"If It's too heavy to Lift" revisited

Frankly, I don't know what to think about the Sarno teaching that if something is too heavy to lift, one wouldn't be able to lift it. I've read stories online of "power lifter" weight lifters that have torn muscles when trying to bench press 400 lbs. It seems that if something is too heavy to lift, that yes, it might cause a muscle injury.

There IS such a thing as muscle injury. How do these injuries happen? Surely, they're not all from violent blows to the body.

I'm in a profound state of weakness. My emotional tension is very high, living with my mom who has cancer, etc. For months, I have been walking with a walker. Earlier today, I stepped over an obstacle and slightly over-stretched my calf. No biggie, I've done this before. However, several hours later, I was walking up the stairs. Under the best of circumstances, doing this is a difficult task. Walking each step was very difficult, as if I was wearing a 100 lb backpack. Toward the top, I took a step, and my calf wobbled a bit, before giving slightly. I felt a sharp pain immediately in my calf. The pain is very localized, smaller than the size of a dime. It hurts, and is a tight little knot.

It would be wonderful if this were just TMS, but unfortunately, I think I just injured the calf. I don't know what to think of any of this anymore. Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

I am a caregiver also and know its difficult, but you do need to think about yourself and own needs. My wife's surgeon for her knee replacement said: " its all very well looking after your family, but you should have come to me 10 years ago" A lovely compassionate man who saw the real problem was her acceptance and unwillingness to take care of herself.

I think Dr Sarno was pointing out the conditioning issues of believing we are going to hurt our backs by lifting. Attached to this is the unwarranted fear of believing we are going to do ourselves harm and of course the fear of repeated pain. This is the psychological TMS concern.

The physical side of lifting too much is only too clear, people do get hurt, their muscles tear and cease up and rebel. Your body says: “no, too much, don’t do this again”.

I believe deeply that lack of movement activity, exercise and the joy of movement is essential for our TMS emotional state and overcoming fear. Were you prescribed a walker, if so for what reason? My wife has had reason to have a walker, two knee replacements. You can make the choice is the walker to support you forever or to help you recover.

Your injured calf will heal in time, a knot is a real injury, but certainly not TMS. TMS is your attitude towards your condition.

Good luck.

 

Ya that’s one thing Sarno said that made no sense at all

 

I wasn't prescribed a walker, I need one to move. Phone's ringing. Thanks for the reply.

 

I think Dr. Sarno just meant this (the lifting thing) to be an inspiring idea and not something controversial and provocative. He didn't expect people to do some kind of neurotic jujitsu move on the idea and turn it into yet another worry or doubt. But then, we are really good at that.....

 

Well, this isn't what I wanted to hear, but it makes sense. I'm profoundly weak, and it feels like I strained seven muscles within the past few days. I tensed my arm so someone could pull me out of bed a little while ago. Though my grip did not fail, I immediately felt a sharp pain in my bicep. I guess it's just another injury.

 

Perhaps you have atrophy, very real pain, I know first hand.

Here are a couple of links:

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003188.htm

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=bkayXNmWK-jl0gKL-bLABg&q=atrophy&btnK=Google+Search&oq=atrophy&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l10.1919.5306..5738...0.0..0.85.507.7......0....1..gws-wiz.....0..0i131.DlMoh-BII3Y

Be well Andy

 

Broken foot atrophy, pain started when cast was removed. Same as you! Any movement caused twangs, pangs, shooting pains of all descriptions. The worst hot and cold dips for my leg.
In the end I made a joke about it..
Boy did I need my cat!

Andy

 

Muscle weakness if most definitely TMS. I could hardly lift my foot 6 inches off of the ground. Ten days later, after reading Sarno, I could lift it as high as I wanted. Your muscles are weak and tight from blood restriction, which is induced by the brain.

I don't believe you could injure yourself going up stairs or slightly "over-stretching" your calf. Also, the fact that the pain appeared later, not immediately upon "stretching your calf," indicates TMS. True injuries cause bursting pain immediately, which then subsides gradually.

I take Sarno literally. If something was too heavy, we would not be able to lift it. Also, even if you did injure yourself lifting, the pain would eventually subside because all injuries heal. Chronic or recurring pain cannot be explained by injury, because that is not how the bodies work. Nerves flare up in pain from an injury, then die off. I know someone who was hit by a van on his bicycle last spring, breaking both legs completely, and is this winter is now completely healed and shoveling snow.

If you can't get out of the structural mindset, you can't heal. You have to get a little wild in your thinking and start believing you have the body you want to have.

 

I'm sorry but this is terrible advice. This is a forum where we try and encourage people that they don't have anything structurally wrong with them, no? How is this helpful? Sharing fear-inducing medical information can actually increase a person's pain. I speak from personal experience.

 

Hi Grapefruit,

I can see your point to a degree. Most medical websites do contain an element of fear. Since Music is spending 20 hours a day in bed perhaps, he may have pain caused by atrophy.

In my opinion it would be helpful for him to investigate this area further: a mere suggestion not advice.

My response was directed to this statement:”It would be wonderful if this were just TMS, but unfortunately, I think I just injured the calf. I don't know what to think of any of this anymore.” Any thoughts?

Regards Andrew

 

Hi Music, More thoughts on atrophy can be found here on our own website.

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/search/1285991/?q=atrophy&o=date&c[node]=2 (Search Results for Query: atrophy | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome))