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Running through the pain?

Discussion in 'General Discussion Subforum' started by heidicat27, Jul 2, 2018.

  1. heidicat27

    heidicat27 New Member

    I'm relapsing with this TMS and it's so unbelievably frustrating. I've got left glute, lower back, and sciatica type pain. I'm so frustrated that I want to run through it. I just want to say "Ef it" and go for a job like usual. My question: is this the right thing to do? I'm afraid I'll make things worse, but I also can't see how I could make things work.

    Anyway, I'm curious if people take ibuprofen/pain killers and rest when they get some sort of flare up, or if they try to fight through it and continue their activities. Thanks!
     
  2. Pietro Carloni

    Pietro Carloni Peer Supporter

    Hi heidicat27,
    I also had the same perplexities and I must say that at the beginning I had a bit 'of fear in resuming normal daily activities (such as going to work on foot etc.etc.). as far as my experience is concerned, I can tell you that I have proceeded step by step. when I had less pain I started to practice sports, but every time I trained I had some relapses and a sharpening of all the symptoms, then slowly I noticed that the pains were decreasing with increasing physical activity.
    Today I have problems especially when I do things I do not want, or when I accumulate stress during the day, but I always try to avoid medicines or I take 500 mg of paracetamol in the days of greatest discomfort.

    This forum is full of good advice and in my opinion there is not a more suitable path than another, we are all different and different life choices have brought us where we are now, so we must continue to try and experience which strategy is more suited to our needs.
    A greeting
    Pietro
     
  3. EileenS

    EileenS Well known member

    If that's what you feel like doing, then go out for a run. If you read SteveO's book, 'The Great Pain Deception', that's how he always approached his pain and he got 100% better. If you haven't read his book, I and others highly suggest it.
    As Dr Sarno says, fear of pain is more of a distraction than pain itself. The fear of pain is what keeps us stuck.
     
  4. heidicat27

    heidicat27 New Member

    Thanks for the replies! I didn't go for a run, but I went to bed early, tried to relax and work through some serious stress I've been dealing with, and I'm feeling a lot better today. Hopefully, it's all up hill from here! Maybe I'll run today, but if not, I'll at least do a short work out. It's funny, I can do squats, sit ups, burpees, push-ups, deadlifts, etc. with no pain, but I get pain doing lunges and running. Like, squats, dead lifts, and sit ups all use the same muscles as walking/ jogging. There's really no reason for this pain.

    I knew it was going to be a stressful week with my gym being closed and having a lot of extra stress at work and home, but I really didn't think I'd have a relapse like this.

    @Pietro Carloni thanks for the advice! I started kickboxing last fall and have improved tremendously. Of course, my pain went away on the right side and then switched to my left side, but I thought I was almost over the left side pain. Did you ever get to a point in which you had no pain if you worked out every day, but it came back when you took a break for a few days? For me, it's like I feel better throughout the work week because I go to the gym Mon-Thursday. Then the weekend comes around and the pain in back by Sunday. What the heck does that even mean?

    @EileenS Thank you, I'll be sure to check out that book. I have so much so reading to do!
     
  5. Pietro Carloni

    Pietro Carloni Peer Supporter

    Hello @heidicat27 ,
    I understand you perfectly.
    When I resumed my sporting activity, my bilateral sciatica has magically transformed into upper back pain that still accompanies me during periods of greater tension. And even when I interrupt for a few days the same thing happens.
    This makes me understand that I'm in the good way for recovery and I do not get discouraged.
    At least without this pain I would not have had the will to face certain issues and to start practicing sport.

    I think that the weekend, like the departure for the holidays, are the moments when the symptoms get worse especially because I subject myself to more stress and increases the fear of not being able to do everything that others (family, children, wife) they ask me and somehow I feel "having to" do. In fact, I realized that the pain increases, emigrates and gets worse especially when I force myself to do things that I do not want to do, but in any case "must" be done.
    This is a controversial issue because on the one hand we have to listen to ourselves and what we "feel" to do, but on the other hand I have found that to regain confidence in our physical abilities we need to get out of the "comfort zone" and face the situations we have avoided for fear of hurting us.
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2018
    EileenS likes this.
  6. heidicat27

    heidicat27 New Member

    @Pietro Carloni Wow, it's kind of reassuring to know that I'm not the only one experiencing this! For me, I'm realizing that I feel 'safe' at the gym I've been going to. The instructors are all super motivating and supportive. When the weekend comes around or I can't go to the gym for a few days, the pain comes back -- maybe I'm relying on this environment as a bit of a crutch?

    I ended up going for a jog the other night and running through the pain. I really tried to talk myself up, convince myself that I'm repressing emotions, etc. My glute/lower back hurt the entire run, but I probably ran my fastest 3 miles ever! I felt a lot better that night and the next morning. I thought I was winning! And THEN, I agreed to a hike with my BF. I felt like he was criticising me and being arrogant the whole way and the pain came back fast! Our July 4th festivities ended with him in a really bad mood and it really hit me -- stomach pains and the whole right side of my neck started cramping up. Wow! I've never had those symptoms before. Part of me wants to eliminate that stress from my life; if a relationship is causing me physical pain, I should probably make some changes, right? But I'm not sure that'll really make the pain go away. It seems from everything I've been reading is that I need to acknowledge my repressed emotions -- fear, not feeling safe, etc. rather than just change my environment.
     
  7. EileenS

    EileenS Well known member

    • Sometimes you have to do both, but sounds like you need to talk to your boyfriend first about how you feel; ie, that you felt like he criticized you.
     

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