Introduction

Hi!
I recovered from buttock and neck/shoulder pain about 7 years ago using the TMS approach. After 6 months of debilitating pain - and going from doctor to doctor looking for a solution - I read Sarno's book. Within a few days, the pain was actually a bit better. Encouraged by this, I dove right in and did the TMS approach.
They key to recovery for me was to *stop* focusing on getting rid of the pain and *start* focusing on living my life. I just started doing things - sitting, exercise, travel, whatever - despite being in excruciating pain. I stopped talking to people about my pain. I realized that if I can live my life and do what I want despite being in pain, then I don't have to fear the pain. And once I stopped fearing it, it gradually left me alone.
Two years ago, my neck/shoulder started flaring up again. And I am sad to say that I fell off the wagon. I went to the doctor, who sent me to physical therapy. I thought that as long as I knew about TMS, there was no harm in just trying this to see if it might help a bit. I was wrong, of course. I tried a couple of physical therapists. I also tried other approaches - trigger point injections, medications. Nothing worked. In fact, the butt started flaring up too, whenever the neck flared up (hmmm ... suspicious).
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I read another terrific book about pain: Explain Pain by David Butler and Lorimer Moseley. It focuses on the neuroscience of pain, arguing that most chronic pain has nothing to do with tissue damage - rather, it is a malfunctioning alarm system in the brain that's reinforced by thoughts, beliefs, stress, fear of activity, etc. Apparently this is what the past 10 years of neuroscience research has shown - but most doctors are completely unaware of it. To treat it, you have to educate yourself about what's really going on (i.e., unlearn the "pain=damage" idea), then start increasing your activity. It's very well documented and convincing, and it's very consistent with my previous TMS experience.
This has given me the confidence to try again. I've started doing things that hurt - the two big ones are wearing a bra and lifting weights. I'm in a lot of pain. I'm just trying to get through it and tell myself that I may be in pain, but there's nothing wrong with my tissues.
Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and ask for support in my latest efforts Thanks!

 

Hi RN64, you did the exact same thing as I did to heal, except the wearing a bra and lifting part, although I never really tried it. I began living my life the way I wanted to. People could forget about all the TMS healing if they could just forget about pain (stop worrying), and go back to doing what they want. But--like most of us, we fear the pain, have doubts about TMS, demand more proof....etc. Like the movie What About Bob...Baby Steps.

Pain is a deception of the mind to divert deep fear and emotional pain to the body for focus. If we focus on the body in the healing we prolong the pain and suffering. For ex., a guy contacted me a few months ago who was having severe stomach pains. They left him drained and exhausted with acute and regular attacks. He had been tested medically for more serious things, which was good or I wouldn't have wanted to work with him. He had also been to a chiropractor who told him he had "parasites in his organs." He contacted me because TMS was beginning to make sense to him. I told him I couldn't help him if he was going to believe the insanity that he had parasites. He began to listen with an open mind, he did all the work, he was relentless. He contacted me last week to say he was pain-free after years of pain. He said it stopped last month but he wanted to make sure it was gone, like most people they don't want to "jinx it" too early.

He integrated the notion that his pain was from unconscious thoughts and emotions, and healed. Had he fought his notion he would still be in pain today. Healing is more often a choice. Those who don't want to heal will always pick apart the process. It's all about whether you believe in truth our not. Good luck RN.

Steve

 

Hi RN64, sometimes I think that the brain is really a GREAT strategist! It hits where it hurts (hehe), and I mean that it's really good in making you worried about the condition of your tissue and the fact that you are going to make it worse if you just do what you like!
The good thing is that you already proved to yourself that TMS is real! So you are one step above others towards healing If I was you I would repeat to myself continously: this worked before, so there is no reason why it shouldn't work now!

Thank you for the suggestion about the book, I'll look into it. Bye!