Hi. I am a new to this forum. I am 74 years of age, male, and I live in Ireland. I read Dr Sarno book Healing Back Pain. I find his TMS theory very persuasive, and I am open to embrace it if needs be. I am looking for help in deciding if my low back buttock muscle spasm pain is TMS.
I worked 40 years in Admin, sitting behind a desk. Up to the age of 34 I played a lot of football and hurling (an Irish field team game). Since then I have played golf once or twice most weeks, and I am still playing golf.
For about the last 35 years, probably every year, I have had a periodic flare up of bad buttock muscle spasm pain - about three times a year, and it always takes most of three weeks to resolve itself. This is the only significant pain I have had over the last 35 years. A few times I got massage treatment, but it did not help much - so, most of the time I let it resolve itself. The pain has only been in my buttocks - it never occured in my legs or anywhere else.
In the last 12 months, I have had four flare ups of this pain - approx last March, then May, then June and the most recent 6 days ago. Each time it has been caused by physical activity. The pain starts the evening of the activity, or when I wake up the following morning. The 1st event was after trying to pull a stubborn plant out of the ground. The 2nd was after a slight slip on a wet tiled floor - I did not fall - just a very slight foot slide. The 3rd was after bending down to lift up the toilet seat when I got out of bed in the morning. The 4th was after shoveling earth in the garden. Over the 35 years, all the flare ups have been after very simple everyday events like these, bending to pull on my socks etc. In the four most recent events, I felt the tug in my buttock as it happened, and, as far as I remember, over the 35 years, I felt the tug as it happened, most of the time.
Given that my pain is triggered by a simple physical event, does it amount to TMS. Is it structural or psychological. If it is TMS - why does it only flare up after a physical event. I would struggle to find any repressed emotions. I am very calm and laid back. No anxiety, anger, fear etc. As I have read about TMS - some people with physical defects, get TMS pain. Why do other people with the same physical defects, not get any pain. Is it because they have no repressed emotions or other stressors.
Last June I got an MRI done of my lumbar spine, because of having three flare ups close together. This is the only MRI that I have had done. Here is the extract of the MRI Report - as best as I can copy & paste.
MRI Lumbar Spine 22/06/2024
Indication:
mw 18/06/2024 Previous imaging history: ;mw 18/06/2024 Scan reason: Getting recurring low back pain and stiffness.Says has had x 3 episodes now in past 3-4 months. Each episode takes at least 3/52 weeks to resolve. No direct injury.
Pain at level of upper to mid buttock. No radiation to legs. Reduced range movements low back. No bladder nor bowel issues. Clinically low lumbar paravertebral muscl spasm. Reduced movements lower back in all directions. SLR 70 deg Bilat. Reflexes normal. Likely degenerative disease lumbar spine.
Report:
Transitional lumbosacral vertebra with S1 being lumbarised.
Right subarticular/foraminal disc protrusion at L2/3, impinging the traversing L3 nerve root. Mild bilateral foraminal narrowing at L3/4. Moderate left and mild right lateral recess narrowing at L4/5. Severe disc degeneration at L5/S1 but no significant canal, lateral recess or foraminal narrowing.
Patchy Marrow signal change in keeping with age related reconversion.
Impression:
Degenerative changes with a right sided protrusion at L2/3 , of questionable significance given the lack of any radicular symptoms.
I worked 40 years in Admin, sitting behind a desk. Up to the age of 34 I played a lot of football and hurling (an Irish field team game). Since then I have played golf once or twice most weeks, and I am still playing golf.
For about the last 35 years, probably every year, I have had a periodic flare up of bad buttock muscle spasm pain - about three times a year, and it always takes most of three weeks to resolve itself. This is the only significant pain I have had over the last 35 years. A few times I got massage treatment, but it did not help much - so, most of the time I let it resolve itself. The pain has only been in my buttocks - it never occured in my legs or anywhere else.
In the last 12 months, I have had four flare ups of this pain - approx last March, then May, then June and the most recent 6 days ago. Each time it has been caused by physical activity. The pain starts the evening of the activity, or when I wake up the following morning. The 1st event was after trying to pull a stubborn plant out of the ground. The 2nd was after a slight slip on a wet tiled floor - I did not fall - just a very slight foot slide. The 3rd was after bending down to lift up the toilet seat when I got out of bed in the morning. The 4th was after shoveling earth in the garden. Over the 35 years, all the flare ups have been after very simple everyday events like these, bending to pull on my socks etc. In the four most recent events, I felt the tug in my buttock as it happened, and, as far as I remember, over the 35 years, I felt the tug as it happened, most of the time.
Given that my pain is triggered by a simple physical event, does it amount to TMS. Is it structural or psychological. If it is TMS - why does it only flare up after a physical event. I would struggle to find any repressed emotions. I am very calm and laid back. No anxiety, anger, fear etc. As I have read about TMS - some people with physical defects, get TMS pain. Why do other people with the same physical defects, not get any pain. Is it because they have no repressed emotions or other stressors.
Last June I got an MRI done of my lumbar spine, because of having three flare ups close together. This is the only MRI that I have had done. Here is the extract of the MRI Report - as best as I can copy & paste.
MRI Lumbar Spine 22/06/2024
Indication:
mw 18/06/2024 Previous imaging history: ;mw 18/06/2024 Scan reason: Getting recurring low back pain and stiffness.Says has had x 3 episodes now in past 3-4 months. Each episode takes at least 3/52 weeks to resolve. No direct injury.
Pain at level of upper to mid buttock. No radiation to legs. Reduced range movements low back. No bladder nor bowel issues. Clinically low lumbar paravertebral muscl spasm. Reduced movements lower back in all directions. SLR 70 deg Bilat. Reflexes normal. Likely degenerative disease lumbar spine.
Report:
Transitional lumbosacral vertebra with S1 being lumbarised.
Right subarticular/foraminal disc protrusion at L2/3, impinging the traversing L3 nerve root. Mild bilateral foraminal narrowing at L3/4. Moderate left and mild right lateral recess narrowing at L4/5. Severe disc degeneration at L5/S1 but no significant canal, lateral recess or foraminal narrowing.
Patchy Marrow signal change in keeping with age related reconversion.
Impression:
Degenerative changes with a right sided protrusion at L2/3 , of questionable significance given the lack of any radicular symptoms.
