MSZ812
Well known member
After posting yesterday for the first time on this forum, the Structured Educational Program was recommended to me. I am actually excited to do this. Reading the book "The Mind-Body Prescription" over the past month was very helpful in introducing TMS to me. I would say that my level of acceptance of the TMS diagnosis is pretty high.
Unlike many of you who were told that they had some type of structural abnormality that was causing them pain, I have seen 4 doctors in the past 15 months (that's how long I've been dealing with right trapezius pain) who each suggested a different cause for my pain. One said that the pain was from overuse. The second doctor had no idea but ordered an x-ray (which came back clean) and thought that the pain wouldn't last much longer than a few days. The third doctor didn't believe me when I told him I didn't remember injuring it. He suggested seeing a chiropractor and reluctantly signed off for a MRI when I requested it (that came back clean as well.) The last doctor said that he felt a "knot" in my trapezius and told me to think about what activities I do daily that might be causing me pain. No concrete answers, just speculation.
I feel like in my mind, I have accepted the TMS diagnosis. It makes sense to me. I've been telling people that my pain didn't come from an injury over the last 15 months. When I'm experiencing a lot of pain, however, I begin to doubt that the root cause is psychological. When the pain is at its worst, I can't lift my arm above my head. In those moments, I can't think of anything else but the pain. One of my fears is that my pain will one day reach a point where I can't work anymore. I fear that pain will rob me of the joys of life. It has already made me miss out on things I've wanted to do over the past year and three months. I want to return to those pre-TMS days where pain and the fear of it wasn't even on my radar.
-Matt
Unlike many of you who were told that they had some type of structural abnormality that was causing them pain, I have seen 4 doctors in the past 15 months (that's how long I've been dealing with right trapezius pain) who each suggested a different cause for my pain. One said that the pain was from overuse. The second doctor had no idea but ordered an x-ray (which came back clean) and thought that the pain wouldn't last much longer than a few days. The third doctor didn't believe me when I told him I didn't remember injuring it. He suggested seeing a chiropractor and reluctantly signed off for a MRI when I requested it (that came back clean as well.) The last doctor said that he felt a "knot" in my trapezius and told me to think about what activities I do daily that might be causing me pain. No concrete answers, just speculation.
I feel like in my mind, I have accepted the TMS diagnosis. It makes sense to me. I've been telling people that my pain didn't come from an injury over the last 15 months. When I'm experiencing a lot of pain, however, I begin to doubt that the root cause is psychological. When the pain is at its worst, I can't lift my arm above my head. In those moments, I can't think of anything else but the pain. One of my fears is that my pain will one day reach a point where I can't work anymore. I fear that pain will rob me of the joys of life. It has already made me miss out on things I've wanted to do over the past year and three months. I want to return to those pre-TMS days where pain and the fear of it wasn't even on my radar.
-Matt
