Multi areas of pain

Hello everyone, I’m 5 weeks into recovery and doing great with my low back pain. Question a had was Dr Sarno reference all or most TMS suffers would experience pain in one area at a time, as there was no need for multiple areas of pain to achieve distraction. In my experience there were times I had pain in multiple areas. Back, both heels, knee and wrist. The low back pain focused on the left side with tingling down the left leg and then most all other pain would be on the right side. ( the heel, knee and wrist). The back pain was constant and all other pain was intermittent. Just wondering if anyone had thoughts on this? Luke 6:45.

 

Congratulations on your success so far!

I've had to think about your question for awhile. I had fibromyalgia which was pain in multiple areas of the body that shifted a great deal. I sometimes had migraines at the same time as fibromyalgia. I also had other non-pain TMS symptoms simultaneously with pain (e.g. insomnia, Raynauds, tinnitis). So, for me, TMS was not limited to one area at a time. However, I had a relapse last year and the back pain I had was limited to one area and was my only symptom.

 

Welcome 444,

I had pain in my back, neck, shoulder, knees, feet, and eyes as well as pain and numbness in my legs, arms, and hands. In addition to all this, I also had those pins and needles, tingling, and other weird sensations in various parts of my body at various times.

So TMS can strike all over your body.

Yes, as Dr. Sarno states, it may hurt in one part of your body to keep your attention there. However, what happens when you get used to having pain in one part of your body? Well, it will add pain to somewhere else to get you even more worried and occupied. And don't fprget about conditioned response, which can be another reason pain in one part continues while a new pain shows up.

It all can be overwhelming and frightening, But once you know that all of it is just reduction of blood flow you can stop the fear and move forward and get your life back,

 

Yep. When I got to the end of my rope, the 'main' symptom was all of the time and the others came and went....in fact, the mother of all TMS attacks sent me to the emergency room with a complete neurological meltdown..losing control of my arms, mouth.etc.

Needless to say, upon reviewing what was going on that day, My Mother who pretty much let me raise myself was over lecturing my kids on what they should do and how to act... the unconscious rage was becoming conscious so the symptoms had to crank the volume.

Between conditioning (time, place, person sensitive symptoms) my base 'issue' (back, hip, butt) and the other wild cards (family pressures, finances, inner turmoil) I was always nursing about 3 or 4 complaints.

...and they ALL went away . Some took a little longer to de-condition, but they all were TMS and they could no longer hold my attention once I knew what was going on.

 

Thank you all for your responses and encouragement. This is such a great community to be apart of. There’s a real connection with people who have walked your road. Baseball, it’s amazing to me the level at which this condition can impact the body. It must have looked like you were having a stroke.

 

Actually the emergency room doctor thought I was overdosing on drugs and made me drink Liquid charcoal..... It was a sort of come-to-jesus moment for me. The Chronic pain clinic had me taking massive doses of Gabapentin (which has a super high fatal dose) mixed with pain killers and benzo's.

The emergency room MD had never heard of the medication and demanded I drink the charcoal. I asked him to call my doctor... I was only taking the directed doses of everything. The Emergency Doctor told me , Quote:

"He is NOT going to call on a Sunday. Doctors go into chronic pain treatment so they can make their 3pm tee times on the golf green.... But I'll give him 15 minutes"

He was right. The doctor who prescribed me mountains of drugs didn't bother to call to save me from drinking the charcoal. 24 hours later I drove to the bookstore to buy a copy of "Healing Back Pain". In a way, the pain doctors negligence, and the emergency room docs candor illuminated to me, the fact that I was just a number and a 'case' to the medical world...they didn't give a shit. None of the stuff they did made any sense. Sarno did...22 years later I am playing baseball, working construction and still pain free.

Not everybody who tells you something crappy is your enemy and not everybody who listens with a sympathetic ear is your friend.

 

Baseball, I found your story and reread it. I had read it before probably 3 or 4 weeks ago but didn’t connect the name. It should be a featured story on the main page. The site seems to be cycling though just a few stories. Amazing life changing!!!!
Over the past 2 or 3 years I’ve thought the most merciful thing God could do for me was take my life. 5 weeks in since reading Dr Sarno’s 3rd book I have hope again. Psalm 34:18, Proverbs 13:12. In the 5 years of pain and all the searching I never heard of TMS or Dr Sarno. I feel God brought that 20/20 interview to me at just the right moment. To soon and I would have probably blown it off. I like your last comment. True True True.