do you keep an evidence log? Definitively moments where the pain shifts, waxes or wanes, is it better upon waking up, worse when it rains, do baths help etc. structural pain is going to be more consistent, less prone to moving, fluctuating.
what’s your TMS knowledge like, what programs have you tried, what methods are you using? TMS work IMO is a little more than just not paying attention to a symptom and getting on with life. There’s usually (almost always) some underlying thing that leads to nervous system dysfunction that forces the brain to create symptoms.
if you don’t believe it’s TMS and are thrown into a panic after exercise then you’re just going to get stuck in a loop of flares and pain and panic. The first step is accepting enough that what you have is TMS, then gathering evidence by doing work and keeping a log and looking back on it in moments of doubts/flares.
I had awful knee pain yesterday playing volleyball, and then had my right knee gave out while walking to work this morning
I’m fine right now. Would structural pain act that way? My knees are a sensitive part for me, I’ve had knee pain (TMS) on and off since my early 20s and had a small fracture in my patella back in April which healed without issue. But if I didn’t have the knowledge I do now it’s very likely I’d be thrown into a panic and start obsessing over my knees like I did when I was 21.
start reframing how you view flares, they’re a ticket out of this, assuming you can learn to respond well to them. They’re there to distract you, if they stop doing that then the brain is going to have to change its strategy up.
First of all, thank you for your reply.
I'm in Italy and recently started seeing a therapist who specializes in psychosomatic illnesses.
I've noted numerous tests that the pain is TMS-type. But this is precisely what's holding me back: the pain increases and decreases, disappearing with some activities, but never completely.
Before, my knees would get hot and red at night when I was doing more. Today, they don't, and that's a significant thing for me. I can walk more. I can do steps with less pain. I can sleep at night.
However, I have a burning sensation, especially when I'm sitting or standing still, making it difficult to do anything, especially my computer work. The burning is annoying; I feel it with every movement of my kneecaps. All day long since December 2024.
I've suffered from it many times since my surgery in 2010 on left knee (the surgeon didn't do anything, but he made some money!), and it disappeared almost miraculously. But once (in 2018, after running training), it took a miracle of sorts: the death of a friend's mother, with whom I shared the last days of her life.
Since 2018, I've been a little worse, but the flare-ups have only occurred in the winter, with no apparent explanation. Maybe I was just sadder, more sedentary, and bored (I live on a tourist island). Then, in the summer, with more activity, I felt too good for this pain to be real. But every winter it's gotten better, so much so that I've had a great year.
I'm stuck with the fairly constant presence of the pain, my overuse activities (10-minute wall sit squats), and the obsession with a diagnosis of grade 1 chondropathy in my right knee and grade 1/2 chondropathy in my left. I am 40 years old, so it could be normal, but I am terrified for my future. Even when I'm well, I think about it at least a little because I want it to go away. I have pain in both knees, and it's getting harder.
My pain is burning in the morning. Then, if I walk and don't sit still at work, it gets better and I feel pretty good during the day. The next morning, I feel sore again. It's as if I need movement to keep my joints supple and lubricated.
To improve, I'm trying to live life without giving up anything, making my life less boring. I listen to my needs much more, work less, do more of the things I enjoy, read more, and use technology less when I wake up and before bed. I talk less about my problem with strangers and, in general, with myself and others. I even talk less about it to my wife. I don't watch YouTube video or blog.
I have a newborn daughter who has stressed me out a lot. In just a few months, I had a lot of tension and stress. Today, I'm more accustomed to it, I love her, and I'm not hypocritical with her, dedicating more time to myself and my wife.
I have read many books about TMS but I don't understand how to work to solve my problems. I don't like tools, I prefer to live without fear.
