New member with a question

Hello! I have known about Dr. Sarno for many years, but only dabbled in the approach because my symptoms were not debilitating. About a week and a half ago I started experiencing severe back pain that was so acute I ended up spending the night in the ER. Through a series of coincidences I found my way back to The Mindbody Prescription and delved into on Saturday. By Sunday the pain had subsided substantially. But now I have another symptom that I find very concerning -- my legs are weak (something Dr. Sarno talks about) and I am having significant problems with balance. It's as if I've started to lose control of my legs -- I'm bumping into things, have significant trouble with stairs, and often feel as though my legs are going to buckle underneath me. My reflexes are also completely non responsive, which has never happened before. Has anyone else experienced balance issues or lack of reflexes?

 

Yes, @shamancartwheels, these were my most alarming symptoms back in 2011, the worst of which (the feeling that my legs were going to buckle, and the alarming unsteadiness) resolved shortly after I learned about Dr. Sarno and started doing the work here. At the time it felt like a damn miracle, but I was so incredibly ready for a mindbody diagnosis that it did not take much to convince me of the reality of what I experienced, and continue to experience, and practice, today.

"After Sarno" I had a number of good years, but I'm extremely sensitive to world dysfunction, and different vestibular symptoms (although never as bad as "before Sarno) came back to haunt me starting in about 2016, and although they come and go, they are harder for me to deal with than pain or GI stuff, perhaps because I find it easier to visualize being free of those symptoms. When I finally realize they are getting in the way, that's when I have to get out the pen and paper and get back to my free-writing techniques and being willing to examine what my TMS brain is trying to repress (it's never earth-shattering, as it turns out, but the TMS mechanism is very primitive, and not suited to the stresses of the modern world!).

That being said, one of the things that I find works really well in the moment to reduce alarming vestibular symptoms is good old mindful breathing. I also believe that meditation can be really helpful, but I'm one of those who finds it hard to commit to it!

Here's a very lengthy, but very worthwhile and comprehensive thread from a number of years ago, which still includes (I hope) a link to download a PDF of the original article mentioned early in the thread (the online location disappeared, then it was found, then lost, and finally Forest go permission from the original author for us to post a PDF. It's a must-read for anyone with vestibular symptoms. Spoiler: if you've been properly checked out and have nothing else wrong, such symptoms are most likely to be what we call TMS (aka MBS and PPD).

https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/psycho-physiological-dizziness-syndrome-ppds.4599/ (Psycho-Physiological Dizziness Syndrome (PPDS)) I recommend reading all of the posts in order to see that you are far from being alone with these symptoms!

Good luck,

~Jan