Massage and Heat Packs do nothing for me

Sarno’s books talk about how he realized that it was oxygen deprivation that caused muscle pain because massage and heat packs tend to reduce the pain. I have pain that moves around and varies in intensity in my shoulders, arms, and hands that don’t really respond to either of those things. It's not a prerequisite that one must respond to massage and heat packs in order to be sure one has TMS is it?
I’m convinced that I have TMS since I’ve seen a few doctors, massage therapists, physical therapists, altered my diet and my pain hasn’t completely gone away and I still fear excessive computer use. I still see a trigger point therapist because I think, “I may not see any immediate relief now but maybe she’s keeping it from getting worse”
Has everyone else had this experience of not responding to heat packs and massage and still got better? Also I like getting massages (not the trigger point one) because they feel good. Can I still get them if I don’t tell the massage therapist to concentrate in a certain area? Or would my believe of tight muscles causing pain interfere with progress? I’m so confused!

 

Massages can be relaxing. I used to be on the rewrite desk of the Chicago Tribune, a very stressful job. The editor at the desk
said he spent his lunch hour each day getting a massage. It helped him get through the day, but it didn't solve his problem.
His problem as I could see it was his stressful job. But he may also have had other problems, perhaps personal.
I didn't know about TMS back then, but suspect he needed massage each day because of his job and repressed emotions.

I didn't try heat packs or massage and just practiced TMS to find my repressed emotions and I healed from severe back pain.
You don't need them to heal.

Being convinced 100 percent that you have TMS is the secret. Don't fear working on the computer because then you're
conditioning your unconscious mind that that gives you pain, so it sends it there. It will stop the pain when stop
associating pain with working on the computer and also when you discover your repressed emotions. We all have them.
Dr. Sarno says they mainly are from rage. We may not even think we are angry about anyone or anything, but our
unconscious mind knows we are, and Sarno says rage is accumulated anger.

To relieve tight muscles, do the tense and relax method I suggested. Its worked for countless others and really will work
to relieve your tight muscles.

 

Hi Aurora, You say you've seen a few doctors about the pain you've been having. What did those doctors say about the physical causes of your pain? My symptoms often do respond to massage and heat, but NOT always. I am still reasonably confident, (though not 100% yet) that TMS is the culprit in my case. The mind is incredibly clever at conjuring up every manner of pain and discomfort in order to convince you that you have physical and not psychological issues. I don't think it's much of a stretch to conceive of a mind capable of supplying pain in spite of heat or massage treatments.

To sum up, if your doctors can't point to a significant physical root of your pain, I wouldn't take heat and massage resistant pain as an indication of anything other than an incredibly stubborn mind that's unwilling to release you from it's carefully crafted distractions.

Best of luck to you, and please keep in touch.

Regards,
Sam

 

Hi Sam,
I’d been diagnosed with, thorasic outlet syndrome and other kinds of nerve impingements along the way to my hand. The trigger point therapist that I’m technically currently seeing will ask me where do I hurt and what action causes the pain. If I tell her that my shoulder hurts occasionally and I’m not even using it when it does she presses me further to try to find an action that makes it worse. I do plan to stop seeing her.
I did see one physician who did think my pain was stress induced but he didn’t really know where to go from there.
My mind is definitely very stubborn and my fear of the pain is probably worse than the pain itself.

 

Those are two very strong indications that TMS is in play. You'll have to face that fear head on at some point if you hope to heal. The more you believe there are no structural problems involved, the less pain you'll feel.

There was a time when just the thought of typing caused my arms to tighten up painfully with burning and tingling sensations all along my ulnar nerve from my elbow to my wrist. Once I decided to just push through and ignore the pain, I was quickly rewarded with a quick reduction in symptoms. And as nothing succeeds like success, the process became a positive feedback loop where the more fearlessly I typed, the less pain I experienced as I did it.

I'm rooting for you,

Sam

 

Thanks for the reply Sam. It really helps to hear from someone who knows what I'm experiencing and feels better than I do

 

Aurora, Walt and Sam know their stuff. I just want to add some thought to your original first question above ok;

Its not about heat or massage. Its about the underlying issues right. We have to know that the root cause is because were doing something and our body is saying no and no matter the soothing warmth it will still not effect the cure. We have to remember to dig into our current pressures and think about what is bothering us that we think isn't bothering us.

These are just clues to try and find out what the issue are that's causing the pain - whether we use massage or not we still have the core issue that has to be dealt with right. So notice your reactions to external things that might have you agitated all the time -- Then take control over those reactions by acting differently or not acting at all.

We often have sensitized nerves that have to be soothed with meditations and deep breathing so we can know what's up-setting those nerves to effect a cure. Now in the case that your using massage for relaxing points then you have the bull by the horns but not the underlying issue.

The current pressures and often the past will have you programmed by habit or default to just act in an anxious way which has been done thousands of times so now we have an accumulation of many anxieties piled on top of each other that DR. Sarno calls Rage. The way to get to the pain is to think about what your thinking about. What has caused you pressure and you've been putting it off for years or decades -- What do you want to do that you haven't done. That is the keys to eliminating the pain ya know
Bless You

 

Hi Aurora

I've also had RSI symptoms ulnar nerve entrapment, and also thorasic outlet were diagnosed for me.

I've stopped all physical treatments including hot cold baths for my arms, massages etc. I've seen the best progress following the suggestions here.

I've been journaling, seeing a TMS therapist, also the video by Dr Sarno posted on this site has helped a lot.

You're in the right place, many kind souls here such as Walt and Eric who will help you with your healing.

All the best