(severe) arm pain; help please

Dear all --

This is my first posting and I seek some help. Specifically I wish to elicit reactions from people who have had similar symptoms or have experience in what to do next.

Basically my right arm has been ON FIRE for 3 weeks now. There was no sudden trauma. Symptoms just gradually increased each day. The pain alternates in strength and quality. Sometimes radiation with tingling at finger tips, then severe RSI-like cramping of forearm muscles and anterior back around the scapula. I have a history of 40 years of back pain (no pain now, I'm 52 y.o.), spondylolisthesis and only recently discovered Sarno's books. I identify much with the descriptions in Sarno's books and it's easy for me to accept the diagnosis. But the pain is severe and the past three weeks I've spent a lot of time pacing my apartment saying to myself that I'm 100% fine, that the pain is psychologically induced. Thought much about potential stress issues etc. Unfortunately, I've not witnessed any reduction of pain.

Went to my family physician and he called it classic pinched nerve (cervical-7). Gave me oxycodon (strong pain killer) and a referral to a chiropractor. I put Sarno's Healing Back pain on his table but he waived it away ("No, classic pinched nerve here"). Of course, Sarno is virtually unknown here in the Netherlands but still my FP's decisiveness and the lack of perceived improvements makes me doubt: How long can I continue with this before I accept what my doctor (and everybody else around me) is telling me? I'm kind of waiting for a sign that I'm on the right course.

My FP approved an x-ray to be taken which is attached below. I see a skewed neck but I'm no expert and I suspect the radiologist (from whom I have not heard yet) will probably say that it's classic pinched nerve. I'm contemplating to let the chiropractor have a shot at it while I mentally adhere to Sarno's diagnosis (if that makes sense). Any suggestions are much appreciated.

 

Hi, Dutchy, the X-ray and doctor says you have a pinched nerve in your neck,
but before you try a chiropractor, I suggest you give TMS knowledge a chance to heal you.

Begin the Structural Education Program, free on another subforum here, that will guide you
through daily steps to become pain-free. Dr. Sarno says try to avoid any medication or
bodily manipulation like chiro, and put your belief 100 percent in your pain being TMS.

I had red-hot back and side pain but healed shortly after believing in TMS totally.
I didn't heal while I withheld about 10 percent belief it was structural or from my age.
I was 82 when the pain came on, and was healed within a month when I totally accepted
TMS caused my pain. In journling about my boyhood I discovered my repressed anger.
That led me to forgive my parents and older brother. Forgiving ended the pain.

Practice deep breathing, journaling, living in the present (not in the past or future),
and enjoy each day.

I visited Amsterdam while in the U.S. Army in April, 1956 and loved it.
I loved the tulip gardens and flower boats. Enjoy living in a beautiful country and try to forget
you are in any pain while you look at and feel the beauty around you.

You're on your way to TMS "Knowledge Penicillin" helping you to live the
happiest, healthiest years of your life.

 

Dear Walt --

Thank you much for the reply and the encouragement. It really helps me. I'm new to this forum but I've been looking around a bit and you're an inspiring man. Would be great to walk a bit around Amsterdam with you. Cheers, --Dutchy

 

Hi Dutchy,
I know you want confirmation about the specific pain you are experiencing. I felt the same about my feet. When I was in pain I was very anxious and really needed the reassurance, specifically for my pain. I mention this because that was not really needed for me to use Dr. Sarno's work. It applies to pain anywhere in the body, period.

I found help, long distance with Dr. Sopher, whom you can find in the Physician's section on the Wiki. For me, it was important to get a physician familiar with Dr. Sarno's approach to rule out the dozen or so other doctors' diagnoses I had gotten. In my case, I was preparing for nerve surgery for an "entrapped nerve." Dr. Sopher was a big help, and you can email him and take it from there.

Wishing you good luck and pain relief,
Andy

 

Dear Andy ==

Thanks much for the tip and the support. That is a very helpful suggestion.

Best, --Dutchy

 

I had the same dx years ago, it was TMS, which I didn't know of at the time. It's hilarious that physicians are now referring to chiros since not that long ago they viewed them as quacks. Long story short, save your money and get some massage instead for stress relief, you'll get more bang for your buck. Or, spend your money on TMS books, ect. No predicting how long before your goes away, everyone is different, depends on how long it takes for you to accept the TMS knowledge penicillin and reduce your stress levels. You may be able to search some of my old posts on my "c6/c7 pinched nerve" at the TMS Help site. You've been cleared by your doc that it's nothing "serious" so I feel good about saying it's TMS--hurts like hell though, I remember mine and having to walk around with my arm above my head to relieve the pain--I guess that helped relieve the O2 deprivation.

What's going on emotionally--have you checked the Rahe-Holmes list for stressful life situations?

 

That's really good to hear Tom. thanks a lot. Indeed I also find some relieve when I lift my arm. Thanks much for the link to the Rahe-Holmes list. I had not heard about that before.

 

Dr. Sarno refers to the Rahe-Holmes list of life stressors in his books, to me it's a big part of the science behind TMS that people are always looking for.

After having my first, (pre-TMS savvy), & worst bout with arm pain, the so called "C6/C7 pinched nerve", I've had it two subsequent, times years later. I just road it out until it went away, kept swimming and playing tennis--eventually it faded and woke up one morning and it was gone.

 

Hi Dutchy. Welcome!
I agree with Walt, who suggested trying the SEP, found on this wiki. You're not out anything except the time you put into it. But be warned, Dr. Sarno has always maintained that the most difficult hurdle is accepting the diagnosis. If you can convince yourself that TMS is responsible for your pain you're on the road to being pain-free.

I had banished back pain in the early '90s with Sarno's book, but 25 years later when I had such severe foot pain for 2 years that I wound up in a wheelchair, I didn't recognize it as TMS. Numerous surgeons wanted to operate, but thank God I found the TMS wiki. Steve Ozanich's book has an appendix of something like 30 pages of types of pain that are manifestations of TMS. What an eye-opener that was! I felt really stupid for not having recognized it earlier. But I choose to focus now on the fact that I've been pain free in my feet for over a year now.

Blessings on your journey.

 

@Dutchy...I was living in Leiden when I got this same problem. I know it's an old post. How you doing these days?