Stop doing deliberate exercises with TMS? Stop practicing good posture?

So I have been working out and running more in my recovery period from TMS. I know my posture is bad, but Dr. Sarno says, essentially, not to worry about it? So should i keep slouching, bending over with my back, sleeping on my stomach and all of these other things? Yoga and stretching are great for the back and the body, should I stop doing this too? Core strengthening? I am having trouble discerning the concept of stop trying to strengthen your back/spine/core and rehabilitate, but aren't all of these methods positive? Is it ok to do them if we accept the TMS diagnosis, or will it just reaffirm our subconscious' doubts and fears? Thanks in advance!

 

gees,

I think it comes down to motivation, and believe me, your primitive brain knows why you're doing any given exercise. I'm 52 and if I stopped working out I would soon lose muscle tone and be an old bent lady, but I don't believe I would have pain. I never see exercise as a preventative against TMS, but an atrophied back will do me no good.

My take on what Dr. Sarno meant was that slouching, bending, or sitting in an awkward position will not hurt you. If a symptom of your TMS is a crooked back, or a hitch in your gait etc, don't worry about it or try to correct your posture, instead the knowledge and psychological thinking will correct it. It is originating in the mind, and that is where the fix is. I hope that helps!
Lizzy

 

Agree with Lizzy! Yoga and stretching are great, feel good and are nice for general health, but won't solve your pain. Bad posture does not cause chronic pain. I have plenty of patients with "bad" posture due to neurological impairments who have no pain. Sleep however is comfortable for you! There is no right or wrong.

 

Working out and strengthening was my ticket out of the abyss.

During my time of “deep sorrow” I became so sendentary that my core strength and muscle tone had deteriorated so much, it was a round trip. I started with a physical therapist, but quickly moved out of “physical therapy” to a gym with a trainer. In addition, yoga, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and three times a week with a trainer have become a routine for me.

The idea is not to do it for “repair” but have it become part of your overall gift to yourself of living a cleaner more balanced life. Food, physical balance and mental balance are all a huge part in all TMS stands for. Without one, the others will not work.

Best to you

 

I agree with Dfw. Do these things because you WANT to, not as a chore. I'll ask myself with an activity, am I doing this to try to get RID of the pain? If the answer is yes, I don't do it. To do it would be more avoidance, still letting pain rule my life. It ALSO adds to the belief that the cause is physical, which takes away from believing 100% that it's TMS.

Also, I would totally get rid of any idea of "bad" posture. I don't believe in such a thing.
Look up past threads on sitting. There are people who sat with "good" posture and no relief, and then got pain free with "bad" posture. And look up Peter O'Sullivan on Separating Fact From Fiction video in my signature for live examples.