Knee Pain and TMS

[D. R. Martin]

A first-time poster here, and thanks to all for providing this great forum. I've had TMS off and on for many years, but mostly back pain. Last December I developed GERD/stomach trouble like never before, right after a time of some personal & professional angst. This was new, so I didn't make the TMS connection until I reread one of my Sarno books. (In the midst of the stomach stuff I had a firy one day episode of back pain, too.) Because the symptoms are the same as those for some bad s**t, I took Dr. Schubiner's advice and got an endoscopy, which was fine. Lo and behold, within a week or two the GERD/stomach symptoms pretty much abated and I went off PPIs.

About that time I was reaching into the fridge for something, I felt a zinger in my left knee. Hardly an acute injury. I had a diagnosis of patellar femoral pain syndrome years ago and that started it up again. It's come and gone for five weeks now, a little better for a bit, then worse. Right now is as bad as it's been--knee sore, stiff, wobbly, gears not meshing, occasional sharp pains. It has me fearful that the thing will ground me. (It's so easy to fall down that hole.) The timing of the thing, right after the GERD, has TMS fingerprints all over it. (And when you read about PFPS, it sounds like TMS, too.) There have also been little re-flares of the stomach thing, and tentative spasms in my rear end.

My question revolves around something I read in the forum here, about the pain getting bad being an "extinction burst," meaning the TMS is getting ready to call it a day. Might I be at that point? What should my approach be at this point?

Anyway, any words of wisdom about PFPS and TMS would be much appreciated.

 

[JanAtheCPA]

Hey D.R. (or should we call you "Doc"?)

I hope you get some good responses to this question, because the answer will probably vary depending on different people's experiences.

As I'm sure you know, the extinction burst is similar to the symptom imperative, or to symptoms moving around - in that the bottom line is that your brain is still trying to protect you from those dangerous emotions, so if you're getting too close to revealing them to yourself, it starts getting desperate and tries more and different techniques to distract you.

I've been listening to a lot of self-acceptance discussions lately, and I wonder if you might try talking to your brain, by soothing it and letting it know that you're perfectly safe, you know what you're doing, that openly acknowledging these emotions isn't going to hurt you, and that it can stop creating these distractions because they really aren't necessary.

My two cents - anyone else?

Jan

 

[D. R. Martin]

Hey D.R. (or should we call you "Doc"?)

I hope you get some good responses to this question, because the answer will probably vary depending on different people's experiences.

As I'm sure you know, the extinction burst is similar to the symptom imperative, or to symptoms moving around - in that the bottom line is that your brain is still trying to protect you from those dangerous emotions, so if you're getting too close to revealing them to yourself, it starts getting desperate and tries more and different techniques to distract you.

I've been listening to a lot of self-acceptance discussions lately, and I wonder if you might try talking to your brain, by soothing it and letting it know that you're perfectly safe, you know what you're doing, that openly acknowledging these emotions isn't going to hurt you, and that it can stop creating these distractions because they really aren't necessary.

My two cents - anyone else?

Jan

Jan... Thanks for your response. The TMS is definitely on full court press, having just since yesterday jumped to the right knee, as well. Not pleasant at all, but perhaps a good sign. I will try having a chat with my brain, as you suggested.