Just started the TMS Program- does the pain get worse before it gets better?

I read Dr. Sarno's book Healing Back Pain a month ago and I was so excited and inspired because I found the hope that I would be cured from my chronic low back and neck pain. I thought I was doing extremely well. I even stopped all my physical therapy treatments. For the past 3 years I have not gone longer than a week without seeing my chiropractor for fear that my back would go out again.

I am happy to say that I have managed to go 7 weeks without seeing my chiropractor and I have been doing surprisingly well...until the last few days. The pain I have been experiencing in the past 4 days is worse than it has been in a very long time. I have lost 2 nights of sleep over it. I am trying to figure out if I am doing something wrong. I am getting a little discouraged, I have to admit. I believe I have TMS but is it supposed to get worse before it gets better?

 

I am also new to starting the tms process and stopping to think physical. I stopped pt the beginning of July. I felt more improvement after that than anything physical I've tried! I still have ups and downs. But when I first started learning tms quite some time ago, I got much worse. Which caused me to believe it was physical and at that time focused on physical and physical treatments. Something clicked this summer in me that said physical treatments will not heal me. But changing my thoughts will. I still am working at this, but at least a sense of release has came over me by letting go of the physical thoughts of what if.
So i share your worries and fear. I just know that if we feared nothing from the pain, the pain would leave. They say getting worse before getting better is common in tms - it's the brains way of trying to keep you from getting over the hump of healing I think.
My opinion is if the physical treatments weren't healing you, they never will. Only you will heal yourself with your thoughts. Healing happens so often for so many for so many things. Even outside the tms world, healing is all around. The mind can do pretty amazing things. Hang in there - we will all get there!

 

Thanks for your reply riverrat. I am at that point right now...the "what if" point. One half of my brain says "what if" stopping the physical treatments is whats making the pain worse? the other part of my brain says "physical therapy isnt the answer..it has never been for me" I am glad I am not alone in this battle! It encourages me to keep on going!

 

I think it's totally normal for the pain to come back. I'm new to all this as well, had excellent results after reading the books, but then had some mild headaches again.

For me, the key component is to always think of my pain emotionally. Why did I just get a flash of pain in my head? Oh yeah, talking to that woman I work with makes me feel like that little kid beside my mom again. And there's anger there.

Lots of anger.

Like, a wellspring of anger.

And it's strange to me because it all seems so irrational. A lifetime of avoiding negative emotions will do that!

Your issues may be much different than mine. Perhaps there's also a component of simple unconscious habit that triggers your pain? You were in X position so your unconscious habit is a massive pain trigger? You'll figure it out in time.

Just don't let your brain talk you out of your TMS! If you went 7 weeks without any physical treatment and felt better than you did before, that is no coincidence.

Trust your gut and be well. Perhaps focusing on the emotions will help.

 

Thank you MrNiceGuy. I am happy to hear you have figured out what your trigger is! For me I have so many its hard to pinpoint them..I think maybe Im over thinking things and just need to stop fearing the worst when I feel pain. Thanks for your encouraging words. Its so nice to talk to people who are dealing with the same issues

 

I do that too. It can be difficult to break that cycle. If you want some more ideas in breaking that fear cycle, read the Alan Gordon recovery plan if you haven't already. It helped me a lot!

 

Thanks ..I will look at that !