Is this TMS

Hello There! I am currently struggling with grasping the TMS diagnosis 100% and I feel some sort of confirmation may be helpful. Here is my story... Growing up I was a gymnast and a cheerleader. I stayed extremely active after both of these sports ended and I am a bit of a health nut. I just recently moved to college (my dream school) and went to the gym as usual. I did not do anything out of the ordinary that I can recall, just a cross-country ski machine and some core stuff (I have never lifted weights). The next morning I woke up with weird tailbone pain. I mainly ignored it but it hurt when I sat. I still went to the gym anyway and rode a bike. The pain worsened. Keep in mind, I always rode my bike back home and never had any issues. The pain was in my tailbone and hips and was worse when sitting or laying down. I can't recall exactly when it shifted but since around September (it is now January) I have had the worst ache feeling in my low back and hips. I get muscular aches in my low back and it feels like a constant pressure and heaviness in that L4/L5 area. It worsened when I bend backward or move side to side. I get a sharp pain in the SI area when I bend sideways. I got an MRI and an XRAY and neither have shown anything. Blood tests were clean as well. I recognize I have OCD and anxiety but sometimes it's hard to tell whether this is brought on by constant pain. I am miserable and struggling and have found no answers. Being the health freak that I am, I never stopped exercising in some way. I would go for daily walks to clear my mind and continue light-core stuff. The pain continued and I finally went to physical therapy. This did not help. So I started ONLY walking and avoided my light core exercises as well for about 3 weeks. Still, no change that I felt. The pain was sometimes worse in the multifidus muscles and hips but mainly that uncomfortable low backache and heaviness. I had to move back home because ultimately I was spiraling in a pain loop and I could not be alone. I am only 18 and never felt pain this long and hard before. I have seen chiropractors, acupuncture (which hurt bad and made me flinch), and medication and no relief. I feel as though I am most likely a candidate for TMS but I am struggling because I never completely rested my body doing anything for a long period of time. I worry that my continuing activity is the reason I am still suffering. But I don't know. I am currently working with a functional health specialist who thinks I have facet joint syndrome. The muscles around the facet are imbalanced and not working properly. I am so lost and confused. I do not know what to believe. I want to go for runs and just live my life normally but what If that is foolish of me. Any insight would be so helpful.

 

I can not diagnose you as "really" having TMS but if your multifidi are very tight, they will be what pulls on your facets, since it's all attached.
I think you should look into either a) seeing a TMS doctor if you can (there is a list on this website), and filling out a questionnaire that many TMS practitioners use to help clients gain better knowledge around their symptoms. Here's a good one: https://www.painoutsidethebox.com/tms-questionnaire (TMS questionnaire — PainOutsideTheBox)
This can help you make up your own mind, because after all, it is your mind that would have created symptoms and your mind that can control them.

Best of luck!

 

So sorry you are going through this. I happen to have an 18 year old daughter so I can really sypathize.

It sounds like you have been to a number of doctors (MRI, Xray) and have ruled out an obvious structural problem. I think it's extremely unlikely that "imbalanced muscles" are causing you chronic pain (how long have you had it?). Probably 90% of the world's population have imbalanced back/hip/leg muscles in some way; they should all be in chronic pain.

There are a couple of practicioners who have online "tests" to see how likely it is that it is TMS. E.g. Dan Buglio here:

https://www.danbuglio.com/paintest (Take the Pain Test — Dan Buglio - Your Pain Free Coach & TMS Expert)

Ann Miller has a similar kind of test here:

https://www.pathsbeyondpain.com/post/are-my-symptoms-possibly-mind-body-in-origin

You could also spend a few dollars (probably you have already spent a good bit) and make an appt with one of the TMS coaches or practioners and have an in-depth personal evaluation and get their take.

And if/when you become pretty convinced it is TMS/your nervous system causing it, then start a recovery program. There are a number out there, including the 42 day SEP on this web site. "Unlearn Your Pain" by Schubiner is a good one (book). Alan Gordon "The Way Out" is another. Read Dr John Sarno book(s).

Good luck. You are not alone!

 

Thank you so much for responding! I will surely look into all of that. I have had this pain for about 6 months to answer your question

 

Also you can read success stories of people who specifically were diagnosed with "facet joint disease" here and recovered via TMS methods:

https://www.sirpa.org/success-stories/ (Recovery Stories - SIRPA UK)