Looking for encouragement and advice

[AnneWithAnE]

I have had low back pain off and on for the past 10 years. In the beginning, bad flares happened maybe once a year or every other year and I would be out for a week or so. While it was frustrating, it kind of just was what it was.

This year, I have had bad flare ups almost every month, knocking me out for a week. Then comes May. I had a bad flareup at the end of May, then June, then July, then August. I never got back to my baseline between those flares. I have now been mostly housebound since August (besides dropping my kids off/picking them up from school and doctor’s appointments).

My MRI showed several “mild disc protrusions” with mild canal narrowing. My doctor referred to them as herniated discs. I’ve been waiting for a spinal injection, but my symptoms changed from sciatica/nerve pain to more of a muscle pain.

I discovered and researched the mind and body connection back in September. I read The Way Out by Alan Gordon, Healing Your Back by John Sarno, Mind Your Body by Nicole Sachs, and have downloaded the Curable app and paid for the year. I believe I’ve been using the app since beginning of October and JournalSpeak (Mind Your Body) most days since end of September/October.

I have had anxiety/hyper vigilance most of my life, with some showings of it as early as 6-7 years old. I’m now 33. I do believe that anxiety is contributing to at least some of my pain. Last year I inadvertently found that my stomach pain and heart palpitations were linked to anxiety, so I know that anxiety Is linked to physical symptoms for me. I am seeing a therapist, though they are not trained in PRT. I’ve considered anxiety meds because I feel anxiety is my baseline, as I have been in therapy for a year and a half consistently and off and on since COVID.

I think I am still struggling to 100% believe that all of this pain is from my brain signals. Since I have been housebound for several months I have also lost a lot of confidence in things “getting better”, although things admittedly have already improved some.

I feel I'm struggling with the disconnect between intellectually understanding the mind-body connection and actually trusting it enough to live my life again. Part of me still worries that I'm missing something structural or that I'm doing something wrong by not pursuing more physical treatment. I also find myself constantly monitoring how my back feels and trying to figure out whether each sensation means something.

I guess I'm looking for advice, encouragement, or experiences from people who have been in a similar place. How did you move from intellectually understanding neuroplastic pain to genuinely trusting the process? How did you rebuild confidence in your body after months of being limited by pain? And for those who also struggle with chronic anxiety and hypervigilance, what helped you address that alongside the pain?

I know recovery isn't necessarily linear, but after several months of feeling like my world has gotten smaller, I'm really hoping to find a way forward.

 

[Adam Coloretti (coach)]

Part of me still worries that I'm missing something structural or that I'm doing something wrong by not pursuing more physical treatment.

Hi! I would start with the first part of this. What do you think they might have missed? Because an MRI is like the gold standard of imaging, it's pretty comprehensive. I think it's important to get clear on your doubt. Are you saying you believe that your current findings couldn't possibly be causing your symptoms, and therefore you're wondering whether they've missed something, or does your doubt lie in the fact that "well I have these findings, surely that must mean they are causing my symptoms" - different strategies for both

 

[AnneWithAnE]

Hi! I would start with the first part of this. What do you think they might have missed? Because an MRI is like the gold standard of imaging, it's pretty comprehensive. I think it's important to get clear on your doubt. Are you saying you believe that your current findings couldn't possibly be causing your symptoms, and therefore you're wondering whether they've missed something, or does your doubt lie in the fact that "well I have these findings, surely that must mean they are causing my symptoms" - different strategies for both

Good point! I am waiting for an MRI of my upper back as well to completely rule out anything serious. I think it’s more of something was found, I think it COULD be causing symptoms, but since it has moved from nerve pain to muscle tension/tightness, I’m worried that we are missing something muscle related (weak core, back muscles overcompensating, etc.). I’m at the point where the majority of my muscles in my body feel some type of weakness or tension. I think I still have some doubt that this could all be neuroplastic.

 

[Adam Coloretti (coach)]

I am waiting for an MRI of my upper back as well to completely rule out anything serious.

Sounds good!

I’m worried that we are missing something muscle related (weak core, back muscles overcompensating, etc.). I’m at the point where the majority of my muscles in my body feel some type of weakness or tension. I think I still have some doubt that this could all be neuroplastic.

Lots of people have weak muscles and tightness/overcompensation, so assuming nerve tests are clear (to rule out significant muscle weakness that needs addressing) I highly doubt that this would be causing the level of symptoms you have (the majority of the population would have a "weak core" yet very few have chronic pain by comparison). Also, what's arguably the biggest cause of muscle tension, especially in the long term? Stress - so it all comes back to TMS. I think you're in a great position to recover even if it might not feel like it

 

[Ellen]

Building belief in the TMS diagnosis is a process and can take some time. Are you keeping an Evidence List? This is an effective way to help convince yourself that your symptoms are, in fact, TMS. Write down all the ways your symptoms do not conform to a physical/medical explanation. Try to use logic and rationality to overcome doubt.

 

[Patty Cakes]

I have had low back pain off and on for the past 10 years. In the beginning, bad flares happened maybe once a year or every other year and I would be out for a week or so. While it was frustrating, it kind of just was what it was.

This year, I have had bad flare ups almost every month, knocking me out for a week. Then comes May. I had a bad flareup at the end of May, then June, then July, then August. I never got back to my baseline between those flares. I have now been mostly housebound since August (besides dropping my kids off/picking them up from school and doctor’s appointments).

My MRI showed several “mild disc protrusions” with mild canal narrowing. My doctor referred to them as herniated discs. I’ve been waiting for a spinal injection, but my symptoms changed from sciatica/nerve pain to more of a muscle pain.

I discovered and researched the mind and body connection back in September. I read The Way Out by Alan Gordon, Healing Your Back by John Sarno, Mind Your Body by Nicole Sachs, and have downloaded the Curable app and paid for the year. I believe I’ve been using the app since beginning of October and JournalSpeak (Mind Your Body) most days since end of September/October.

I have had anxiety/hyper vigilance most of my life, with some showings of it as early as 6-7 years old. I’m now 33. I do believe that anxiety is contributing to at least some of my pain. Last year I inadvertently found that my stomach pain and heart palpitations were linked to anxiety, so I know that anxiety Is linked to physical symptoms for me. I am seeing a therapist, though they are not trained in PRT. I’ve considered anxiety meds because I feel anxiety is my baseline, as I have been in therapy for a year and a half consistently and off and on since COVID.

I think I am still struggling to 100% believe that all of this pain is from my brain signals. Since I have been housebound for several months I have also lost a lot of confidence in things “getting better”, although things admittedly have already improved some.

I feel I'm struggling with the disconnect between intellectually understanding the mind-body connection and actually trusting it enough to live my life again. Part of me still worries that I'm missing something structural or that I'm doing something wrong by not pursuing more physical treatment. I also find myself constantly monitoring how my back feels and trying to figure out whether each sensation means something.

I guess I'm looking for advice, encouragement, or experiences from people who have been in a similar place. How did you move from intellectually understanding neuroplastic pain to genuinely trusting the process? How did you rebuild confidence in your body after months of being limited by pain? And for those who also struggle with chronic anxiety and hypervigilance, what helped you address that alongside the pain?

I know recovery isn't necessarily linear, but after several months of feeling like my world has gotten smaller, I'm really hoping to find a way forward.

Hi there. I just wanted to reach out because so much of what you wrote feels like looking in a mirror. I completely understand that agonizing gap between intellectually knowing about the mind-body connection and actually trusting it enough when your world has shrunk down and you're stuck at home.

For years, I suffered from TMJ jaw issues, and I blamed all my pain entirely on my jaw. I too struggled for a very long time to believe in a TMS diagnosis, and I couldn't see how something mind-body was causing pain throughout my entire body.

Like you, I've read the books, but I was still stuck in an endless fog of feeling constantly anxious, hyper-vigilant, and wrapped up in pain. What has finally started to shift things for me isn't having 100% unwavering belief overnight—because I'm still dealing with pain and anxiety, to be quite honest! But what's helping is learning how to break the mental loops down into bite-sized pieces instead of feeling like my brain is just a giant, overwhelming mess of open tabs.

Using tools from workbooks like Unwinding Anxiety has taught me to look closely at the mechanics of my own mind. I'm learning to spot the trigger, catch the anxious thought ('Oh no, my body is hurting'), see how my worry instantly adds fuel to the fire, and recognize that the outcome is always just more pain.

I used to just say 'I'm anxious' or 'I'm worried' as one big, scary blanket statement. Breaking it down into small, manageable pieces hasn't made the pain vanish, but for the first time, I actually understand how my brain functions and how my thoughts feed the cycle.