Pins / Needles?

Hi all. Haven’t posted here for awhile but have beaten thoracic pain with TMS methods but fell 2.5 years ago on ice and have been battling low back/buttock pain. Long story short MRI done then showed mild spondylolisthesis but advanced central canal stenosis. Ok so at THAT time my pain after fall was all thoracic. MRI of thoracic showed nothing. For the next 2 years I just kind of gritted my teeth and got back to jogging and being active but never felt 100% back to where I was pre fall. Last 6 months I’ve gotten increasingly worse SI joint and bilateral butt pain but also a new scary symptom- I’d start to run and then both feet and lower legs would get pins/needles so bad I’d have to stop because I couldn’t feel my feet and my legs get all wobbly. At first I’d grit thru and it would go away after 10 -20 minutes and I could run ok. But last 2 months it hasn’t gone away and the only thing that helps it is to bend over. Now it’s gotten to point I can’t even walk very far without that happening as well as severe cramping in butt and hips. This seems very typical of spinal stenosis - could this possibly be TMS? I feel I should get this checked out because I don’t want to get so I can’t walk at all. But I’m afraid of what they say, mainly “ you need surgery ASAP!”I know that Baseball65 said he had stenosis and was told he could be paralyzed, but has anyone experienced THIS severe numbness stuff?

 

I had neuropathic pain (pins and needles) in my hands and arms, numbness and what the doctor thought was muscle weakness. I was told that nerve damage was permanent. Once that started going away, I got bad muscle cramps. I am totally fine now, but it took two years to recover. The key to my recovery was meditation and emotional work. I would not recommend pushing through pain without addressing the underlying emotional and psychological problems.

 

Thanks for your reply BGE. I’m so glad you’ve healed! And that you were told you had permanent nerve damage and that obviously wasn’t true. I vacillate between thinking it’s ok to push through, like Steve Ozanich did, and not doing so. I have an appt with doc to get checked out as I think everyone should with these kind of symptoms (??). Although I know they’ll say all kinds of scary negative things. Going to try journaling again like Nicole Sachs suggests. Trying to think that emotions are the cause for this is hard for me but what do I have to lose?

 

I am very much into fitness myself. My approach was mostly push and pull. I pushed many times and pulled back many times. Of course, being told that you have nerve degradation and EMG to prove it is very discouraging, but I practiced both patience and ambition, sometimes unsuccessfully, but eventually succeeded.

When I started running (at a ripe age of 58), my feet were in pain and spastic. I kept running, through pain (thanks to SteveO and my runner friend, also Steve). In less than a month, the pain and spasms were gone from my feet. I now run half-marathons. However, when I tried to go back to yoga, I had to pull back many times. When I learned about Sarno, I gave myself 3 months to get back to my yoga practice. It took almost 2 years before I was able to do a simplest sun salutation, and another at least 6 months to regain most of my yoga shape.

You need to listen to your body and make decisions without getting frustrated over it (easy said than done). Accept your limitations. Focus on what you can achieve, instead of focusing on what pain takes away from you. Remember, your focus should be on emotional health and healing your nervous system. If you care to read another book, you can read mine, I describe in details how I got myself back in shape, both physically and mentally.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0834Q46SM

Last summer, I climbed Mount Whitney. I am 62 now.

Best of luck to you!

 

Well I’m going to get your book for sure. I’m just turned 66 and have been running since I was 12 with a 12 year hiatus due to back issues. But I kept fit doing other things and healed twice and started running again 20 years ago. Also did yoga for 14 years until the last 2.5. Trying to get back into it but got discouraged because I couldn’t do certain things I used to. I’m like you - I push, then pull back. That’s wonderful you can do 1/2 marathons. I’ve only done one but was planning on more until the fall 2 years ago. I have anger issues about that incident and need to work through those and forgive. Did you ever end up getting any surgery for your symptoms? Also I feel part of my TMS ? symptoms are due to a fear of aging and losing independence, looks etc. and fear of losing loved ones. Anyway I appreciate your encouragement and can’t wait to read your book.

 

I never got surgery or even steroids. I knew that they had no clue about my real diagnosis. As for fear of aging, check out this book: https://www.amazon.com/Successful-Aging-Neuroscientist-Explores-Potential-ebook/dp/B07S2N5DDQ/ . You will be enlightened and inspired. Best of luck to you!

 

Thanks so much! Will check it out. Glad no surgery etc. for you. Keep well and running!!

 

You too!