AnneWithAnE
Newcomer
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.
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.
