse the cause and effect. The cause is that brain sends a stress signal to the muscles causing them to contract, which results in joints being misaligned and subsequently causing doctors to conclude that the problem is in the misaligned spine. I used to go to a chiropractor monthly. Since I recovered from a very scary outbreak of TMS, I have not been to one, it has been almost 5 years and I am doing OK.

I would not exclude going to a chiropractor for a temporary relief if I am in severe pain due to the flair up of TMS, but I would never see it as an endgame. It is no more than supportive temporary procedure that makes you feel better but does not solve your fundamental problems. But as far as supporting my body in shape, I prefer yoga as an excellent exercise routine and at the same time a powerful meditation and mindfulness practice. Needless to say, it is much cheaper than chiropractic adjustments.

Sonarenyoubsaying morton neuroma is TMS? I ask because I too have tense muscles and I first had plantar fasciitis due to anterior pelvic tilt and basically body misalignment. I have now developed Morton’s neuroma after walking in nyc with heeled boots and I can feel the nerve moving in my foot and my 4th toe clicking. It has been hard for me to believe this is TMS due to it being so physical and it is still in the acute phase it’s only been an onset for two weeks. I’ve had a hard time finding TMS stories for Morton neuroma so it would be great to hear back from you please