Questions for daily life regardless of what stage you're in

[JDev1]

Hey Team,

I'm grateful and blessed to say I'm about 90-95% better. I have some up and down moments, but I go to work full-time and exercise without needing to hold back.

I mention this because the questions I'm going to ask is not in order to heal, but to have a better understanding of what TMS does in our daily life. I never heard of it before 2months ago and now my pain is almost completely gone. It's amazing! But now I have no idea if I should or shouldn't do other things that I once thought were healthy.

1.) Should you stretch before lifting or doing sports? Again, not because it'll make your pain go away, but does it actually prevent injuries? I wonder if an athletic trainer should tell his client to stretch or if that is more of a placebo

2.) Can computer use or gaming cause any long term damage? I know RSI, carpal tunnel, and floaters/eye strain are TMS symptoms, but is there any benefit to using ergonomic tools, standing desks, 20/20/20 eye rule or are those just a fad?

3.) Is gluten or dairy bad? Do food allergies exist? Supplements necessary?
I know being on a healthy diet is beneficial for your body, but do we go too far with what is actually considered good or bad like the stuff above? I personally stay away from gluten or dairy, but it's mainly cause I hear it's bad and because I'm lactose intolerant.

It's hard to know what to believe anymore and so if anyone has resources they recommend, please list them! Most of the TMS books I've read kind of touch on these subjects and a few other stuff, but they don't go into a lot of detail(which is fine cause it's not needed in order to heal).

These are questions I personally have, but feel free to post your own. Maybe someone else or myself can answer them.

 

[Lynn S]

Hey Team,

I'm grateful and blessed to say I'm about 90-95% better. I have some up and down moments, but I go to work full-time and exercise without needing to hold back.

I mention this because the questions I'm going to ask is not in order to heal, but to have a better understanding of what TMS does in our daily life. I never heard of it before 2months ago and now my pain is almost completely gone. It's amazing! But now I have no idea if I should or shouldn't do other things that I once thought were healthy.

1.) Should you stretch before lifting or doing sports? Again, not because it'll make your pain go away, but does it actually prevent injuries? I wonder if an athletic trainer should tell his client to stretch or if that is more of a placebo

2.) Can computer use or gaming cause any long term damage? I know RSI, carpal tunnel, and floaters/eye strain are TMS symptoms, but is there any benefit to using ergonomic tools, standing desks, 20/20/20 eye rule or are those just a fad?

3.) Is gluten or dairy bad? Do food allergies exist? Supplements necessary?
I know being on a healthy diet is beneficial for your body, but do we go too far with what is actually considered good or bad like the stuff above? I personally stay away from gluten or dairy, but it's mainly cause I hear it's bad and because I'm lactose intolerant.

It's hard to know what to believe anymore and so if anyone has resources they recommend, please list them! Most of the TMS books I've read kind of touch on these subjects and a few other stuff, but they don't go into a lot of detail(which is fine cause it's not needed in order to heal).

These are questions I personally have, but feel free to post your own. Maybe someone else or myself can answer them.

Hello there,

I'm excited about your recovery. From a newbie like me that knows absolute nothing understand I can only share my feelings. All of your concerns could bring the return of the symptoms. If your pain was from TMS all of the physical prevention you mention wouldn't really matter. Your questions gave me anxiety without even being vested in the answers. Celebrate your successes and don't give your brain the power.

 

[JDev1]

Your questions gave me anxiety without even being vested in the answers. Celebrate your successes and don't give your brain the power.

That part of your reply cracked me up, because I completely understand why it would give you anxiety. You're definitely right about celebrating my success and not worrying about those other things so much. I guess I sometimes become curious for myself and also when I explain the process to others. It also makes me think if some of the extra effort or cost for being "healthier" is actually worth it if they're mainly placebos.

I'm grateful for the amount of improvement I've made and I know you'll get there too. It comes at different times for people, but I would have never believed the results were possible and how much enlightenment it's brought me.

 

[Lynn S]

That part of your reply cracked me up, because I completely understand why it would give you anxiety. You're definitely right about celebrating my success and not worrying about those other things so much. I guess I sometimes become curious for myself and also when I explain the process to others. It also makes me think if some of the extra effort or cost for being "healthier" is actually worth it if they're mainly placebos.

I'm grateful for the amount of improvement I've made and I know you'll get there too. It comes at different times for people, but I would have never believed the results were possible and how much enlightenment it's brought me.

WOW I'm excited for your gratitude. I guess we can go on about either side of the coin. I try to acknowledge the little improvements and feel gratitude as often as I can each day, I think I'm going to make it out of be tomorrow. Thanks for your encouragement.

 

[EileenS]

Hi JDev1,
Congratulations on your speedy recovery from tms. Well done! It can be very confusing, doubting things you took for granted as 'shoulds' and 'shouldn'ts'. These are my answers based not only on my tms recovery, but as a life long exerciser and commitment to telling people what they should eat.
Point 1: always a good idea to warm up the body before vigorous exercise or weight lifting to get the blood flowing better. But as far as stretching goes, I thought studies proved stretching beforehand is of no value. I enjoy doing yoga at least 2 times a week and stretch after weight lifting, but I do it because it feels good and keeps me limber, not to prevent injuries.

Point 2: I would love to say computer use and gaming causes long term damage (just kidding). It it were true, my 22 and 24 year old sons would be blind cripples. I was a computer software manager for 17 years myself. Make sure you take breaks to walk around and I do believe in giving the eyes a rest and change the distance they focus on. Make sure you have good posture at your computer. I have known people who have used the standing desks and exercise ball desks and other ergonomic devices, but I don't think they address the underlying cause which is quite likely tms. I think they are fads and crutches. As in point 1, get the blood flowing in the body. Humans haven't evolved to sit all the time. We need movement. When I worked in software we could have employed a PT full time, but it was our dictator boss, not the computers, that caused the muscle tension.

Point 3: Any dietitian will tell you gluten is NOT bad. The gluten free fad is robbing people of important nutrients found in whole grains. If you look on a package of rice and corn pasta, you will see the protein, for example, is very low compared to even regular white wheat pasta. My theory of gluten is, many people who think they are gluten intolerant actually have a problem digesting the additives that are put in the mass produced breads to extend shelf life. It can also be power of suggestion.
YES, there are definitely real allergies. A baby is too young to have the life threatening reaction some of them have for allergies to not be real. Intolerances can be tms, intolerance is not an allergy. Having a lactose intolerance is common and can be real, but not everyone has it. The lactase enzyme that digests lactose diminishes in some people past childhood, especially for some ethnic groups. As people age they can also develop some intolerance. It doesn't mean milk is 'bad' though. Many people are fine with lactose.
Supplements: As long as you eat a healthy well balanced diet, then only vitamin D is usually needed.
I hope that helps.

 

[Lynn S]

WOW I'm so glad you addressed JDwv1's valid concerns. I appreciate the good information. You're also so funny. Thanks for your time in sharing!