czb145
New Member
Around the beginning of the year, I began dealing with thumb pain in the thenar/ palm part of my hand, which spread along that edge of the thumb up to the last joint. I originally believed that the symptoms came on due to my regular gaming with a controller (at least a couple of hours most days). I had been a pretty avid gamer for the past few years, and this hadn’t been a problem. I eased off spme and waited a couple of months through some mild discomfort before going to a walk-in orthopedic clinic.
Initially, I was told that it is likely wrist tendinitis, and that I should take a break from games for 3 to 4 weeks and follow a stretching routine. The break did not seem to do much good, so I went to a follow up appointment with a PA of theirs who specialized in hand issues. I went through several months of appointments, trying to pin down what might be going on. The initial x-rays did not show any notable issue, and a nerve conduction study didn’t yield anything of note (I occasionally have mild tingling in my left hand, but it is never painful). Lastly, I did an MRI, which found no significant tendinitis, but revealed a bone spur on my metacarpal bone at the cmc joint (the joint next to the soft web-like part of the hand/thumb).
After essentially running out of options, I was referred to occupational therapy. The exercises and stretches I was prescribed seemed to help some, but weren’t providing lasting relief. The therapist looked at my x-rays, and noticed that my ulna bone at the wrist is especially pointy. I have had some mild wrist discomfort before, but noticing the abnormality definitely had me hyper fixating for months after. After about three months of OT, I visited with an orthopedic surgeon, who told me that nothing looked structurally wrong with my thunb, but said that the bone spur could be contributing to some amount of tendinitis. I consulted with an orthopedic hand specialist at another office a couple of months later - he thoroughly examined my hand, thumb joints, and wrist, helping me to rule out a lot of potential issues. he said that nothing structurally should be causing my pain, and that the bone spur and wrist bone didn’t look harmful. However, the discomfort persisted on and off. it seems to bother me most when, using my phone, playing games, or using a computer mouse (all fine motor activities).
About a month after that visit, I was doing some research on tendinitis, when I stumbled across a video, introducing me to Dr. Sarno. I admit that I have a lot of perfectionist tendencies, and tend to put a lot of pressure on myself in many areas of life, so his first book I read resonated with me. I have struggled some with his theory about repressed emotions or childhood trauma (since I had a very good relationship with both of my parents), but I am actively working to see how it applies to me. I am working on Alan’s pain recovery course day at a time (currently on day 13). in addition, I am going to start working on the six week SEP program and journal here as I go. I’ve found some comfort in the past couple of weeks by looking on this forum, and seeing how many other people are in similar situations, albeit often with different pains/symptoms.
Day 1 journal prompt response:
I have a fair amount of confidence in the TMS diagnosis, but have had moments where I began to doubt (always when the pain is hitting me the hardest). I know that strong belief in the diagnosis helps in effective treatment, so I am trying really hard to stay on track and believe. My primary worry is that I might not be strong enough to face each day with a resolute attitude and work through the pain positively. I want to become better at acknowledging my pain, passively, without going down the anxiety spiral. I have not previously been a person who identified with having anxiety, but this last year has definitely brought some things to light. Alan’s lessons on self soothing and outcome. Independence are powerful, so I hope to become better at both of those things with each passing day. I am looking forward to six weeks of self growth, with a continual positive outlook.
Initially, I was told that it is likely wrist tendinitis, and that I should take a break from games for 3 to 4 weeks and follow a stretching routine. The break did not seem to do much good, so I went to a follow up appointment with a PA of theirs who specialized in hand issues. I went through several months of appointments, trying to pin down what might be going on. The initial x-rays did not show any notable issue, and a nerve conduction study didn’t yield anything of note (I occasionally have mild tingling in my left hand, but it is never painful). Lastly, I did an MRI, which found no significant tendinitis, but revealed a bone spur on my metacarpal bone at the cmc joint (the joint next to the soft web-like part of the hand/thumb).
After essentially running out of options, I was referred to occupational therapy. The exercises and stretches I was prescribed seemed to help some, but weren’t providing lasting relief. The therapist looked at my x-rays, and noticed that my ulna bone at the wrist is especially pointy. I have had some mild wrist discomfort before, but noticing the abnormality definitely had me hyper fixating for months after. After about three months of OT, I visited with an orthopedic surgeon, who told me that nothing looked structurally wrong with my thunb, but said that the bone spur could be contributing to some amount of tendinitis. I consulted with an orthopedic hand specialist at another office a couple of months later - he thoroughly examined my hand, thumb joints, and wrist, helping me to rule out a lot of potential issues. he said that nothing structurally should be causing my pain, and that the bone spur and wrist bone didn’t look harmful. However, the discomfort persisted on and off. it seems to bother me most when, using my phone, playing games, or using a computer mouse (all fine motor activities).
About a month after that visit, I was doing some research on tendinitis, when I stumbled across a video, introducing me to Dr. Sarno. I admit that I have a lot of perfectionist tendencies, and tend to put a lot of pressure on myself in many areas of life, so his first book I read resonated with me. I have struggled some with his theory about repressed emotions or childhood trauma (since I had a very good relationship with both of my parents), but I am actively working to see how it applies to me. I am working on Alan’s pain recovery course day at a time (currently on day 13). in addition, I am going to start working on the six week SEP program and journal here as I go. I’ve found some comfort in the past couple of weeks by looking on this forum, and seeing how many other people are in similar situations, albeit often with different pains/symptoms.
Day 1 journal prompt response:
I have a fair amount of confidence in the TMS diagnosis, but have had moments where I began to doubt (always when the pain is hitting me the hardest). I know that strong belief in the diagnosis helps in effective treatment, so I am trying really hard to stay on track and believe. My primary worry is that I might not be strong enough to face each day with a resolute attitude and work through the pain positively. I want to become better at acknowledging my pain, passively, without going down the anxiety spiral. I have not previously been a person who identified with having anxiety, but this last year has definitely brought some things to light. Alan’s lessons on self soothing and outcome. Independence are powerful, so I hope to become better at both of those things with each passing day. I am looking forward to six weeks of self growth, with a continual positive outlook.
