Tender to touch in random places

[krk_mindbody]

Hello All

Hope you are well. I would be so grateful if you could give your inputs.

Every now and then, I feel pain at random places anywhere on my body. It’s been like this for 3 to 4 years. When I get this pain, that area becomes so tender to touch. I get this pain in my arms, upper body, thighs, calves..etc. I got blood work done many times but nothing sinister found. I have read somewhere that this is one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia, I didn’t get it diagnosed for fibromyalgia.

Is this symptom of TMS? Of course, I do have stressors in my life and trying to do TMS work.

I also have many other health issues like tingling, burning, pins and needles pain in arms and feet, dizziness ( this has started recently). Except dizziness, other symptoms have reduced alot since I started learning about TMS. I am doing meditation, some journal work, breathing exercises, trying to calm brain.

But this tender to touch pain has always been there. I am hoping this would also be TMS. I got many tests, MRIs, CT, NCS, Ultrasound, blood work all autoimmune diseases.. all came normal so far.

Appreciate your help.

Thank you for your time.

Regards

 

[JanAtheCPA]

I have read somewhere that this is one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia, I didn’t get it diagnosed for fibromyalgia.

Good news: Fibromyalgia is TMS! This has been well established within the mindbody community for years. The word simply means "pain in the fibrous muscles" which is meaningless, because that just describes the symptoms, right? Just like so many stress-based conditions.

There is a well known book by an MD who had fibro and who recovered with the application of TMS tools, and you can too. I can't remember her name, however, it's been years, and fibro seems to have dropped "out of fashion" in the TMS world, in favor of new conditions.

Have you ever made a commitment to one of the programs designed to resolve emotional conflict, stress, and repression? For example, the Structured Educational Program.

 

[JanAtheCPA]

https://www.painoutsidethebox.com/tms-blog/tms-and-fibromyalgia (Tension Myositis Syndrome and Fibromyalgia — PainOutsideTheBox)

 

[krk_mindbody]

Good news: Fibromyalgia is TMS! This has been well established within the mindbody community for years. The word simply means "pain in the fibrous muscles" which is meaningless, because that just describes the symptoms, right? Just like so many stress-based conditions.

There is a well known book by an MD who had fibro and who recovered with the application of TMS tools, and you can too. I can't remember her name, however, it's been years, and fibro seems to have dropped "out of fashion" in the TMS world, in favor of new conditions.

Have you ever made a commitment to one of the programs designed to resolve emotional conflict, stress, and repression? For example, the Structured Educational Program.

@JanAtheCPA Thank you so much. That is music to my ears. All I need to make sure whether it is fibromyalgia or something else. Hopefully, It would be TMS related too if it is other than fibromyalgia. Thank you for the links

 

[JanAtheCPA]

All I need to make sure whether it is fibromyalgia or something else.

I'm unclear if this means you still intend to pursue a diagnosis of some sort, but if so, I have to play devil's advocate for TMS and ask: Why? Why waste time, energy, and resources? Is there anything in all of the medical scrutiny you've undergone that indicates there is a rush to diagnose something? Doctors these days, faced with an epidemic of mystery conditions (all of them stress-based) have come up with all kinds of names (fibro is just one of many) to describe symptoms, but they don't have any treatments that are known to work consistently over time, never mind permanently - ie, placebos). The cures simply do no exist in the medical community. They exist in the psychological community.

Your TMS fear brain WILL try to convince you that being able to put a name on your particular symptoms is urgent and essential, and I'm here to say that viewed rationally, this does not appear to be true. This older symptom will most likely hang on longer because it's been around longer, because that's the way our learned neural pathways tend to work.

Your brain will fight you, but my strong recommendation is to start doing the work - and to do it with more structure and more commitment. Our SEP (Structured Educational Program), or Alan's program, or one of Nicole Sach's programs. The PPDA has a program: Psychophysiologic Disorders Association. This site by Dani Fagan has been recommended by others, and she has a ton of resources: About Me (mytmsjourney.com). There are others which have been recommended by other members here, maybe others will chime in.

FWIW, my non-professional (twelve years doing this work) opinion is that fibro might be an indicator of inflammation, and the reason that's important is due to the relationship between stress and inflammation. It is not only well-known, it is actually built into the fight-flight-freeze mechanism. The problem, especially in today's world, is that more and more people are living in a constant state of low-level FFF, and thus living with constant elevated inflammation, thus the proliferation of ever-increasing bizarre symptoms. This is not healthy, and there is really no cure other than reducing stress.

BTW, fibro has also been strongly connected with PTSD, including childhood abuse.

PS - It looks like the book I recalled, by Nancy Selfridge MD, is only available used, but that doesn't make it invalid. I forgot that it has a foreword by Dr. Sarno!
Freedom from Fibromyalgia : The 5-Week... by Nancy Selfridge (amazon.com) (and other used outlets).

 

[Bonnard]

....I also have many other health issues like tingling, burning, pins and needles pain in arms and feet, dizziness ( this has started recently)....

This part of your post really stood out to me. Just think about how long that list of symptoms is. They were all distraction attempts that didn't grab you as much as this continuing symptom did (the tender-to-touch pain). The fear of fibromyalgia is what has really worked and kept you stuck and questioning. Even with all those normal test results, there's still that doubt that this is something more serious than the rest. I get that. It's hard to get past that.

The suggestions above about committing to a program seem like an extension of what you're already doing. Sounds like you've been trying quite a few things (journaling, meditation, etc.). You might be really close to being symptom free and just need to increase a bit (getting into a structure/commitment--telling your brain that you've got this and don't need the distractions) what you're already doing.

 

[krk_mindbody]

I'm unclear if this means you still intend to pursue a diagnosis of some sort, but if so, I have to play devil's advocate for TMS and ask: Why? Why waste time, energy, and resources? Is there anything in all of the medical scrutiny you've undergone that indicates there is a rush to diagnose something? Doctors these days, faced with an epidemic of mystery conditions (all of them stress-based) have come up with all kinds of names (fibro is just one of many) to describe symptoms, but they don't have any treatments that are known to work consistently over time, never mind permanently - ie, placebos). The cures simply do no exist in the medical community. They exist in the psychological community.

Yeah, I agree with you. Based on my past experience with the all diagnosis, It is just waste of time. This feeling of getting further diagnoses comes only when the symptoms hurt more and I am trying to train my brain that is TMS but sometimes it scares me that there is something else.

I should start a structure program as you advised. Thank you, I will start asap.

 

[krk_mindbody]

This part of your post really stood out to me. Just think about how long that list of symptoms is. They were all distraction attempts that didn't grab you as much as this continuing symptom did (the tender-to-touch pain). The fear of fibromyalgia is what has really worked and kept you stuck and questioning. Even with all those normal test results, there's still that doubt that this is something more serious than the rest. I get that. It's hard to get past that.

Yeah, you are right. But Of course, one instance made me realise that this is TMS.

Example: My main symptoms started back in May 2022, where I used to have burning, tingling sensations in hands and feet, and constant burning sensation in my left cheek ( This was later diagnosed as Trigeminal Neuralgia) apart from tender to touch skin problem. All these symptoms started after a very stressful event back in 2022 Feb/March. Fought for one and half year, wandering across many specialities but didn't find any serious problem. For Trigeminal Neuralgia, neurologists said that no surgery is needed since there is very slight touch of an artery to trigeminal nerve. In October, Youtube gave me a wonderful link to Dr. Schubinar interview, which turned me completely to TMS journey. As soon as I believed that this is all TMS, most of my symptoms disappeared surprisingly except the problem mentioned in my first post above but a new symptom came out of nowhere that is dizziness. This was a big shock to me. This dizziness is triggered only when I walk. For last 3 weeks, I m getting tinnitus issues also. Got Vestibular testing done and nothing came out.

And for last two days, my back hurts on the left side ( I usually get this pain on the right side ). Looks like all these are distractions as you mentioned.

Since, I keep getting different issues, I am going in circles and thinking from diagnoses perspective with a fear of having something else is missed in diagnoses.

 

[Dorado]

I had all these symptoms and they went away with TMS work! Even my cat’s tail brushing against my skin would hurt beyond belief at times.

Your tests results can be trusted. You are not alone!

 

[JanAtheCPA]

a new symptom came out of nowhere that is dizziness.

Proof of the TMS mechanism at work. Your poor primitive brain will do ANYTHING to get you back into what it thinks is necessary fear mode.

Dizziness is on my long list of symptoms that I don't give any credence to these days when it occurs - but it was a major disabling factor leading me to the brink of becoming housebound back in 2011. Found Dr. Sarno and then this forum just in time.

Here's the ultimate thread about Psycho-Physiological Dizziness Disorder, with an excellent article you can print or save:
Psycho-Physiological Dizziness Syndrome (PPDS) | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome) (tmswiki.org)

I have a list of lots of other favorite resources on my profile page. Including @Dorado's success story (this link starts at page 3, which is what I call Dorado's ultimate "distillation" of what works, and it's brilliantly written).