Forearm Pain Taking Over My Life... TMS?

Location: Right and left forearm.

I have severe forearm pain in both of my arms. The pain starts just past my elbow and runs about halfway down my forearm. I will occasionally have a cramping or sharp pain in my hand or fingers but it usually doesn't last more than a couple days. The best way to explain my forearm pain is when it’s at it's less painful state it’s a dull or aching pain. When it's at its most painful stage it is a throbbing, intense pain but I would not explain it as a sharp pain.

The pain is constant. 24 hours a day and is usually more of an intense pain. I regularly have trouble sleeping due to the fact that I cannot get comfortable and I usually wake up around 3-4 AM. I have trouble sleeping approximately 4 out of 7 days a week. The pain is always there though. The pain level is not constant. One day the pain level could be a 3 (On a pain scale 1-10, 1 being hardly any pain and 10 being unbearable) , for example, and the next day, with no change in my daily routine, my forearms could be experiencing a pain level of 8. There is no way to judge how much pain I will be in tomorrow or the next day. My forearm pain first started about 3 years ago. I consistently played video games several hours a day. For the first year of pain I continued to play video games but not as frequently. At that point, the pain was not 24/7 but it was on and off. The pain worsened and the past 2 years I have discontinued video games all together but the pain failed to stop. I also went tubing in Florida 3 years ago and the day after I couldn't even open a sliding door. So I am not sure if I solely injured myself from tubing or if that was just the icing on the cake...

Presently, the pain is almost unbearable and school has forced me to continue writing (which strongly aggravates my forearms). Writing is horrific and I dread doing it every single day. I played golf and basketball 2 years ago and I played both sports until March of 2016 when basketball ended. But there has been no indication of an increase of pain during or after these activities. During golf season I practiced 5 days a week for 3 hours approximately. Basketball is more physically straining. I practice 2-3 hours 6 out of 7 days a week and we lifted weights twice a week. Activities that increase the pain include: writing, video games, typing, texting, driving, or any other delicate, detailed movements. Unfortunately, the pain fails stop when I rest it. For example, writing increases the pain and when I stop writing the pain decreases but doesn't stop.

I took ibuprofen 3 times a day, everyday as well as Gabapentin, 600 MG, three times a day about 2 months ago. My physician has also prescribed me Nabumetone in the past but to no effect. I have not noticed any decrease in pain due to these medications. I have gone through several months of physical and occupational therapy without any luck. My doctor has had me do an MRI of my neck and X-RAY with no noticeable problems. I also had an EMG. The doctor noticed that my nerve response to some shocks were a little slower than anticipated for my age but he didnt seem too concerned with that. Unfortunately, we still haven't found any solutions. I stopped taking medicine since it had no affect.

So here is another catch… I bought an Armaid (http://www.armaid.com/page/853-3029/armaidhome (Revolutionary tool to fix RSI, forearm pain, tendonitis & tennis elbow) ) for self-message purposes about 3 months ago. I have seen no decrease in pain… I don't know how long it would take for me to see progress and since it hasn't decreased my pain level yet I am not sure if I should continue doing it or stop. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about self massage and when should I start seeing results if I continue to do this on a regular basis?

I also stretch everyday and I am working on my posture every day as well. I do about a half hour of stretching every morning that focuses on my arms and my posture. While I have seen that good posture helps maybe a little I haven't seen any real progress. Sitting around “resting” my arms do not help at all.

I have read Pete Egoscue’s pain free and I have also read Sharon Butler’s conquering carpal tunnel and other repetitive strain injuries. And of course I have read Sarno's The Mindbody Prescription.

My final and desperate move is to accept the TMS concept and see if it helps. I dont know how to force myself to accept the diagnosis and I need help. Thank you.

 

I'm so sorry for your pain, Stubbins. Those of us here on this wiki can all relate.
When you read Sarno's book, did it resonate with you? I first read Healing Back Pain, and literally saw myself on every page, but it's not uncommon to have doubts about TMS, especially at first.
Since you've ruled out a purely physical cause, what harm is there in proceeding as if it's TMS? Start the SEP (Structurd Education Program) on this wiki. You'll encounter success stories, various TMS authors and techniques, and perhaps discover what works for you.
Blessings on your journey.

 

Yeah various parts of his book did relate to me especially the perfectionist aspect of it and how he explained the pain. I have just had this for so long I am desperate but at the same time it is very difficult for me to accept that this is been psychological. In yes, I will start the structured education program on this wiki and see how this helps me. Should I try to see a TMS doctor or a psychologist? My parents have spent a lot of money on doctors appointments etc. and I just feel like they would not want me to go see a doctor or psychologist. So I'm unsure what I should do. Thank you for your support Gigi.

 

I've had this, though not as severe as yours, and reading The Great pain Deception by Steve Ozanich helped me accept it as TMS. Even more so than Dr. Sarnos books. It does flare in times of tension but is TONS better. Try paying attention to what is going on in your mind when it hurts the most. Are you worried, angry, stressed or guilty or anxious? Think emotionally and see if you can make a connection. That's a good place to start to help prove to you it's Tms. None of the things you mentioned doing in your past would cause enough injury to cause you pain like this. If it had injured you, you'd be healed by now.

Edited to add: if you did seek a psychologist, be sure to seek one trained in TMS therapy. You might have to skype to find one of those. I REALLY recommend Steve's book

 

Thank you so much for your input. So you have had the forearm pain? And I am ordering Steve's book now. Thank you.

 

Yes, I've had it. It's funny, sometimes when I am dealing with a immediate source of tension it comes on immediately, but I know what it is, so that makes a huge difference in feeling better.

 

Some people find it really helpful to get the diagnosis from a TMS doctor, because it gives them official confirmation of the diagnosis. Others find they don't need that and proceed with the program just knowing that they have TMS. It comes down to what you feel would be most helpful for YOU.

 

Arm aid looks like a gimmick to me. Another product preying on those in pain. I did like the voice of the dude in the video. Very calming. Almost sold me on the product until the girl showed how to use it. Silly contraption!

 

All pain that is because of structural changes or inflammation gets better with rest. If you have rested it and it has not gotten better, coupled with your normal tests, there is only one conclusion. You have tms! Just remember what tms means is that the pain is in your brain rather than your arm. It is not a far out diagnosis. It is really logical actually. When you know the physiology of how pain is produced, tms is a very logical diagnosis. All pain signals are produced by your brain. Your brain can turn it off or turn it on. It does this based on things such as your emotional state, feelings about yourself, any history of previous injuries, bad memories from your past, your geographical location in the world, who is around you at the time etc. It is extremely complex what the brain analyses to decide whether to turn the pain on or off. What is not complex is what is happening to you. Your brain has turned the pain on. We know that. Your arm is not producing the pain signal, your brain is. Therefore you have tms.

Tms is very treatable once you convince yourself that you have it. Once you truly believe it, it begins to fade away. My best advice to you is to figure out times when your pain doesn't make sense and write these down. There might be times when you were drunk at a wedding dancing and throwing your arms around and felt great during the night and woke up the next day feeling no worse. Another example might be your pain might only occur doing certain activities and other ones it feels ok. Or perhaps when you have been on vacation or with friends your pain gets better. Or in the opposite way your pain one day might get worse for no reason at all, you might have spent the day before just resting and had a tough nights sleep and the next day you are in agony. This indicates that your pain is emotional based rather than physical. Find your own examples and write them down and stick it to your wall. Convince yourself, believe it, get yourself gradually back out there in the world and you will beat this. You are young and have a healthy body that is built to heal. Just convince yourself and teach your mind to learn a pain free life.

You've got this.

Take care.

Timmy

 

Another thing is your pain is in both arms. Structural changes can be responsible for pain but it is not logical for both your arms to suffer from the same pain. It would be ridiculous to think you have structural changes in both arms causing the same pain. Ridiculous. The thing that controls both arms is your brain. Your brain is causing your pain therfore you have tms.

 

Thank you Timmy, this is so encouraging.

 

Also that does make logic sense. My left arm hurts a LITTLE more than my right and I thought it was because I am left handed.

 

Your left arm hurts more than your right as studies have shown that people's dominant arm has a lower pain threshold. If your left handed your left hand means more to your brain than your right hand. Therefore your brain lowers the pain threshold in your left hand in order for you to feel pain more easily so that you protect it. I know this from personal experience to. I have dislocated both of my shoulders and my I have never had any on going pains in my left shoulder despite the fact it was a worse injury but my right shoulder. Before I started doing my tms work my right shoulder use to give me trouble all the time. I am right handed.

 

Great, thanks for clearing that up. Thats what I need to hear to help myself accept the TMS diagnosis.