But how do I know if my pain is structural or TMS? I have findings on MRI, compression of the nerve. Does that mean its purely structural?
Too many studies to list here have found 'compression' i.e. Herniations in Majority groups of people with NO pain... according to the true scientific method, if there is an exception to a rule, you need a new rule.
ALL of us on this forum who are pain free all had 'real' diagnoses.
That is addressed in Healing Back Pain. Extensively. That is why becoming familiar with the literature is so important.
It is also REALLY important to subject the 'conventional diagnosis' to extreme scrutiny.....about a third of the book is dedicated to that.
The 'compressed nerve' story doesn't hold water. When I was under the belief that I was hurt by my 'herniation' I had pain, numbness, weakness, burning, spasms,etc. The only thing that tended to mitigate the pain was PT and Steroids injected directly on the spot (I had NINE epidurals BTW...3 courses of 3)
Sarno points out, compression of a nerve causes NUMBNESS... I fell asleep on a toilet once post surgery....I couldn't feel either leg or even move a muscle! I have fallen asleep in weird positions...when I wake up my arm, hand, face is NUMB not painful...certainly nothing like the horror of sciatica.
Sarno's theory of Ischemia makes way better sense...ischemia will make you numb, but also creates all sorts of other feelings...burning, cramping, spasms etc.
Upon reading the book over and over and comparing my experience with the medical world, I realized there were way too many things that their therapy and treatments didn't explain, or make good sense. I usually felt better after working out and doing therapy...If it was really a structural problem that would make NO sense at all??? BUT if the problem is localized blood/oxygen debt that makes perfect sense... why do PT's have people use ice/heat, electro-stim,etc? What is that gonna do to a structural problem? Nothing! BUT all of those things tend to simulate blood flow
But, the proof is always in the result. I was told I could never return to my job as a construction worker...I would have to be careful the rest of my life ....when I was 32! I am now 58... I just finished building a 400 foot fence. I had to hand dig 50 footers, cut out roots and run a jackhammer all day blasting granite... my 20something co-workers were like "This sucks!" (exhausting)
I was sore almost every night..and totally fine a couple hours after work. I am bragging not about my physical prowess, but about my lack of concern . The FEAR that the Medical world instills in people is totally negligent. 'compression' as you call it is NORMAL again process.
as Sarno said Virtually every person over the age of 20 begins to 'deteriorate'...I am now 5'8"... I used to be almost 5'10"..where did those inches go???? Oh, yeah.. I am shrinking. I am getting older! But I am not in pain, because I learned what causes pain, how to abort it before it even begins and what to do in case I get a little 'tickle' that starts to distract me...and I learned it all by reading Sarno, over and over until I understood what caused the pain and what didn't.
The Pain is real..in fact, it is the worst thing I ever remember and i have had quite a few 'real' accidents...but TMS/chronic pain is there for a reason. When you stop thinking about structural things and turn your mind to psychological things, the symptoms are no longer doing their job and they go away. If it sounds simplistic, It IS! But it takes a concerted mental effort and some self searching.
