Hi Folks,
My name is Sarah, 38, British female. I discovered TMS last night, through the invariable Googling that I'm sure we've all done as we try to navigate our way to an answer to our problems. And here's mine...
Almost a year ago, I was out walking one day (I worked as a dog-walker at the time), when I had a very sharp pain in my right foot. I made it home and the pain got worse. I went to A&E, where it was x-rayed; nothing was found, but a physio said it looked like tendonitis and gave me the typical RICE advice. I did this, but it didn't really abate. A month later, I approached a physiotherapist and he started working with it, so it got taped and massaged and manipulated. I was also given stretches. But it still didn't go. Pushing into July now, I had laser therapy on it; 20 sessions at £20 a pop. A few improvements, but nothing conclusive. More and different pains started appearing, albeit all localised in the foot and ankle. I went to see another physio, I would wrap my foot in turmeric and clingfilm, I would sit with my feet in Epsom salts. I saw two separate podiatrists who both looked uncomfortable when they said that they didn't know what it was. I became vigilant, depressed, irritable. Eventually, after another x-ray which showed nothing, they sent me for an ultrasound. And this also showed nothing. Shocked, I said, 'but it's hurting now!' 'Where?' said the doctor, and placed the device on the bit I pointed to. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Eventually, I pushed to be referred on and went to a regional orthopaedic service. The podiatrist got me to walk up and down, stand on one leg, did a quick physical exam and said, 'I know what this is!' She then sat down and wrote a list of ten different things which she'd found. In no specific order -
1 - Achilles tendonitis
2 - Posterior tibial tendonitis
3 - 4mm leg length discrepancy
4 - Functional hallux limitus (big toe jarring)
5 - Metatarsalgia
6 - Tarsal tunnel syndrome
7 - Sinus tarsi syndrome
8 - Tight gastrocnemius
9 - Tight soleus
10 - plantar fasciitis
I felt thrilled, joyous - diagnosed! I was prescribed two bog-standard calf streches, some heel raises, some heel drops and orthotics for the hallux limitus. But two months on, and nothing really shifted. I would exercise as recommended assiduously. I would ice it. I would stretch it. I went back recently, in tears. She flexed my foot and checked my calf. 'No, it hasn't released yet; your muscles are so tight.' And sent me away again to carry on doing the same stuff. The pain moves around; I can get a cold water feeling in my toes, tingling in my foot, arch pain - and sometimes I can walk for an hour and it's fine or I could be lying down, resting, and the pain kicks in.
I then went away for a week, to Cape Verde. And in the sunshine, I found that I could do the following things
1 - jump off a sand-dune
2 - swim
3 - walk along a beach for forty minutes in my bare feet
4 - pad around the side of the pool to go to the all-inclusive bar
And pretty much, nothing hurt. Okay, a few twinges, but a massive improvement. We flew home a week later and almost immediately, it all started up again. And so I searched the internet and so I found this group last night. All of Dr John's books have been ordered. And when I did the questionnaire, I scored 8 out of a possible 10, and also the accessory questions, particularly the one about going away, all rang true, too.
It makes sense to me that this is more TMS than anything else. I became a dog-walker after leaving my last job after my father died and my world collapsed. I didn't have a day off last year due to a client falling ill and needing their dogs to stay with me for months on end. I sub-contracted my work out to a fellow walker who picked up the slack, so the dogs had what they needed, but they would come back into my home, and I'd feel angry. I bought a great new sofa and one of them lay on it. It's velvet and is now ruined. They barked and made my house filthy. And I couldn't enjoy them at their best, and had to stew at home, awaiting their return and fearing their natural tendencies to make my home their home and all that involved. I would have to get up when they did. They ate before I did. I could feel resentment building all the time, plus a guilt on my part that I couldn't provide them with what I wanted to provide them with. So, all sorts of things going on.
The only other treatment I'm indulging myself with now is trigger point massage, which has helped. I also had a few horrendous emotional days, which ties in - to a degree - with the premise of TMS and having to feel some emotions. Everything that he writes - being vigilant about your issue, being fearful of being physical, dedicating large swathes of time to researching your condition, it all rings so true.
If anything I've written rings bells, or prompts thoughts, then I would be really grateful to discuss it a bit more. I've never read or stumbled across anything which has resonated like TMS has so am ready to plunge in and learn and apply all that I can.
Thanks ever so much for reading
Sarah
My name is Sarah, 38, British female. I discovered TMS last night, through the invariable Googling that I'm sure we've all done as we try to navigate our way to an answer to our problems. And here's mine...
Almost a year ago, I was out walking one day (I worked as a dog-walker at the time), when I had a very sharp pain in my right foot. I made it home and the pain got worse. I went to A&E, where it was x-rayed; nothing was found, but a physio said it looked like tendonitis and gave me the typical RICE advice. I did this, but it didn't really abate. A month later, I approached a physiotherapist and he started working with it, so it got taped and massaged and manipulated. I was also given stretches. But it still didn't go. Pushing into July now, I had laser therapy on it; 20 sessions at £20 a pop. A few improvements, but nothing conclusive. More and different pains started appearing, albeit all localised in the foot and ankle. I went to see another physio, I would wrap my foot in turmeric and clingfilm, I would sit with my feet in Epsom salts. I saw two separate podiatrists who both looked uncomfortable when they said that they didn't know what it was. I became vigilant, depressed, irritable. Eventually, after another x-ray which showed nothing, they sent me for an ultrasound. And this also showed nothing. Shocked, I said, 'but it's hurting now!' 'Where?' said the doctor, and placed the device on the bit I pointed to. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Eventually, I pushed to be referred on and went to a regional orthopaedic service. The podiatrist got me to walk up and down, stand on one leg, did a quick physical exam and said, 'I know what this is!' She then sat down and wrote a list of ten different things which she'd found. In no specific order -
1 - Achilles tendonitis
2 - Posterior tibial tendonitis
3 - 4mm leg length discrepancy
4 - Functional hallux limitus (big toe jarring)
5 - Metatarsalgia
6 - Tarsal tunnel syndrome
7 - Sinus tarsi syndrome
8 - Tight gastrocnemius
9 - Tight soleus
10 - plantar fasciitis
I felt thrilled, joyous - diagnosed! I was prescribed two bog-standard calf streches, some heel raises, some heel drops and orthotics for the hallux limitus. But two months on, and nothing really shifted. I would exercise as recommended assiduously. I would ice it. I would stretch it. I went back recently, in tears. She flexed my foot and checked my calf. 'No, it hasn't released yet; your muscles are so tight.' And sent me away again to carry on doing the same stuff. The pain moves around; I can get a cold water feeling in my toes, tingling in my foot, arch pain - and sometimes I can walk for an hour and it's fine or I could be lying down, resting, and the pain kicks in.
I then went away for a week, to Cape Verde. And in the sunshine, I found that I could do the following things
1 - jump off a sand-dune
2 - swim
3 - walk along a beach for forty minutes in my bare feet
4 - pad around the side of the pool to go to the all-inclusive bar
And pretty much, nothing hurt. Okay, a few twinges, but a massive improvement. We flew home a week later and almost immediately, it all started up again. And so I searched the internet and so I found this group last night. All of Dr John's books have been ordered. And when I did the questionnaire, I scored 8 out of a possible 10, and also the accessory questions, particularly the one about going away, all rang true, too.
It makes sense to me that this is more TMS than anything else. I became a dog-walker after leaving my last job after my father died and my world collapsed. I didn't have a day off last year due to a client falling ill and needing their dogs to stay with me for months on end. I sub-contracted my work out to a fellow walker who picked up the slack, so the dogs had what they needed, but they would come back into my home, and I'd feel angry. I bought a great new sofa and one of them lay on it. It's velvet and is now ruined. They barked and made my house filthy. And I couldn't enjoy them at their best, and had to stew at home, awaiting their return and fearing their natural tendencies to make my home their home and all that involved. I would have to get up when they did. They ate before I did. I could feel resentment building all the time, plus a guilt on my part that I couldn't provide them with what I wanted to provide them with. So, all sorts of things going on.
The only other treatment I'm indulging myself with now is trigger point massage, which has helped. I also had a few horrendous emotional days, which ties in - to a degree - with the premise of TMS and having to feel some emotions. Everything that he writes - being vigilant about your issue, being fearful of being physical, dedicating large swathes of time to researching your condition, it all rings so true.
If anything I've written rings bells, or prompts thoughts, then I would be really grateful to discuss it a bit more. I've never read or stumbled across anything which has resonated like TMS has so am ready to plunge in and learn and apply all that I can.
Thanks ever so much for reading
Sarah
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