Sacroiliac joint disorder

Hi everyone



my name is Annette and I come from Germany. I have been struggling with pain in my lower back for the last 10 years and I am pretty sure it is TMS. I have been diagnosed with an instable sacroiliac joint (loose ligaments) and regular sacrum torsion. It feels like my pelvis is "twisted/blocked" and doesn`t move normally. Several osteopaths have told me that the right side and the left side of my pelvis move in the opposite direction and it gets stuck and that this causes my pain.


Since I am in a very difficult personal situation right now my tension and the pain have escalated and I have huge difficulties moving in daily life. I am totally stiff because I am afraid of nearly every movement.

Having to live alone after a very painfull breakup and being a freelance musician with little income adds some considerable pressure...


My question is: is this SI-joint-issue also a part of TMS? It isn`t mentioned in Dr. Sarno`s books so I am insecure about my diagnosis.


Anyway: the connection between emotional stress and increasing pain is very clear and countless physical treatments have only provided temporaray relief. There isn`t a cure for "ligament laxity", is there?


I would be most grateful for any piece of information which helps me to accept the TMS-diagnosis 100% and to finally convince myself that my back is fine.


Maybe someone amongst you has a similar story and has suceeded with the TMS approach?


One very interesting observation I have made: there has been a period in my life a few years ago when my back got better, and (surprise) I developed severe shoulder symptoms which lasted about a year. It seems that whenever I get pain in my shoulder my back is better and the other way around.


Also, I am very sure that my mother has TMS. She has been to countless doctors for the last 30 years, receiving treatments a couple of times per week, but in fact, none of the doctors could ever really tell what is wrong with her. Maybe TMS can be taken over from one of your parents...


I am looking forward to talk about our experiences with you!

 

I dunno but even a large number of GP's seem to totally dismiss this idea of SI joint dysfunction/instability diagnosis that seems to have become a popular diagnosis from chiro's osteos and the like. Some of the ones I have spoken with seem to think it is almost impossible for an instability to develop in that area that could cause pain.

I never really get the idea that hyper mobility and laxity cause pain as surely if that was the case surely every gymnast, yoga expert and the like would be in constant pain.

One thing specific to you here is the concept of nocebo...I fell prey to this after being told I had all the usual suspects such as SI joint dysfunction, leg length discrepancy and a twisted pelvis by a chiro and it took me years to get over this. I see you mention that osteos have diagnosed you with SI joint issues and this in turn has led to being afraid of specific movements etc. This is actually a huge thing as once you become fearful of movement your body will tighten and harden in specific areas in an unconscious bracing behaviour, you may no even be aware off this but it totally throws your body harmony off and this becomes very insidious and chronic.

The fact that your back pain goes and is substituted with a shoulder pain and then reverts again does not fit with a structural explanation but does fit perfectly within Sarno's hypothesis of the symptom imperative.

 

Hi Huckleberry,

Thanks for your reply! Glad to hear that you managed to get over your SI-diagnosis! How are you these days, is your TMS still better?
It really seems to be a very popular explanation used by osteos and chiros. It makes me wonder how people managed to live without all these treatments 20 years ago, before it was so common to get all these physical adjustments. However, a physician (pain specialist) I recently have been seeing told me that the movement in the SI-joint is so tiny that it can`t really go "out of place". She even gave me the advice not go to osteos so often but to give the body a chance to sort it out himself...

Even if your ligaments are not as tight as they should be (not even doctors seem to be able to answer that question properly and to give you a reason for their diagnosis), then why does only your back feel instable and not your knee, for example? There is just no logical concept behind this ligament theory. If your pelvis is a little twisted maybe it is just a sign of tension occuring in one side of the body (which TMS does a lot, as I have read) and altering the postion of the bones. When the tension goes everything should be back in its normal position.

So that`s why I am convinced that it is TMS and I am trying to overcome my fear of physical activity. At the moment I am working on that with the help of a physiotherapist who believes in the idea of tension caused by emotional stress. We are working on movements like getting down on your kness, standing on one leg and everything else I haven`t been able to do for months.
The greatest goal is not to think about the position of my pelvis any more.

Have nice and pain free Sunday!

 

Much of what you write is familiar to me especially your circumstances. I am a writer/artist and having suffered from a slipped disc many years ago, I had a very unpleasant break up which left me on my own and a bad leg got worse. I had various diagnoses from Chiros Osteos etc and little changed. My walking has got very bad and I am sure that it is TMS. I am working on this assumption now, it is not a simple road when you are alone, but having a physio who recognises the place of tension in your situation is a great step forward. Get as much information as you can about TMS to dispel the doubt and I'm sure you will progress from here. Hugs

 

I was diagnosed with SI joint disorder by the doctor who charged me $4,000.00 for injections that only worked once. The second set gave me no relief but caused my hair to fall out. I survived the pain only by wearing lidocaine patches that were meant to be worn 2 at a time, 8 hours a day. I wore 3-5, 24 hours per day. NSAIDS didn't touch it. I was considering surgery, knowing its complications and low success rate, when I found Dr. Sarno's book.Within 72 hours, my pain, which I'd had for 15 years, disappeared. I haven't used an NSAID or patch for months now. I'm currently suffering my first flare in ages, and I know it's because I'm finding it impossible to avoid certain toxic people in my life. If I have to be around them, I'll begin to hurt. Once the visit is over, the pain leaves. Now that I'm aware of the mind-body connection, it seems shockingly clear and obvious.

 

Hi Billiewells,

We seem to be in a very similar situation in our lifes...and I sincerely hope for both of us the TMS approach will finally bring the relief we need! It is hard to deal with so many different issues when a lot goes wrong at the same time and you have to endure a lot of insecurity and change. I am trying to give myself time and not to expect to heal overnight. Sometimes work issues or heartache distract me from doing my TMS homework or my physical exercises but it is getting better. The more I work on getting back a structure in my life the easier it gets to focus on TMS.
Just this morning my physio has been doing a lot of challenging exercises with me, telling me "your pelvis is fine, you are just holding it in a tight and stiff position". So this must be the right way...wish you all the best!

 

Hi Celtic Lady,

Sorry to hear about your suffering, how terrible to loose so much money on a worthless treatment! But what a wonderful thing that your healing went so well and that you are able to locate the reason for your flare so clearly. The mind really seems to have amazing power over our body. Thank you for sharing your story!

 

I also have sacroiliac pain.I have read every word Dr Sarno has written and seen a physiotherapist. I am still not pain free in fact I seem to have more pain in different areas as well.
When I read someone who is cured in 4 days I feel quite sad.

 

Hi Whitebeach,

Sorry to hear that. Hope you will find out what keeps you from recovering!

 

Hi - I know this is old but I am dealing with the same thing? Did following tms/Sarno help? How are you now?