Stiff tendons, ligaments or muscles with back pain

[MindBodyPT]

Since you are a PT....maybe you can answer my question. After trying to fix myself with 2 back surgeries of L4-L5 (had a synovial cyst severe stenosis and spondy) things never got better, I had to retire. I also had pain on the bottoms of my feet (not too bad), & stiffness in one ankle and down the shin of the other leg started after the last surgery. Now I have popping in the left knee with pain and this is when I was making progress with my back pain ? I do have to take a pain med 3 times a day otherwise life would be terrible. But I have cut back on what I used to take with the acceptance of a TMS diagnosis. I also have tinnitus, cardiac palpitations, anxiety and white coat syndrome. I am totally convinced that TMS is the problem. Figured this out 3 months ago because I never knew about TMS. Post op x-rays and a MRI are fine. Could this knee problem be structural or TMS...just got thru a hurricane and had to walk steps at a hotel but never had knee problems ever. Most of my pain from my back is on the left side --->hip--->foot and now knee pain with cracking. My unconscious brain is pretty devious because as a nurse it plays a sly hand to try to convince me all is structural. What are your thoughts MBPT ?

Hi Click,

It can be hard to be in health professions and accept a TMS diagnosis, so I definitely understand your unconscious still telling you that it's structural. Thankfully the more I studied the TMS approach the more I've learned how to differentiate what is and isn't TMS. Not sure about the knee issue- you'll want to think through whether it is consistent and unchanging or not, whether the pain moves around and varies and other things. I can't tell you for sure if it's TMS here without seeing you and if you haven't had it checked out. Though getting through a hurricane and doing lots of physical things like stairs with no pain is definitely a clue for you! Pay attention to the knee pain and see if it changes and varies. At this point I assume most all pain I feel in my body (especially musculoskeletal) is TMS if I haven't obviously injured it in the gym or something. Also recall that cracking/popping and pain don't have to go together, the cracking could be stiffness or tendons moving over each other (I am only 30 and have lots of joints that have always done this!). If the pain appeared all of a sudden without provocation that is also a clue for you.

The residual back pain at this point is likely to be TMS if your imaging all looks good and the surgeries were a while ago, that seems more straightforward. Your other diagnoses are also likely TMS in the absence of other issues (tinnitus and cardiac palpitations can be caused by other things too but I assume you've been checked out for those).

Feel free to message me with any questions

 

[Click#7]

Hi Click,

It can be hard to be in health professions and accept a TMS diagnosis, so I definitely understand your unconscious still telling you that it's structural. Thankfully the more I studied the TMS approach the more I've learned how to differentiate what is and isn't TMS. Not sure about the knee issue- you'll want to think through whether it is consistent and unchanging or not, whether the pain moves around and varies and other things. I can't tell you for sure if it's TMS here without seeing you and if you haven't had it checked out. Though getting through a hurricane and doing lots of physical things like stairs with no pain is definitely a clue for you! Pay attention to the knee pain and see if it changes and varies. At this point I assume most all pain I feel in my body (especially musculoskeletal) is TMS if I haven't obviously injured it in the gym or something. Also recall that cracking/popping and pain don't have to go together, the cracking could be stiffness or tendons moving over each other (I am only 30 and have lots of joints that have always done this!). If the pain appeared all of a sudden without provocation that is also a clue for you.

The residual back pain at this point is likely to be TMS if your imaging all looks good and the surgeries were a while ago, that seems more straightforward. Your other diagnoses are also likely TMS in the absence of other issues (tinnitus and cardiac palpitations can be caused by other things too but I assume you've been checked out for those).

Feel free to message me with any questions

Thank you for responding. My post op back pain is actually only 6 months. Many people have told me it could takes a year for things to settle down from a fusion. I did not know about TMS prior to the surgery. I believe it should all be healed and this is TMS. The clicking knee pain is bizarre and I am not going to do anything about it for at least a couple weeks to see if that settles down. When I lay on my back and move it up and down it clicks and pops and pain is more on the upper inner medial side ? I will go see my regular GP if it lingers. Thank you for being there for everyone with your comments and advice.

 

[Tennis Tom]

...but what about the never ending debate of oxygen deprivation vs. Learned neural pathways?
All these differing theories make building confidence (for those of us who question everything) in the TMS diagnosis stall and waver...

It doesn't matter, Dr. Sarno said the brain is so complex, that we may never know the mechanisms of how it creates TMS pain--it doesn't matter. What's important is to accept the theory, that the pain is created by the subconscious as a psychological defense mechanism.

 

[intense50]

Subconscious can be quite devious. As soon as you think you got TMS under control, it will try something else to see if you will pay attention to its new show (clicking, stiffness, etc.) and get worried, scared, overwhelmed, frustrated, and so on.

Any parents out there? Have you seen how a little child in need of attention will do anything, including bad stuff, to get your attention. In fact, if you do not pay attention, she or he will keep turning things up a notch or two until you finally do.

So if you get used to back pain, ignore it, or no longer pay attention to it, your subconscious will make your leg muscles stiff. If that's not bothering you enough, it will add a clicking sound to it. If that does not do it, it will make your feet feel heavy. Until you pay attention!

That's how my back pain turned into sciatica in the right leg. Once I got used to it, I woke up to sciatica in my left leg. After that both knees. Then arms and hands, and more. All kinds of weird sounds and feeling associated with different parts of my body. Very very scary.

Once I learned it was all due to reduction of blood flow and it was all the doing of my subconscious mind, I went from scared to fearless. I told him, "I am now in charge!" The same way a parent takes charge of a misbehaving child.

After that if was a quick trip to pain-free vacation land. Lol.

So don't give up, don't give in, and don't despair,

I agree and understand. I got rid of back pain. Journaling ect. Now have foot pain Norton neuroma, pf. You say "now I'm in charge". But does this not show there is still a need for diversion since it comes back as system imperative. Or is it just the id having a tantrum.?