Need help - is this TMS?

Hi,

I'm a 35 years old man, like to work out, and considered physically fit. I injured my low back around 10 years ago, unable to stand straight for almost a week.

During that time until now, I got several flare ups, re-injured it (mostly minor) while working out etc. I got stiff backs, tight backs, backaches etc regularly, but nothing really hold me back. I keep working out etc and living my life.

around a month ago, the frequency of flare ups are getting narrower (flare ups usually last a day or 2) so I decided to check with neurologist (I've been to 2 orthopedics based on x ray and they said everything's fine) the neurologist said it might be herniated disc and order MRI.

I'm confused that after I went to the doctor, I start to feel pain in my right leg occasionally. I decided to get MRI and sure enough, it shows herniated disc in L5-S1 and pinched the right nerve.

I brought the MRI to the doctor, he did some flexibility test and pinched the herniated area. And since I don't feel any pain, he said that my body probably already adapted to the pinched nerve. In the end, he told me to keep doing whatever I was doing, and he only gave some drugs to be taken for flare ups.

I wonder if the leg pain is TMS? I've never feel any leg pain after all this time, until I checked with doctor. Sometimes I regret my decision to go to doctor - I remember fighting with myself in the doctor's waiting room, since I felt really fine and if going to the doctor even necessary.

the back ache/pain also seems to be worsen this last few days, despite I reduce the intensity of work out. it's either in the left lumbar & buttock, or right. rarely both of them. the leg pain still happened regularly, sometimes in my arms (only for a sec or so) I wonder if this is TMS?

sorry for the lengthy post - I live in Southeast Asia and I don't think I can find any TMS therapist here.

thanks!

 

Do you have the TMS personality traits as well?
It sounds like you do seeing how the pain moves around. I never went to a TMS doc but I know that's what it is. I know because my MRI showed nothing, I have the personality traits, and the pain would show up every friday night. It wouldn't make sense that it would come and go.

 

Hi Ines,

I'd say that most of the time I tend to hold my emotions in if something annoys me (I easily get annoyed) and most of my family members said that I am such a worrywart. I think about small problems a lot, fearing that it will blown up. After the diagnosis from doctor, my fear grows exponentially...I start to avoid certain movement (bending over etc) which is bad for my sanity

thanks

 

Hi Oscar, and welcome to the forum! I also never went to a TMS doctor - I totally self-diagnosed myself, and recovered from most of my symptoms. I still sometimes have symptoms, but they come and go, and the best thing is that I don't worry about them anymore, and got my life back.

It sure sounds to us like you have TMS, and the thing is, it can't hurt to assume it's TMS for now, since the doctor didn't seem too concerned. But there are things you can do - I suggest that you start with the SEP - that's the Structured Educational Program on our main wiki site. It was designed by the founding volunteers of this community, and it's totally free. The great thing is that it's structured into 42 "days" but you don't have to do it every single day - take as many days as you need. You'll find different resources and different techniques, so that you can concentrate on the things that seem to work for you. Everyone is different, and TMS is different for everyone!


Let us know how it's going!

~Jan

 

Hi Jan,

thanks - I will look into it. to be honest the doctor doesn't seem concerned at all after he did some test (flexibility etc) and the pain seems to be moving around but the "main" is the right lumbar...like yesterday, the pain is on the left lumbar, and after swimming the pain move to right (left felt fine which is really weird) and the evening pain move again to left lumbar...

thanks for the insight!

 

[Deleted at BeWell's request]

 

Hi BeWell,

I was lifting in the gym, use really bad form, being stupid and all, and I heard a loud crack in low back. In a matter of seconds I'm in intense pain and unable to stand straight for almost a week...but being young, I'm back to the gym in a week (no lifting, only walk at treadmill even with pain) and before I know it it's business as usual. Over the course of this 10 years I re-injured it badly one time, and the rest is just minor tweak & twinges. My back always aching during this time but I never thought about it, thinking it just muscle tightness. After I read the MRI everything changes....I even think twice to bend over to pick up something