Day 1 Hopeful

This is my first post on this forum. I am 53 years old and have been suffering from foot pain for 1 year. It started with plantar fasciitis over 2 years ago due to an overuse injury. I got steroid injections, did exercises, iced and stopped my physical activities such as hiking and skiing, and I got better. 4 months later I developed a fibroma on the bottom of my foot. It felt like I was standing on a tennis ball. I had 5 months of PT and got better. I was discharged by my podiatrist and went on vacation. Feeling much better I started running again. After a 15 minute run I started getting these sharp shooting pains on the bottom of my foot. It felt like I was getting electricuted. I ignored it for a while out of fear, and finally when I could no longer stand the pain I saw my doctor who accurately diagnosed me with tarsal tunnel syndrome. Basically carpal tunnel in the foot. I had nerve entrapment and nerve pain. I was put in a boot for 2 months which helped and than had neural manipulation by a PT with special training. I also saw an osteopath, had acupuncture, and saw an energy healer. I did get better, but started to notice that my flair ups happened when I was stressed or had insomnia. I had pretty much stopped all physical activities except swimming and weight lifting. I was an emotional wreck and feared that I would be permanently disabled and that the pain would never go away. Progress was slow but I did get better. Last summer I went away on 2 separate vacations. Both times my pain completely went away, and then came back when I returned home and went back to work. That is when I really started to believe that there was nothing wrong with my foot and that my pain was neurally mediated or caused by my mind. I started seeing a therapist who specialized in mind body connections. She calls her work interpersonal neurobiology. We worked on getting me back to hiking and skiing and doing the things that I liked. After my first hike in 1 year I had no pain for 3 days! But the pain always returned. So when I found this website I said Yes! I already believe that my pain is caused by my mind and now I have found a structured program to help me get better. I felt like I had hope again. I ordered a bunch of the recommended books and I am just starting the structured program. I look forward to changing the way that I think so that I can fully recover and be pain free.

 

Hi, Watermelon.
This looks to me that your pains are caused by TMS emotions. You feel fine when on vacation, but when you are back home and at work, the pain returns. I suggest you do some journaling about what might be troubling you at home and at work. Consider yourself lucky you can exercise and that you can go on vacations. Some TMers say they can't get out of bed. So think positive and you will win this battle.

A TMSer in Oregon posted this recently. It sums up what causes TMS and how we at this web site have become pain free:

Your symptoms are a messenger. When we try to avoid our symptoms, it's like shooting the messenger that is telling you that your house is in fire. It doesn't deal with the problem, it only attempts to act like there is no problem. Embrace your symptoms and recognize them for what they are, simply a messenger telling you that you have stuff to deal with.

 

Thank you!

 

I went cross country skiing for 3 hours yesterday. I had some mild pain in the evening-like a pulling sensation/nerve feeling on the bottom of my foot. Iced my foot for a while. Feeling ok this morning, just a little nerve pain and some tightness. Plan to go swimming today. Last week when I went skiing, the next day I had a lot of pain, so this is an improvement.

I have pretty much stopped all of my physical treatments for my condition. I have one more appointment next week with my Osteopath who I love. But after reading information about TMS and how continuing treatments just reinforces the belief that the pain is caused by a physical/structural source, I am considering canceling it.