Not monitoring pain when walking/ standing... help

Hi all.. haven't posted here for quite a while (just observed) and firstly want to say how much I appreciate the wonderful and supportive postings on the forum.. so useful and inspiring.. so thanks to all who contribute.
I am reading Steve O's The Great Pain Deception (am about fifth of way through) which has had some really rather enlightening moments for me.
There are a few things I could post about but for now this is my query..
My area that I feel stuck with is fear around walking and standing for long. This seems to very much link with anxiety and a sense of feeling unsafe and insecure. I am trying to not monitor my pain when I walk but am finding that so so hard not to do.. feel at a bit of a brick wall with how to begin to achieve this.. my mind springs back to awareness of my legs and hip 'pain' every few seconds.. even if it is not actually hurting I am incredibly aware of the areas and feel ultra sensitive (hyper sensitised?) .. this is worse when I am in a crowded area too..
any advise from any of you lovely people gratefully received.. my journey continues...

 

Hi Spiragirl,

I can relate. I keep telling myself as I walk and stand that I am sending my subconscious a message that it won't trick me with the pain, that movement is CRUCIAL to recovery. Lower limbs take a lot of daily load, making them "soft" targets for TMS. I can't add a lot more.

Please just know that feel for you.


We can turn this around, with "belief and persistence" (Thanks Dr Zafirides). Keep posting Spiragirl, there are so many great people reading this with great empathy.

 

Hi Michael,
thanks for your response. Yes I guess legs are 'soft targets' as used so much.. I also think there is a real connection for me with sometimes not feeling personally emotionally supported by myself or others.. legs are
meant to be strong and supporting aren't they and they are giving me a message that I need to be more open about my stresses and to ask for support rather than 'look after' everyone elses needs.
But it is hard not focus on the pain etc in my legs (and sometimes back/ hip) and not monitor it.. just got to learn to be mindful and let it float past..
Interestingly after that posting (I had just done a walk) the next day I felt alot better and stronger.. I think I am accepting and acknowledging some emotions ..
am about to go away for a week which potentially will involve alot of walking (bit scary) so going to be time to take Great Pain Deception with me and have some time and space to absorb and relax..

Good luck with your journey Michael.. sounds like you are working hard at change which is great.. and yes 'belief and persistence' are so important. Not a quick fix to be sure

 

I am also reading Steve O's book. It's an amazing acoount of just how smashed your body can be and still completely recover.
Steve does caution against impatience. It's a biggie for me. Results driven T Type..

Thanks for your kind words spiralgirl. Enjoy the week away. Reckon you will come back stronger.

 

This was one of the parts of SteveO's book that I found the hardest to put into practise - initially, at least. Just before I started looking into TMS and reading the book, I had been timing myself walking (1-2 minutes on a good day). I continued timing myself as I began to improve as this is a useful yardstick to measure progress and personal capability. Plus I had been trying to implement the 'pacing' strategies since my Pain Management Programme last year.

I had been considering it for a few weeks, but there came a day where I just stopped timing myself. This was a *breakthrough* week in both my understanding of TMS and healing from pain. Feeling a tangible improvement in my pain combined with strengthened belief in TMS, I suddenly no longer needed to prove to myself how far I could or couldn't walk. I just did it for the sake of walking. I also stopped the daily physiotherapy exercises I've been doing for the past year. I know they couldn't be doing me any physical harm, but doing them (+ using a stopwatch) reinforces the notion that there is a physically flaw that needs 'repairing'.

SteveO's story was particularly extreme: an agonising 'run' round the block. If my symptoms were that bad, I may have thought twice ;-)

Good luck Spiralgirl + I hope you get where you want to be!

 

The link below kind of fits the conversation...

More attention paid to fear of movement would be helpful. For me, when I accepted the TMS dx and began to resume activities I wanted to know why things still hurt, not just that they will. No doctor at all explained to me that my rock solid shoulder muscles would produce pain here or here or there. Therefore, I would then get frightened and stop and the anxiety-fear-anxiety cycle would start again. Part of every TMS course, real or virtual, or any exam, especially if it has to to with posture muscles -- and many cases do-- should come an anatomy course or "movement" course. If knowledge is the cure, those who need more knowledge, often the TMS type, will be helped by more.

This is worth pondering: http://healthskills.wordpress.com/2009/08/25/safety-behaviours-do-they-maintain-kinesiophobia/


Hey, where is my trophy from that first post?