1. Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Our TMS drop-in chat is tomorrow (Saturday) from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern (***NOTE*** now on US Daylight Time). It's a great way to get quick and interactive peer support, with Steve2 as your host. Look for the red Chat flag on top of the menu bar!

is all back pain TMS?

Discussion in 'Support Subforum' started by Melissa E, Jan 30, 2016.

Tags:
  1. Melissa E

    Melissa E New Member

    Hi all. I've been familiar with TMS for awhile now as I've always been a somaticizer of sorts, the worst of mine being pelvic pain. Usually they were random things like headaches, itching, etc. and I was able to just sit with it and recognize it as TMS and within a few days it would usually go away.

    However, I'm having trouble buying into TMS with the one that seems to be the most TMS of them all - recent onset of back pain. Mind you I've never actually had back pain as a symptom, minus the intermittent sciatica. But earlier this week I was pushing a couch and felt a twinge in my back. At first I just thought I twisted it wrong so I figured it would go away and haven't been doing anything different trying to say 'oh this is just TMS' and moving around like I always do. However, the pain has been getting worst, and spreading - the twinge in the middle of my back is now on both the left and right side, in my lower back, upper back, some soreness, tingling, shooting pain, some tingling down my butt and legs -- it feels like it's all over. And I'm not gonna lie, I'm scared I herniated a disk and now I'm afraid if I go to a doc to get it checked out and they find a herniated disc (which I know in many people they do) and that'll be the nail in the coffin to get me stuck in a medical cause searching spree. But could I have actually really hurt my back? I keep telling myself it's TMS but the symptoms haven't let up, have and it's been longer than usual, and normally it doesn't get worse - so naturally I'm thinking maybe this one was an actual injury. Any advice?
     
  2. Gigi

    Gigi Well known member

    Hi Melissa. That is the hardest call for me--determining what is TMS and what has an organic origin. Have you examined any additional sources of stress in your life? Sometimes just recognizing pain as TMS is not enough; we need to deal with the stressors that are causing it.
    You may want to read Dr. John Sarno's book Healing Back Pain. He found that many people, even those diagnosed with herniated disks had TMS.
    When a new sudden-onset pain occurs, I try to give it some time to try the TMS route, unless the pain level is exceedingly high.
    There's no harm in seeing a doctor to rule out something serious. It's often the prudent move. But I have been caught in the PT route, and it took me months to realize that what I had was TMS!
    Sending you blessings as you discern.
     
  3. Knut

    Knut New Member

    Hi! I've got all your symptoms and more :) I don't have anything herniated. I've got them in the upper part of my body as well. Usually it's either in the arms/chest/hands/upper back, and suddenly it switches to tight buttocks/sciatic/tingling/throbbing legs/achy feet. Feels like it's all over. I notice that when all the muscle knots and tingling are switched ON, I'm always with an undercurrent of anxiety.
     

Share This Page