Day 1: But Not Really...

Glad to have found this site. I read Sarno's "Healing Back Pain" about 10 years ago on the recommendation of a cyclist friend who'd narrowly avoided back surgery after discovering it. I was in a very stressful job at the time that required a high degree of perfectionism, and I'd started developing chronic lower back pain. Doctors gave varying diagnoses, chiropractors and acupuncturists proved useless, etc... one read of Sarno's book and a few weeks of reviewing the daily reminders cured me completely of lower back pain.

Over the ensuing years, whenever I felt my back pain start to flare up, I'd pick up my copy of HBP and review the reminders. It always stopped the pain in its tracks.

Then, about 4-5 years ago, I started to develop chronic pain in my right shoulder. Also, the right side of my neck felt like it had a permanent crick in it. The pain wasn't very intense - in fact, I'd describe it more as discomfort than pain - but it was constant. I mostly ignored it, but it gradually worsened and became a source of frustration in my life. I found myself constantly, obsessively twisting my neck and rolling my shoulder, almost like a nervous tic. After seeing several doctors, I finally had a shoulder MRI that showed a significant labral tear. A year ago, I had a shoulder surgery to repair the tear. This resulted in most of the shoulder issues clearing up, but my neck issues have since worsened.

Despite my previous experiences with chronic back pain, I didn't recognize TMS as the cause of this second round of pain until the last few months. My recollection of Sarno's book was that it applied only to lower back pain, which I now realize is inaccurate. I think what I'm dealing with is my pain sneakily "moving around" to escape my initial understanding of the boundaries of TMS. It seems to be moving higher and higher as I try to address the psychological loop that's causing the pain. I now get regular pain in the right side of my jaw (which I fractured a few years back).

Reading the book and re-reading the daily reminders, this time around, has helped, but not as dramatically as it did 10 years ago. I believe I need to investigate the emotional source of the pain more deeply to be rid of it once and for all, and that this will take a sustained effort. I'm optimistic that this program will provide the framework I need to follow through with shaking this stubborn pain for good.

 

I had a very similar experience to you. Read the Sarno books years ago and thought I had the back pain licked. Then I had an episode of acid reflux that inflamed my vocal cords so badly I had to take a month off from work (I am retired now, but was a school music teacher). It was not until I was nearly at the end of that month that I realized it was really TMS. I was so angry when I figured it out. Then recently I started having tendonitis and this has been the hardest one of all to fight. I knew right away that it was TMS but simply reading the books did not help. I stumbled on this site and decided to work through the SEP. I am surprised at my reactions to the journalling and meditation and feel really hopeful. I agree it will take a sustained effort this time. There is a lot of support here which is great.

 

Hi. Hamilton333.

Because you healed before through believing in TMS, I'm confident you will heal again.
It's good to start the SEP which wasn't available ten years ago. It has helped me and many others to discover the emotional causes of our pain, mine having been back pain. Journaling was very helpful in discovering them.

The fact that your pain is moving around means it is from TMS.

Keep positive and follow the SEP steps and you will be free of pain.