New TMS student/patient

Hi, all. So excited to be participating. I am reading the Sarno books and starting the Structured program here.

I have had long term pain from an injury 21 1/2 years ago to the thoracic region of my back, specifically between T10-T12. Chipped a vertebrae @ T11 and it still shows up in X-rays. I cannot sit for more than about 20 minutes without developing immense pain. This has affected my career to the point I am talking to my doctor about going on disability. Lying down is fine, so is standing up.

I am wondering if anyone else here has a middle back injury and has had success with Dr. Sarno's treatment? Love to hear your experience. If all it takes is changing my mind, that beats surgery and pills and losing my livelyhood.

Thanks,

Interfool (Lew)

 

Hi Lew, welcome to the forum! I have not been here that long either. I would say
clear all your medical problems, if you believe in them. Then take a look
at who you are. Are you a perfectionist? Are you a people pleaser? I found I am in
every category there is to be TMSer. I have had pain for the last 8 yrs with no relief
only while lying down. Walking is murder or standing. I can sit and sleep with no problems.
My pain is in the LB and legs. I have had all tests plus many more than the usual person.
No answers, always been very active, not a complainer, ever. I know I have TMS as I have
an evidence sheet which you'll learn about. I am reading, listening, getting great support
on this TMS wiki. I would not have surgery until I was absolutely sure this would help, it usually
doesn't from I've read and seen as being a nurse. Hang in there, you'll find the support you need
right here while you figure it all out. Nancy

 

Welcome, Lew, to this lovely forum where you will find many paths to explore and many souls ready to offer their own experiences and advice.

Everything that Nancy said is perfect.

I will add in this for you to consider: If you know enough to ask a question, you are ready to gather the tools for that journey of learning. With an open mind, explore. Take what you need from what is offered so freely, and sift through it all to find your own personal truths.

With grace and gratitude,
^_^

 

Interfool, it is possible that your chipped vertebrae is not causing your pain at all. As Dr. Sarno points out on numerous occasions, your unconscious mind is aware via the central nervous system of every structural abnormality in your body. Thus, it is possible for the psyche to locate pain at the location of such things as herniated or bulging disks without the disks themselves being the culprits. Therefore, it would seem that it wouldn't be harmful to take a stab at TMS healing. There is a 42-day Structured Education Program (SEP) available on the left hand side of the first page of the TMS Wiki that contains directions for journaling and other psychotherapeutic exercises designed to promote TMS healing:

http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/The_Tension_Myositis_Syndrome_Wiki

Since you've obviously been checked out numerous times by medical doctors, I need not belabor the point that you should consult an MD to determine any underlying conditions. It will be interesting to see how you do because I've read about people with really frightening MRIs who've totally eliminated their TMS pain. Your cracked vertebrae might be just be there.

Best of luck!

 

Wow. Thanks to all for the helpful messages and support.
I'm really stymied by the medical profession in regards to my problem. As in other areas of allopathic medicine, they seem more interested in doing only what they know and profit from and not exploring alternatives or even listening to the patient. I had a bizarre experience with a doc at a pain clinic whose only interest was in giving me an epidural, had no interest in my input or history at all. The clinic also did not observe CDC sterile procedures and in the light of the fungal meningitis deaths nationally, even tho the shot worked for a while, I won't be going back to this clinic.

I am so grateful that this wiki exists. Yesterday, there was a period of time where I had no back pain. This seems to me to be an affirmation of TMS, in that I'm not always in pain. I do notice that when I'm upset or stressed, the pain is worse.

I am having problems with getting past the fact that when I sit for periods of time, the next day I am useless for work because of the pain. Hopefully, it's all in my head and not a physical issue.

The 42 day program encourages you to blog here, so I will be posting more as is warranted.

Thanks again. Happy Turkey day to all!

Lew (interfool)

 

Hi Interfool. Glad to be of help. Nothing intrinsically painful about sitting. Usually a programmed pain response that occurs early on in the TMS process, but is hard as heck to shake once it's there. If you want to learn a bit about so-called "Pain Clinics", read the concluding section of Chapter 15 on "Conditioning" in Steve Ozanich's book The Great Pain Deception (2011) on pp. 210-211. Reveals a lot about just how ineffective they are.