Spondylolisthesis, having a hard time believing this is TMS

Hello all!
I've been frequenting this site for about 2 weeks, figured I would seek out some advice. I have spondylolisthesis in my L5/S1 area, along with a bulging disc. I've had the spondy since I was 13, I'm 21 now, but the bulge is more so recent. I've had MRIs and Xrays done and there is little that could be impinging on my nerves, (mild foraminal stenosis towards the left) but I'm experiencing sciatica down both legs which only makes sense to be coming from my back.

I'm reading Healing Back Pain by Sarno, and I'm aware of Nicole Sachs' work, but I'm still having my doubts with all of this. And I think I might be focusing too much on my structural issue that I'm worried it will progress forward more if I don't do my core strengthening.

Any advice or success stories would be appreciated! It would make me so much more comfortable to know if other people have my condition and have successfully eased their symptoms.

 

Hi amberkenn2016, and Welcome!

I have not experienced your "condition" but want to start helping as best I can today. If you don't get members who had successes directly responding to your thread here, you can always search. Also, you could repost this request for help in a week or so with a specific title like "Asking for spondylolisthesis success experiences."

When I go to the search bar, upper right, and plug in spondylolisthesis, here is my result.
https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/search/1292318/?q=spondylolisthesis&o=date&c[title_only]=1&c[node]=27 (Search Results for Query: spondylolisthesis | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome))

Looking over the search list, I then scan for "success-story" in the urls. This puts me onto what you're after. Not asking for help, or others responding, but the success story itself. Here's one for example:

https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/a-spondylolisthesis-success-story.19074/ (A Spondylolisthesis Success Story)

I would recommend you do the same process for sciatica.

You're doing good, strong work on dealing with the imaging, the symptoms: that is, you're not yet going down a "catastrophic" sense of what is happening to you. Sciatica is a very common TMS symptom.

Good luck in your work!!

Andy B

 

Hi Amberkenn2016
I too have a diagnosis of Spondylolisthesis, L4/L5. I also had sciatica, mostly left sided. It was very painful and made it near impossible to walk. My personal life had been crashing down around me for several years, with a series of unfortunate and devastating circumstances, impacting my psyche. My body suffered from this. I journaled to myself, writing about my life, the various traumas that led to this circumstance, and anything else that came to mind. The process, for me, was cathartic, but at the same time traumatic. After approx. 4-5 months of this (writing 1 - 2+ times per day) I had a particularly bad day, emotionally and physically. I wrote more that evening and upon awakening the next morning I realized that the sciatica was gone. Just a small twinge remained, which disappeared within the next few days. Just be prepared, the writing/journaling can be an emotional roller coaster.

So, for me, at that point in time, the journaling process worked. This does not seem to work for everyone. Find a path that seems reasonable for you to follow. Dedicate yourself to this and see what happens. Check out Alan Gordons 21 day program. There is no reason that spondylotlisthesis should cause this severe pain. Believe that. Move forward with your trust in the TMS process. I have also found that slow walking in a pool (chest high water) is soothing and offers some easing of pain, while giving your brain time to adjust to the reality that this diagnosis does not cause this pain and therefore your brain does not need to continue sending you the message that this 'spondy' is dangerous.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery
Kindly
Lainey

 

Lainey,
I had a very similar and cathartic experience. After a long, awful and extremely scary DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL almost all of the pain, supposedly coming from my L5-S1 herniation, was gone .... and NEVER has returned. Paradoxically in the middle of the night I was abble to see the light of the TRUTH, my truly, real life. No more self-cheating! Astonishing.

 

miquelb3
Great! I too have not had the sciatica issue since. Glad for your epiphany as well. Life can be such a conundrum. It is good to hear from someone who has hd similar issues.
Kindly
Lainey

 

Nicole Sachs, a TMS therapist, has spondylolisthesis. She talks about it on her podcast: https://audioboom.com/channels/4976835 (Audioboom / The Cure for Chronic Pain with Nicole Sachs, LCSW)