Throbbing neck pain upon straining ie. coughing, standing from seated postion!!

Hi Marine, and welcome. That's certainly a disturbing symptom, and although in our experience, TMS can manifest as anything, it's also important to be checked out initially, in order to rule out other possible conditions. Have you had this examined, and what does the doctor say?

 

You haven't told us what the medical folks said, but IF they said that they can't find anything wrong, or IF what they found is normal aging stuff (I've seen neck issues diagnosed as stenosis, or due to the various types of disc problems that so many of us have as we age) then it's probably safe to assume that your pain is related to the TMS mechanism.

I mentioned before that around here, we've seen TMS pain manifest in any number ways. In fact, because it's generated by our brains, it's almost guaranteed to show up in ways that are unlike what anyone else has experienced. In the last six years, I've seen many many new members desperate to find someone who has a symptom exactly like their symptom - which is usually an exercise in futility. Our primitive fearful brains are really tricky that way!

So.... as long as you are not being advised by medical professionals to seek immediate medical attention for some other issue (cardiovascular, for example - don't mess around with that one!) then it can't hurt to pursue the TMS path, because learning about TMS is certainly non-invasive.

That being said, even if someone (anyone reading this!) is being advised to pursue treatment for some serious condition that is contributing to pain - let's say someone needs to take medication for some kind of cardiovascular issue - even then, learning about the mechanism of TMS could still help deal with the pain - because pain levels are increased by fear and stress, and reducing fear and stress can only be a good thing for overall health, because they have negative physiological impacts in the long run. Even the most traditional western medical practitioners know and accept this!

Okay, down to specifics: I can't tell from your post, but it sounds like you need more information. Have you read any of Dr. Sarno's books? Or checked out our Structured Educational Program? Reading Dr. Sarno is a prerequisite to understanding the TMS mechanism and how your brain will try to distract you from repressed emotions. The book I read when I started my TMS work was his last one, The Divided Mind, and I got my first copy from my local library. Then I bought it at least two more times, and ended up giving those away, LOL.

The Structured Educational Program (the "SEP") is a free program developed by our founder, Forest, and some of the early volunteers. It's a short daily program of readings and different writing exercises that introduce you to the many ways to learn about this work, and about yourself.

Good luck!

Jan