Heating pad to help with pain at night - okay to use?

[c90danwaiel]

Hi all,
I've been reading about TMS these past few days, and am still learning a lot about the concept. I do most of my reading at night, and I'm finding that the pain is actually increasing when I'm reading about it. I know this can happen, and so I've expected that and keep reminding myself to not give in to fear or focus on the pain.

That being said, the pain has been keeping me up at night. I do have a heating pad, which helps with the pain. Would it possibly hinder my progress or set me back if I used it? I do believe that my pain is TMS and the heat is helping reduce pain by helping bring oxygen to the oxygen deprived areas. In fact, the TMS theory there makes more sense than anything else I could think of about why heat would help reduce pain.

I did use the heat pad last night for a few minutes and fell asleep pretty quickly. I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice you'd have here. Don't want to set myself back, but it'd be great to get a full night's rest too.

 

[jaumeb]

I think anything that makes you feel better is good.

 

[Brant]

Ditto to what jaumeb said, and don't think of it as contradictory or a setback, actually dont think about it at all!, a nice warm heating pad always feels great. keep at it, do the SEP program its really good! all the best to you

 

[c90danwaiel]

Thanks! I ended up using it and fell right asleep. Hah - maybe that's a bit of my anxiety and perfectionism showing through! I'm so worried I'm going to mess it up and that I'm not doing it right.

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

I agree with the others that it's okay to use a heating pad. It looks like it works great for you. But keep believing the pain is caused by TMS, and that it is from emotions and not structural.

Perfectionism is a very common cause of TMS. I hope you can work on modifying that. Just don't expect so much of yourself or others.