Documenting Scrotum Pain / Pelvic Pain 6+ Months.

[balancedanswers]

Hi, though I am new to the forum I read the posts from user cirrusnarea from 2014 to 2017 and his symptoms were very similar to mine.

I wanted to put together a post that may help others with the same issues as I make progress on this. Here's my 1 page summary of how my condition happened and where I am now : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YoQZt_trauNX0i3PXW_oN6UrtWVbfiML5y13YN0m_aU/edit (1 page summary)

A few of my milestones:
1. Getting ultrasound on testicles and CT scan, showed no evidence of structural issues. Seeing Dr. Jeannette Potts, realized cystocopy is not necessary and can potentially be inflammatory

2. Being a fan of trigger points (it helped me back on 2010), I spoke to Dr Wise (author of headache in the pelvis) and found the PT that did his studies here in the bay area. We've made a lot of progress but I am now reaching a limit with TrP (trigger point) work

3. The same PT and another great PT, have since referred me to the work of Dr Sarno and the Curable app, and now I'm realizing that, given no physical evidence of structural issues, 5+ months of work on TrPs and the muscles, it may be time to focus on the psychological aspects of this.

Honestly, part of me still thinks there's a very mechanical aspect to this. I'm attributing 20-30% max to psychological. But, as I read the posts here and learn more about TMS, it's possible the pain routes that have been built in my brain for the last few months are perpetuating the remaining pain.

In other words, instead of fixing the programming code, we may need to change the code language itself.

 

[Andy Bayliss]

Hi balancedanswers,

Welcome to the Forum and Wiki.

I suggest you choose a program to do, daily such as the free Structured Education Program, Howard Schubiner's Unlearn Your Pain, etc.

it may be time to focus on the psychological aspects of this.

Honestly, part of me still thinks there's a very mechanical aspect to this. I'm attributing 20-30% max to psychological.

This is natural, and also this must change in time. It will change as you continue to educate yourself, and 100% confidence is difficult and not entirely necessary. Track changes in inner and outer conditions ---things that might trigger emotions, with symptom changes, and write them down. Over time you'll get more sure.

In this regard it is helpful that you've been sent "here" by your practitioners. Trouble is, you, like most folks have spent a lot of time treating yourself as if you had a physical disorder. It is very difficult to accept that our emotions and minds can create symptoms, especially since it is not generally accepted by those you've gotten treatment from, or society at large.

Reading success stories is great. Even if you can't find more with your specific symptoms. You can read your "condition" right into the page, substituting for what they "had." It is all the same, and really, do you think any of the folks with other symptoms could possibly believe at first that it was all mind-body?? You'll get there if you don't give up.

The AH-HA!'s happen in time, and it only takes a few to go very deep and turn the ship around.

Good luck in your work, and keep checking in.

Andy

 

[balancedanswers]

Thx Andy

 

[jamejamesjames1]

Hi!

This is timely as I have been going down the Headache in the Pelvis route (stretching, trigger points with PT) and doing mindbody work.

I will say, for me, it's maybe 80% mind and 20% body (or maybe 100%, it is hard to tell).

When I first went in my muscles were crazy painful and my PT did not believe in TMS. Over the next two months, once weekly sessions with her got to the point where she said "your muscles are feeling really good, and you should have pain at a 1 or 2 out of 10 max". I took six weeks off the physical, stopped stretching, stopped massaging, stopped doing deep breathing specificially to go down to the pelvis, started weight lifting, etc. After about a week I went three weeks with almost no pain (because of the symptom imperative!) and then I got a really bad flare again. My mind went to "well of course! I haven't been doing any of my trigger point work or stretching and I've been lifting. my poor muscles!". I went back into the PT for a six week followup and she said that my muscles are still really good, and should have "minor discomfort at most" and thought that "in your case, maybe you do have that TMS thing you were talking about".

So yes, it is very annoying because it feels physical, obviously is not, and I have been having issues getting it to go away.

 

[balancedanswers]

Hi jamejamesjames1

Yes, 10 years ago I was working at a big tech firm, I started getting RSI/carpel tunnel symptoms. I read Dr Sarnos book and tossed it away. I thought it was complete BS. To be honest even now when I read his books like The Divided Mind I find his writing style really boring and I lose attention. But, when I read Claire Davies Trigger Point Therapy workbook it alleviated the symptoms, for 10+ years whenever my arm hurts I use TrP therapy.

So you could say I'm biased towards TrP work.

When the scrotal pain happened I got a wand and went hard on intrapelvic muscles until I realized it's sensitive there and i was doing it too often, and hitting nerves instead of TrPs / muscles. Dr Potts made me realize this.

I just started reading mindbody material this week, but I cannot let go of the fact that there are no muscles/physical issues with tension.

I am sure that my psychological thinking of fear is making things worse, so the curable app, and going through Alan Gordon's material has been amazing and helpful - I see the pain reducing.

But, at this point I cannot let go of the idea that it's a balance - there was muscle damage/tension, and also my brain's thought process is not conducive to healing.

Lately, 2-3 PTs have told me my pelvic floor muscles and the related muscles QL, Abs, Adductor are all supple and so this got me thinking - are my brain's pain circuits using the old pain patterns now of fear, even though physically I have healed? Am I on the last part of my journey?

I don't know the answers. Yet.

 

[balancedanswers]

Had a minor insight today:

"Patients are motivated to do the work because they care about themselves, not just as a means to eliminating pain. Once clients learn to genuinely care for themselves and approach their recovery from a place of compassion, true healing can begin."

I've been doing the external and internal TrP work expecting an outcome, or for the pain to go away.

 

[balancedanswers]

I saw Tim Sawyer yesterday for a PT session. He's the PT in A Headache In A Pelvic (Dr Wise, Dr Anderson). He's the guy who told me to read Dr Sarno's book and also another PT told me about Curable app, that sent me along the work of Alan Gordon.

Tim is familiar with the mindbody connection and he's treated thousands of patients. He said not all of them make a full recovery but given my progress he thinks I will. We also talked about the idea that, yes there is a physical component to this, in the beginning it was clear I had dysfunction in my pelvic floor and abdominal areas. But, my mental frame made things worse over time. For example, I overtreated with the pelvic wand, and my "I'm not safe" fear circuits kicked in full gear. That made my perception of pain worse and over time it became harder to heal.

I think it is important to realize that the mindbody connection comes first in healing, but also, that concurrently there is a tenseness in the muscles that can alleviate pain / speed up healing when you're working on it with a healthy mindset. This way, you're healing the tissue heal with trigger point therapy and also, helping it heal with mindbody work by breaking the pain cycle.

Since 7 days ago when I learned about TMS / PPD I've experienced less pain and I was able to masturbate the first time 2 days ago without any serious pain afterward. It's been ~38 days I've been afraid to do it.