Hello. I’m new here. I had a bike accident 7 months ago that left me needing 9 ribs repaired with metal pins and a thoracic spine fusion. I still have discomfort and some pain from all of this. I don’t know if my pain was a still due to the basic repairs and metalwork or if it is more due to my emotional response to the injuries and pain. I feel myself grieving for myself because of all the things I no longer can do & know I am suffering from depression. I’ve had anxiety in the past before the accident and get it now mainly around being worried about being able to cope with the pain and discomfort. I would appreciate any advice on whether following this program might help me. I would like to think it might. Thx Colin
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Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
FredAmir
Well known member
Hi Colin,
welcome!
Quite an accident you had. With that kind of repair it can be hard to determine how much of your pain is due to the metal and how much is conditioned pain.
Sometimes by gradually pushing against the pain with a steady slow plan of action with a goal of reaching full function you can determine if it’s conditioned pain. If it is, you can overcome it.
As for anxiety and depression, that’s quite understandable in your situation. Yet, you may consider a mind shift. You can see all that has happened to you a blessing and part of a greater plan to bring you greater good. See my video about hardships and miracle.
You can wake up every day excitedly looking forward to what adventure awaits you next. You can do this with some daily metal and emotional practices.
Take a look at what happened to Morris Goodman after he survived a plane crash.
welcome!
Quite an accident you had. With that kind of repair it can be hard to determine how much of your pain is due to the metal and how much is conditioned pain.
Sometimes by gradually pushing against the pain with a steady slow plan of action with a goal of reaching full function you can determine if it’s conditioned pain. If it is, you can overcome it.
As for anxiety and depression, that’s quite understandable in your situation. Yet, you may consider a mind shift. You can see all that has happened to you a blessing and part of a greater plan to bring you greater good. See my video about hardships and miracle.
You can wake up every day excitedly looking forward to what adventure awaits you next. You can do this with some daily metal and emotional practices.
Take a look at what happened to Morris Goodman after he survived a plane crash.
Ellen
Beloved Grand Eagle
I think it would be very helpful for you to consult with a TMS doctor on your specific situation. Is there one near you or that you can travel to?
https://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Find_a_TMS_Doctor_or_Therapist (Find a TMS Doctor or Therapist)
This list may not be completely up to date. Let us know where you live and maybe someone can recommend a TMS doctor.
https://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Find_a_TMS_Doctor_or_Therapist (Find a TMS Doctor or Therapist)
This list may not be completely up to date. Let us know where you live and maybe someone can recommend a TMS doctor.
Cap'n Spanky
Beloved Grand Eagle
Hi Colinj67 and welcome!
It certainly sounds very possible that you're experiencing TMS. After our bodies heal from an accident, the pain should steadily subside. I'm not a doctor, but 7 months sounds like a pretty long time and it's likely there is some learned neural pathway pain. Anxiety and depression are the perfect partners for TMS.
I'm a huge fan of Alan Gordon's Pain Recovery Program | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome) (tmswiki.org). It's completely free. You might have a look and see what you think. Although it's presented in a casual, easy to digest style, I really jumped into the program with both feet and pounded the principals into my head.
Best of luck to you!!
Baseball65
Beloved Grand Eagle
Things you really can't do OR things 'They' have told you that you can't do? I was depressed too, because I still believed 'them'
. I was told at age 32 that I would never even Jog again without risking paralysis. I was told I would always live with at least a moderate amount of pain or a LOT of being careful. NONE of that is true in spite of what 'They' said. I play baseball, ride skateboards and bikes and occasionally run when I need to...all pain free. I am a 55 year old construction worker with zero limitations (other than skill)
I gave the title of Sarno's book 'Healing Back Pain' to my friend whose wife had several surgeries as her whole thoracic and mid back was shattered in a car accident. She had been in and out of the surgery world for years. She got better in about a month...100% better, no restrictions...even with all of her titanium (LOL)
You might just be in the right place. Fred Amir is one of the best professionals here, if you decide to go that route.
peace
Struggling to use the reply function! Thanks for this. Really heartening to hear of someone with similar injuries to me getting themselves fully healed. The surgeons actually haven’t really said that there are things I can’t do. Rather it feels that way to me right now. But you are right with time, belief and effort anything is possible. Many thanks. Colin.
M
M
Ellen
Beloved Grand Eagle
Check out this organization in UK. They have a "Find a Practitioner" function on their site. SIRPA has an excellent reputation in their treatment of TMS.
https://www.sirpa.org/ (SIRPA UK)
FredAmir
Well known member
Thank you Baseball65 for your kind words.
Colin, since "The surgeons actually haven’t really said that there are things I can’t do." then you can start planning to take back your life.
Here's a Rapid Recovery success story from two car accidents mentioned in Rapid Recovery from Back and Neck Pain
"And then there was John. He was a twenty-nine-year-old computer scientist and businessman who had been in two serious car accidents in six years. The first time he was broadsided by a truck and taken to the hospital unconscious. He woke up later feeling pain all over and continued to have pain and muscle spasms from his left shoulder down to his left leg. Therapy and medication helped but did not eliminate the pain. To make matters worse, six years later he was rear-ended on the freeway by a car traveling thirty miles per hour faster than his.
John suffered from severe sciatica in his left leg, piriformis syndrome, and chronic pain from his neck to his lower back. He also experienced pain and numbness in both forearms and hands at night and when he held them in a raised position, such as when holding a telephone receiver. His orthopedically designed bed was not much help, and he had to sleep on the floor. This situation was emotionally painful for him, as he was newly married and his bride found sleeping on the floor quite uncomfortable.
I explained TMS and the recovery plan to him, and since he was a self-motivated, goal-oriented person, I let him design his own recovery plan. Shortly after our meeting he began sleeping on the sofa, and in less than two weeks he was sleeping on his bed without experiencing any pain or discomfort. John’s wife, mother, other relatives, and friends were amazed at his rapid improvement. He rewarded himself by taking his wife out to dinner.
Thereafter, he experienced only mild and occasional bouts of back pain, which he was able to eliminate on command; however, the numbness in his forearms and hands had not improved, especially on the right side. He had had two operations on his right wrist to help relieve pressure in the past, and he worried that he might need more surgery. I told him that considering his triumph over pain in his back, he should seriously consider challenging the numbness in his forearms and hands as well. Then I explained to him one of the techniques I had used that was quite effective: scaring the pain away!
I used to hit myself on my thighs or other parts of my body that hurt to prove to my mind that my body was healthy, and I was no longer afraid of pain. I had also threatened my subconscious that if it did not stop the pain in my back or leg, I would give it such a pain that the pain caused by tension would fade in comparison. Of course, I followed up by pushing as hard as I could against the pain-by getting into the positions and doing the activities that caused pain. This approach had worked very well. So I advised John to give this strategy a try, too.
When I met John one week later, he said his forearm and hand had improved tremendously. Any time he felt pain or numbness, he grasped his right forearm firmly and told his inner child he would do worse if it did not stop the pain. I was glad to see that this technique worked for him and that he was able to avoid another operation."
Colin, since "The surgeons actually haven’t really said that there are things I can’t do." then you can start planning to take back your life.
Here's a Rapid Recovery success story from two car accidents mentioned in Rapid Recovery from Back and Neck Pain
"And then there was John. He was a twenty-nine-year-old computer scientist and businessman who had been in two serious car accidents in six years. The first time he was broadsided by a truck and taken to the hospital unconscious. He woke up later feeling pain all over and continued to have pain and muscle spasms from his left shoulder down to his left leg. Therapy and medication helped but did not eliminate the pain. To make matters worse, six years later he was rear-ended on the freeway by a car traveling thirty miles per hour faster than his.
John suffered from severe sciatica in his left leg, piriformis syndrome, and chronic pain from his neck to his lower back. He also experienced pain and numbness in both forearms and hands at night and when he held them in a raised position, such as when holding a telephone receiver. His orthopedically designed bed was not much help, and he had to sleep on the floor. This situation was emotionally painful for him, as he was newly married and his bride found sleeping on the floor quite uncomfortable.
I explained TMS and the recovery plan to him, and since he was a self-motivated, goal-oriented person, I let him design his own recovery plan. Shortly after our meeting he began sleeping on the sofa, and in less than two weeks he was sleeping on his bed without experiencing any pain or discomfort. John’s wife, mother, other relatives, and friends were amazed at his rapid improvement. He rewarded himself by taking his wife out to dinner.
Thereafter, he experienced only mild and occasional bouts of back pain, which he was able to eliminate on command; however, the numbness in his forearms and hands had not improved, especially on the right side. He had had two operations on his right wrist to help relieve pressure in the past, and he worried that he might need more surgery. I told him that considering his triumph over pain in his back, he should seriously consider challenging the numbness in his forearms and hands as well. Then I explained to him one of the techniques I had used that was quite effective: scaring the pain away!
I used to hit myself on my thighs or other parts of my body that hurt to prove to my mind that my body was healthy, and I was no longer afraid of pain. I had also threatened my subconscious that if it did not stop the pain in my back or leg, I would give it such a pain that the pain caused by tension would fade in comparison. Of course, I followed up by pushing as hard as I could against the pain-by getting into the positions and doing the activities that caused pain. This approach had worked very well. So I advised John to give this strategy a try, too.
When I met John one week later, he said his forearm and hand had improved tremendously. Any time he felt pain or numbness, he grasped his right forearm firmly and told his inner child he would do worse if it did not stop the pain. I was glad to see that this technique worked for him and that he was able to avoid another operation."
Hi Fred. Thanks for this. A problem I have in addition to the pain is that the surgery seems to have impacted my ability to deep breath. This maybe the spine fusion, the metal in my ribs orca combination. Do you think your approach can help this as well? Many thanks for your kind guidance. It is really appreciated.
FredAmir
Well known member
What do your surgeons say? Do they think the repairs done can affect deep breathing? If not, the plan should work.
Hi Fred. Well somewhat yes. I have 9 metal pins around 9 ribs. These can reduce the flexibility of the ribs so can affect deep breathing. They haven’t outright said this is the cause of your deep breathing problems but have said I will have a less flexible rib cage. I’m hoping they might agree in the future (more than 1 year from surgery) to remove some of the metalwork.