Neck tingles, back problems, wrist pain, elbow troubles, oh my!

Hey all,

So I'm an artist, but also definitely a worrier and stresser. Between my drive to improve my art and balance on my future, I feel I've definitely fallen under the TMS-Trap. Here's my story in brief;

I started getting a strange tingling in my neck after I switched from drawing on my table to a more slanted surface, as recommended by other artists. This was to prevent distortion of my work and, ironically, neck pain. I thought for sure that the tingling was related to my "forward head posture" and did a lot of exercises to fight that off, but it didn't seem to help. Not only that, but around this same time... I started getting lower back pain. I blamed it on the chair, and again, tried a lot of exercises, stretches; all useless. So, what was it that did stop both my neck tingling and back problems?

Wrist pain.

For three entire months I was convinced I had tendonitis, I did physical therapy, I stopped drawing entirely or even typing with my hand. Just a gloomy, sad period. I even started getting symptoms in my left hand! I noticed, however, that my tingling and back pain were gone. But then, something happened; on the third month, as I was resting my elbow on the table, I started getting Ulnar Nerve symptoms. Mysteriously, my wrist pain got much better; as my mind focused on the new elbow stuff, the wrist pain was weaker. That led me to investigate those TMS claims I'd read about, and start applying it to my hand. Wouldn't you know it, the next day my morning stiffness was gone.

From then then, I changed my mindset to believe that the pain I was experiencing was indeed TMS. I picked up drawing again, to my joy. The wrist pain was still there, weak but present, but I refused to pay it heed. Gradually, it went away. I wasn't out of the woods yet though; the wrist pain would resurface after a few days, and I would worry it was structural this time, but then after I'd get elbow symptoms again I'd repeat the process until I was pain free once more. After dealing with this on and on, I finally began to get the hint that there was no way that something was truly, physically wrong with my hand. It went away. So now my focus is on back and neck pain, just as it was months ago. They're certainly a lot more stubborn. With pain like this, should I believe it's all structural even though it vanished for a time? The thing that makes me doubt is how the neck tingling seems to vanish if I'm in certain positions, like drawing with a table on my lap, but it's not a convenient position.

This tingling is the most irritating thing, only affecting me when I draw, and the back pain's no fun either. Recently I keep wondering what it's like to just draw all day without any pain, and I realize that's just the thing I want most of all.

 

Hi, Utubustu. You wrote very clearly about your symptoms and it seems to me that you have found the solution to them... TMS. Being a worrier and stressing are two of the main causes of TMS, even if you have no repressed emotions causing them. I am a born worrier and it has taken years to modify that. I am a freelance writer so I have lived with economic stresses for more than half my life and I am 85 now.

It's good that you are back to drawing again and I doubt the table caused your pain. Your subconscious has moved your pain around because that's what Dr. Sarno says it does, so you discover the emotional causes of your pain. For you it may "just" be worry and putting stress on yourself to be a better artist.
Just be the artist you can be, that God wants you to be. I have had many books published but never became rich or famous, I just still love writing and making the best use I can of what God gave me. I may sound like an evangelist but I really am not. I am just a believer.

If you haven't taken the Structured Educational Program yet, it is free in the subforum of this web site. I highly recommend it for the daily instructions on how to heal from TMS pain.

 

Thank you for the reply Walt!

Yes, I'll look into the Educational program. I drew all day yesterday, but kept fidgeting with my posture to ward off the back pain. I noticed it vanishes instantly when I rest my back against the chair, but other days I can slouch just fine with little issue. So I guess my question is, and the main thing that worries me, is can TMS pain be alleviated by physical means? Like the way I hold my neck clearly affects my tingling, and having my back supported wards off the pain.