Hi all, I am new and interested in reaching out to you folks. How is this for a TMS Resume? I am a guy in my 40s who just desperately wants to get back to being physically active and I’m currently burdened with so much pain it is driving me crazy, and I am having trouble fully accepting the TMS diagnosis. I am despondent and in despair at my situation and could use some (I suppose) encouragement.
My history will sound familiar. Always had aches and pain even as a kid. I caught colds/flus a lot. Back in my late 20s I had what was considered at the time to be some kind of “chronic fatigue syndrome” thing, wherein I felt sick and fluish and exhausted for months and then years. Saw tons of doctors and the CFS diagnosis was the only thing anyone could come up with. No one has any answers for that diagnosis, either (or at least they didn’t back then). Those symptoms for the most part improved. After collarbone break and surgery about 10 years ago, I developed “tendonitis” in my shoulder that wasn’t improved by arthro debridement. That seems to have come and gone but stays mostly gone until I start lifting weights.
My latest issues are with my hip and wrist and to a lesser degree my knee. I’ve been diagnosed with Greater Trochanter Pain Syndrome in my hip/thigh (also affets knee), as well as tight ITB Syndrome. I get massive pain in my outer thigh when I run and even when I walk long distances. Keep in mind, I don’t think my Xrays show anything, I think the Ortho just diagnosed this based on symptoms. I’m also being treated for a TFCC tear in my wrist, which, according to the MRI, isn’t even a tear. It’s just edema i.e. fluid buildup. My wrist hurts A LOT. It started earlier this year when I was doing weight lifting and some yoga. Was achey here and there and then one day in the gym something got tweaked and I have been out of the gym ever since. I am barely active lately, gaining weight, feeling miserable and awful. No surgery for hip or wrist, yet.
I am in Physical Therapy for both hip and wrist and I can’t say they are doing much good. I get the sense that Physical Therapists often are winging it and guessing. I don’t mean to disrespect the profession but that’s just been my experience.
I have read a couple of Dr. Sarnos books going back 10+ years. I think reading his book possibly helped me ease out of my intense CFS symptoms though I can't be sure. I am 50-75% convinced I am a classic TMS case. I am always stressed. I have a history of depression and anxiety. I work in a stressful field, I live in NYC which is basically Stress City. I really think all my “injuries” are actually manifestations of anxiety, sadness, anger, frustration, worry. I’d like a TMS therapist but here in NY they are all out-of-pocket and I can’t afford that. I am 25% still stuck on the structural. That fear and uncertainty that it really is physical injury and that only meds, ice, PT, and possibly surgery will help.
I saw Dr. Ira Rashbaum at NYU a few weeks ago. He examined me and looked at my hip Xray and wrist MRI and concluded that, in his opinion, I am a TMS case. I suppose the tests can’t find anything physically wrong and the doctors are sending me to PT because they don’t have any other answers. Dr. Rashbaum said he could work with me, but he says I have to quit PT altogether. I feel like I’m not ready to do that. But at the same time, I’m not doing it 100% now that I’ve seen Rashbaum. I’m truly stuck between two worlds… TMS and Structural. Can anyone relate?
How do I break out of this? I have FOUR PT appointments scheduled for this week coming up. Do I just break them? I’m scheduled out to the end of September until (I assume) my insurance runs out.
I cannot afford Dr. Rashbaum’s $600 lectures but I don’t think that’s all he offers.
I have the Divided Mind by my nightstand and I pick it up and read it. The next thing I know I’m off to PT. I think I’m going crazy and I don’t know what to do.
Maybe I should start with a TMS Workbook of some kind? Journaling never really did anything for. I have issues with writing things down, always afraid someone will pick it up and read it (which is weird because I live alone) or get into my computer files and read that. That sounds paranoid schizo, I know, but I think it just stems from feeling like “journaling” is a byproduct of 1990s New Age stuff.
Also, one thing that boggles my mind is this… If it is all TMS, how come it gets worse with increased activity? The structural makes sense in this case. My leg hurts more when I go running in Central Park because it’s an overuse bursitis type of injury. Use causes irritation. Same with wrist. But if it’s TMS, why does my brain make it WORSE with increased use?
Anyway, sorry I rambled. Does anyone have any suggestions for reading materials to get me moving more in the TMS direction? If I stay hovering in miserable 75/25 land for much long I’ll lose my mind. I don’t want to spin my wheels in BOTH directions (TMS and Structural) and get nowhere on either side.
MichaelP
My history will sound familiar. Always had aches and pain even as a kid. I caught colds/flus a lot. Back in my late 20s I had what was considered at the time to be some kind of “chronic fatigue syndrome” thing, wherein I felt sick and fluish and exhausted for months and then years. Saw tons of doctors and the CFS diagnosis was the only thing anyone could come up with. No one has any answers for that diagnosis, either (or at least they didn’t back then). Those symptoms for the most part improved. After collarbone break and surgery about 10 years ago, I developed “tendonitis” in my shoulder that wasn’t improved by arthro debridement. That seems to have come and gone but stays mostly gone until I start lifting weights.
My latest issues are with my hip and wrist and to a lesser degree my knee. I’ve been diagnosed with Greater Trochanter Pain Syndrome in my hip/thigh (also affets knee), as well as tight ITB Syndrome. I get massive pain in my outer thigh when I run and even when I walk long distances. Keep in mind, I don’t think my Xrays show anything, I think the Ortho just diagnosed this based on symptoms. I’m also being treated for a TFCC tear in my wrist, which, according to the MRI, isn’t even a tear. It’s just edema i.e. fluid buildup. My wrist hurts A LOT. It started earlier this year when I was doing weight lifting and some yoga. Was achey here and there and then one day in the gym something got tweaked and I have been out of the gym ever since. I am barely active lately, gaining weight, feeling miserable and awful. No surgery for hip or wrist, yet.
I am in Physical Therapy for both hip and wrist and I can’t say they are doing much good. I get the sense that Physical Therapists often are winging it and guessing. I don’t mean to disrespect the profession but that’s just been my experience.
I have read a couple of Dr. Sarnos books going back 10+ years. I think reading his book possibly helped me ease out of my intense CFS symptoms though I can't be sure. I am 50-75% convinced I am a classic TMS case. I am always stressed. I have a history of depression and anxiety. I work in a stressful field, I live in NYC which is basically Stress City. I really think all my “injuries” are actually manifestations of anxiety, sadness, anger, frustration, worry. I’d like a TMS therapist but here in NY they are all out-of-pocket and I can’t afford that. I am 25% still stuck on the structural. That fear and uncertainty that it really is physical injury and that only meds, ice, PT, and possibly surgery will help.
I saw Dr. Ira Rashbaum at NYU a few weeks ago. He examined me and looked at my hip Xray and wrist MRI and concluded that, in his opinion, I am a TMS case. I suppose the tests can’t find anything physically wrong and the doctors are sending me to PT because they don’t have any other answers. Dr. Rashbaum said he could work with me, but he says I have to quit PT altogether. I feel like I’m not ready to do that. But at the same time, I’m not doing it 100% now that I’ve seen Rashbaum. I’m truly stuck between two worlds… TMS and Structural. Can anyone relate?
How do I break out of this? I have FOUR PT appointments scheduled for this week coming up. Do I just break them? I’m scheduled out to the end of September until (I assume) my insurance runs out.
I cannot afford Dr. Rashbaum’s $600 lectures but I don’t think that’s all he offers.
I have the Divided Mind by my nightstand and I pick it up and read it. The next thing I know I’m off to PT. I think I’m going crazy and I don’t know what to do.
Maybe I should start with a TMS Workbook of some kind? Journaling never really did anything for. I have issues with writing things down, always afraid someone will pick it up and read it (which is weird because I live alone) or get into my computer files and read that. That sounds paranoid schizo, I know, but I think it just stems from feeling like “journaling” is a byproduct of 1990s New Age stuff.
Also, one thing that boggles my mind is this… If it is all TMS, how come it gets worse with increased activity? The structural makes sense in this case. My leg hurts more when I go running in Central Park because it’s an overuse bursitis type of injury. Use causes irritation. Same with wrist. But if it’s TMS, why does my brain make it WORSE with increased use?
Anyway, sorry I rambled. Does anyone have any suggestions for reading materials to get me moving more in the TMS direction? If I stay hovering in miserable 75/25 land for much long I’ll lose my mind. I don’t want to spin my wheels in BOTH directions (TMS and Structural) and get nowhere on either side.
MichaelP
My advice is to just do it 