Evidence sheet

I am on day 15 of the SEP. So far so good and all that!

For the most part I don't have a problem believing that my symptoms are TMS but since I have head pains (not migraines or headaches but pains - hard to describe but likely cervical in nature, diagnosed with occipital neuralgia but I have doubts on that too) rather than back or neck pain, I sometimes doubt the TMS diagnosis. Nothing has been found as wrong by doctors etc. Had MRIs and other tests. All come back fine. Some disc issues, but we all know these are incidental. Nothing ever gets with the pain except massage. Pain killers don't touch it. Chiropractic generally makes it worse etc etc. So I decided to make an evidence sheet. Here is my thought - massage is the only thing that helps - and it REALLY helps. I can go pain free for a couple weeks if I have the right type of massage (hard to find though). Since massage is known to help blood flow (and we know TMS is the result of blood not flowing to the correct places), would the fact that massage (and only massage) helps actually be evidence that this is TMS? Any thoughts? I think I'm doing well with the SEP overall but really think an evidence sheet would benefit me and I think this is either my biggest piece of evidence either pro or against TMS - I'm just not sure which.

 

No worries - I pretty much just found the answer on p49 of the MindBody Prescription!

 

Along with perhaps stimulating circulation to the few cells being deprived of oxygen, (for a while at least), the massage also may serve the purpose of "tracordification" as Steve Ozanich terms it, (and he may have coined the term). The 60-90 minutes of massage provides some balancing of the rage/soothe ratio, helping to keep the "RESERVOIR OF RAGE", Dr. Sarno's analogy for the origins of TMS, from overflowing, thus creating the TMS/psychosomatic symptom distractions. The human touch of the body-worker helps with the isolation many TMS'ers feel, (you can be isolated in a crowd of people too). Out of all the body-work modalities out there, I feel you get more bang for your buck, versus something like acupuncture where you just lie there with needles for company.

Here's a good past post from SteveO, don't know if it applies, but it's good anyway:

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/dean-ornish.927/

 

Thanks. That is very interesting and I think highly applicable. I am a stay at home mother who gave up a great career. I rarely get to talk to other adults and I value my time with my massage therapist because I get to chat about non mothering things. I feel like a real human being again, rather than just a mother. So really, taking all this into account, the positive effect of massage makes it even more likely that my pains are TMS. Excellent! Thank you.

 

Hi, JacketSpud. I haven't taken massages regularly but loved them when I got them.
When I was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, the day city editor said he spent his lunch hour every day getting a massage at a parlor nearby.
He said it relaxed him so he could get through the rest of the day.

It's also good that you get to talk to someone besides children. I'm sure being a stay at home mother has its stresses. It's pure TMS.

Feel free to share thoughts with us in the TMS community. We like to listen and give advice. Haha.

 

Hi Jacket,

Sounds like the evidence sheet is off to a good start! I would also encourage you to try one of the interventions from the Sarno books when you feel the head pain coming on. Either talking to your brain, thinking of something emotional that's bothering you or ignoring it. If you do one of these and you notice a shift in symptoms, it'll be one more thing to add to your list and a good sign that this is TMS since you'll not have done any manipulation of your head at all.

Best of luck to you,

Andrew

P.S. Here's a link to my own work where I discuss evidence lists amongst other things that may help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=JB3JSy81snU

 

Thank you Andrew. Twice now I have had throbbing in my head / occipital nerve which went away whilst I was journaling so I figured this was also evidence. Unfortunately the most dramatic of these was after a massage and a couple of aleve so less obvious - however, the massage had been approx four hours before I started my journaling for the evening l and the aleve was two hours before the journaling and I still had pain when I started journaling but absolutely zero after - so I still attribute that to the journaling.