Day 4 No let up!

Finishing Day 4 and the pain level in my upper back and neck is unrelenting! I have read through Sarno's Healing Back Pain twice now and was hoping for a "flip of the switch" and a relief from this chronic pain... Already some doubt is creeping in (is it actually physical symptoms i.e. nerve pain from entrapment!) encouragement welcome!

 

Don't give up yet! You're just beginning. I think the people who are healed just from reading a book are in the minority. I'm on day 19 and not completely cured yet but have made lots of improvement.

Have you seen a doctor and made sure that there is no physical issue? If you haven't, that could give you some reassurance. Otherwise, keep at it. Have you tried doing small amounts of exercise? Sometimes that helps you to move forward too.

 

I have been to a few docs and had a MRI of my cervical and lumbar, which shows a few disc bulges and two protruding discs that are pressing on nerves (in the cervical). I was told surgery is optional, but even the surgeon said he would "tough it out for awhile" (but I have been dealing with this same pain - nerve pain in the upper back - for 4 years). Then sometimes my lower and mid back will flare up as well, but I just have some degenerative discs there. And now recently, I started to get some nerve pain around my sternum! I am trying to convince myself that the pain is just related to TMS...

With regards to exercise, I have still been able to exercise regularly over the past 4 years but not with the same intensity (I used to work out hard 6 days a week). I actually feel good exercising but the pain quickly returns once am done.

 

Hi, jrid. You are in the early days of the SEprogram, so be patient. As kukafei says, it takes a while for most of us.

Dr. Sarno says that even if tests show disc problems, the cause of their pain is very likely from TMS emotions. That's why surgery is seldom the answer.

If it's any consolation, George Clooney has had back problems for many years and has had several operations, but they did not help him for long. He had a tough childhood and his pain probably is TMS from repressed boyhood angers. Too bad he doesn't know about TMS.

You need to believe 100 percent in your pain coming from your emotions. Keep up the exercise and don't fret that you aren't performing as well as you used to. You'll be there again soon. The more you focus on the exercise and the less on the pain, you will be fine.

 

The fact that the pain temporarily lets up after exercise but then returns is evidence that it's TMS according to The MindBody Prescription (either introduction or Ch1).

 

Thanks everyone for the support! These are the words I needed to hear. Now I am just trying to figure out which repressed emotions I have, which is turning out to be a tough task!!! Especially since I have proven to be very stoic.