Myofascial Pain Syndrome or TMS?

Hi there everyone, I’m new to this forum. First of all my apology for my poor English and story is a bit long, just try to explain my situation more in detail here. I try to avoid self-diagnosis and I don't think there is any TMS doctor/therapist exists in my country - Malaysia, therefore trying to get some information and opinion here.

Past

I have had intermittent lower and upper back pain over the last few years, I deemed this due to my wrong posture of lifting a heavy luggage years ago. But the back pain has not been an issue to me as it will be gone after I had some good stretching. Meanwhile, I have been feeling stiffness and soreness on my neck, and I thought this was possibly due to my stressful and long working hours job.

Triggering incident

In November 2015, I suffered a sports injury on my neck from a kick boxing class, it hurts when someone pressed my neck very hard. After an acupuncture session and it seemed ok. I subsequently went for a backpacking travelling for 10 days.

After I came back from the travelling, I experienced sharp pain in my neck, back and pelvis, with slight shortness of breath. I visited a spine surgeon and had a MRI scan, the result was ok - mild degenerative disc, mild thoracic scoliosis and minimal disc bulge with no nerve impingement throughout the spine. The doctor suspected Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and took my blood for HLA-B27 and inflammation testing. The blood test took about 3 weeks and before that, I was in great anxiety and read a lot of info about the disease.

The blood test showed I am HLA-B27 negative and my inflammation level was normal. The doctor could not give a diagnosis on my pain and only asked me to return for inflammation blood test after 3 months. The result didn't eliminate my anxiety for the disease as my pain stayed and I found out there are possibility for HLA-B27 negative AS patient. As my anxiety kept growing, the pain and soreness spread to thigh, groin and hips (I wrongly thought this was sacroiliitis which is one of the primary symptom of AS).

Diagnosis from doctors & shifting symptom

I went to visit another rheumatologist who specialises in AS, had same blood tests and X-Ray scan on SI joint. The doctor has excluded the possibility of AS and diagnosed me with Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS). At the same time, I visited another rehabilitation physician, who diagnosed me as being MPS with possible whiplash injury.

Ever since I was diagnosed with MPS, the pain in my thigh and groin have gone but I have developed a new symptom, I felt tingling pain/soreness/numbness in my foot, leg, arm and palm as I knew this could be one of the MPS symptom. I feel confused because the pain is shifting as I try to find out what's the cause of the pain (but neck and back pain are persisting).

Recent condition

I only found out TMS 3 weeks ago and I strongly believe my pain are due to TMS. First, I possess many of the characteristics prone to TMS: perfectionism, goodism, legalist, stoic, low self-esteem and dependency. Second, I do have past and current stressors in my life, which I didn't really share with anyone. Third, exercise and sweating makes me feel better. Fourth, my muscle spasm problem has improved a lot when I read more info about TMS.

I have ordered Dr Sarno books "Healing Back Pain" and "Mind Body Prescription", still waiting to be delivered to me. I am gonna start the journaling when I start to read the books.

By the time I am typing all these, I have been trying 2 months of chiropractic manipulation, dry needling, decompression traction therapy, PT, acupuncture and cupping, all of them can only provide temporary relief, which doesn't last longer than a day. Muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory drugs didn’t help at all.


My questions will be:

1. Is my pain caused by TMS?

2. Is MPS just another form of TMS?

3. My understanding from TMS forum is whiplash injury doesn't exist or chronic neck pain is from our memory, is that correct?

4. If my pain is caused by TMS, do I have to change my lifestyle or dietary habit? (I am a regular drinker, often going to bed late and having an active lifestyle)


All your info and opinion would be really appreciated. Many thanks.


Regards, Jayden

 

Welcome Jayden,

While I have worked to address severe foot pain, the long-term whiplash pain has almost completely gone. So yes, whiplash (months and years after an accident) in my opinion is TMS. This is Dr. Sarno's and many other TMS doctor's understanding as well.

No, the system is just what it says: inquire into what in your inner and outer life is causing inner tension, specificially causing difficult feelings in the Inner Child that "don't want to be felt." This is the core. Many people find relaxation meditations helpful, yoga for relaxation good. Ultimately, if you see your lifestyle as pushing you and driving you, you will make changes, but I think these changes come best as you develop more awareness of your inner life, your deeper responses to your life.

Each person finds their own specific way, within the basic frameworks. Some people "slow down." Some don't. Diet and drinking are probably not related, but if you discover they somehow are, then you might change this. My first response is "think psychological."

I urge you to do the free programs TMS Recovery Program and the Structured Education Program at the Wiki link. Many, many people have had success with these tools. Tonight I was reading this.
http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/day-22.11772/

Good Luck!!

Andy B

 

By the way, your English is excellent.

 

Thank you Forest and Andy, you guys have given me confidence to confirm the cause of my pain.

And thanks again Andy for the recommendation, I will definitely look through and work on the program.