Chronic pain in all joints

Hello, I'm new to the forum. I read Dr. Sarno's book about 3 or 4 weeks ago and have come to believe that I certainly am suffering from TMS. I think my TMS is a little different from the typical cases. I occasionally have back (low and thoracic) and neck pain, but my chief complaint is a chronic ache in my elbows, hips, knees, feet/ankles, and now even my fingers. I'm 25 and this pain started about 9 years ago as the result of martial arts training. I have been to different doctors and have had all the blood tests done(RA, lymes, coeliac, etc) and all have been negative. The only thing I was diagnosed with was a torn labrum. I truly believe my pain to be the result of a mind-body disorder seeing as I have always suffered from anxiety.

Reading Sarno has not been enough to result in even a slight decrease in pain. I have recently tried the Sedona method to deal with emotions, but it seems overly simplistic. I would like to know if my symptoms even sound like TMS and what steps I can take to start dealing with it. The one thing I have done is try to increase physical activity, for example I went on a run but as a result have had the worst knee pain for a week after.

Thanks

 

Welcome, Xiaofei! So glad you found our little corner of the net.

You do indeed sound like classic TMS, having had anything structural or systemic ruled out.

A couple of things. First, you've only been at this 3-4 weeks. For some people (like myself!) it takes TIME to walk out a complete healing from TMS. Especially if there's a long period of time of having it. I'd say 9 years of aches and pains would put you in this category! The brain is reluctant to give up its ploys.

I strongly recommend getting Steve Ozanich's book, "The Great Pain Deception". I have found it to be more helpful in many ways. Perhaps because he too suffered from severe TMS and I could relate all too well to his story. (I've had TMS for over 20 years. Probably more like 35 if I look back farther.) It took Steve a few years before he was totally healed. And while TMS experts don't like to give a time frame for healing, it's understood that it could take a person 6 months to a few years to become totally pain free.

The other thing that Dr. Sarno recommends is that you do NO take up any exercise until your symptoms have decreased. To do so prematurely, will only bring on more pain, as you have found out.

Last….spend time on this site. There is a WEALTH of information and encouragement here. There are those who have completely healed and others, like myself, who are still in the process. We all get to learn from one another and encourage one another.

Don't be shy…any more questions, just ask!

 

Thank you for the kind response. I think you are right in that I have not allowed for enough time. Can't wait to get my hands on that book.

 

While overdoing exercise is no good thing when you have TMS, you must maintain some level of activity and cultivate fearlessness when you are active. Activity alone will not make TMS go away (remember how Sarno dismissed the physical therapists?), but it's necessary for your health, state of fitness, and self-confidence. In my first long encounter with TMS I huddled in the house for over a year, waiting for the pain to go away. It never really did, until I went out and got moving.

Get out, do what you can do at a reasonable level, and cultivate outcome independence. I will give you a quote from Steve O., which has become an inspiration for me: "Your pain may increase as you become more active. The increase is frightening and immediately depletes confidence in the TMS diagnosis. Over time, I began to appreciate the increases in pain because I knew it indicated that my brain was resisting the changes... I began to see victory as the pain intensified." I'm not quite as brave as that, but I'm trying.

 

xiaofei, you've gotten some really good advice from the others. I agree with them totally and hope you will continue
with normal daily activity and be patient in healing. Keep discovering the repressed emotions that are causing the pain.
They usually go back to our childhood. We may think those years were happy but there were anxieties and worries
that developed into anger inside you and Dr. Sarno says over time that builds up into rage, and that's what causes our pain.

Once you've discovered the repressed emotions, your unconscious mind will free you of the pain. Maybe not overnight,
since it often takes the uncon a while to "get it," but then one day it does and you're all well again.

Meanwhile, practice deep breathing, meditation, affirmations, and doing things you enjoy which take your mind off
the pain.

 

Thank you guys so much for the advice. Hopefully I'm on the right track. I remember sarno said 5-20% of people will require help from a therapist. I do you thinks it's really necessary and how do you know if you are one of them. Personally, I never liked going to a therapist and always felt it was a waste of a copay. I hope to avoid it, unless of course I can find someone I actually like and find helpful.